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LOUISVILLE/JEFFERSON COUNTY (KY) - METROPOLITAN SOCIAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT - HOME DETENTION - A PRELIMINARY EVALUATION, MARCH 1976

NCJ Number
32751
Date Published
1976
Length
24 pages
Annotation
PRELIMINARY EVALUATION OF A PROGRAM DESIGNED TO REMOVE FROM SECURE DETENTION CHILDREN WHO COULD BE RELEASED TO THEIR OWN HOMES IF INTENSIVE SUPERVISION AND SUPPORTIVE SERVICES TO THE PARENTS COULD BE PROVIDED.
Abstract
CHILDREN ASSIGNED TO THE HOME DETENTION PROGRAM BY THE JUVENILE COURT WERE THOSE WHOSE OFFENSES WERE SERIOUS BUT WHO HAVE STABLE HOMES, AND THOSE WITH LESS SERIOUS OFFENSES AND AT LEAST QUESTIONABLY ADEQUATE HOMES. INTENSIVE SUPERVISION IS PROVIDED BY HOME DETENTION WORKERS WITH MAXIMUM CASELOADS OF FIVE CHILDREN. THE PROGRAM IS SAID TO HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO A DECLINE OF TWELVE CHILDREN PER DAY IN THE AVERAGE DAILY POPULATION OF THE LOUISVILLE DETENTION CENTER, WHILE REDUCING THE COST PER CHILD FOR TREATMENT BY TWO-THIRDS. FOR THE FIRST TWO MONTHS OF OPERATION, ONLY ABOUT ONE THIRD OF THE PARTICIPANTS REMAINED FREE OF NEW OFFENSES OR BENCH WARRANTS. THIS IS SAID TO BE THE RESULT OF THE INCLUSION OF HIGH-RISK OFFENDERS TO BUILD UP THE PROGRAM'S CASELOAD. THE SUCCESS RATE FOR THE FOLLOWING FIVE MONTHS WAS DOUBLE THAT FOR THE FIRST TWO. HOME DETENTION WAS FOUND TO HAVE A GREATER SUCCESS RATE FOR MULTIPLE OFFENDERS THAN DID UNSUPERVISED RELEASE. RECIDIVISM DATA IS PRESENTED IN NUMEROUS TABLES.