A CONSULTING FIRM WAS HIRED TO COMPARE THE PROGRAM'S SUCCESSES WITH THOSE OF OTHER PROGRAMS AND TO IDENTIFY THE RELATIVE SUCCESS OF VARYING APROACHES BY COUNSELORS AT DIFFERENT SITES. THE SPECIFIC TASKS INVOLVED IN THE EVALUATION WERE TO DEVELOP INITIAL YOUTH SERVICE PROGRAM OFFICE (YSPO)/EVALUATOR COORDINATION, DEVELOP A SPECIAL INTENSIVE GROUP PROGRAM EVALUATION PLAN, GATHER AND ANALYZE YSPO DATA, CONDUCT ON-SITE ANALYSES (MEETING WITH GROUP COUNSELORS, UNIT SUPERVISORS, PROGRAM SPECIALISTS, ETC., IN SEVERAL DISTRICTS), AND DOCUMENT EVALUATION RESULTS. AFTER THE ORIGINAL EVALUATION METHODOLOGY WAS FOUND, IN PART, TO BE IMPRACTICAL, RESEARCHERS DECIDED THAT RECIDIVISM MEASURES WOULD BE LIMITED TO FIVE PROGRAMS AND SAMPLE SIZES REDUCED TO THE LEVEL NECESSARY TO MAKE STATISTICAL INFERENCES ABOUT THE STATEWIDE PROGRAM AS A WHOLE RATHER THAN SUBPROGRAMS BY DISTRICT. THIS REPORT INCLUDES A DESCRIPTION OF THE SIG PROGRAM PURPOSE AND HISTORY, A DISCUSSION OF PROGRAM STRUCTURE, PROFILES OF PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS, AND DISCUSSION OF THE COMPARISON OF PARTICIPANT SUCCESS BY DISTRICT. ALSO PRESENTED ARE A BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF OTHER PROGRAMS USED FOR EVALUATIVE COMPARISONS; A DISCUSSION OF THE COMPARATIVE PROFILE OF PARTICIPANTS IN VARIOUS PROGRAMS BY AGE, SEX, RACE, AND OTHER FACTORS; AND A COMPARISON OF THE SUCCESS RATES BY PROGRAMS. SIG PROGRAM MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS ARE DISCUSSED, NOTING COUNSELOR BACKGROUND AND QUALIFICATIONS, THE OPERATION OF THE REFERRAL SYSTEMS, THE ORGANIZATION AND STRUCTURE OF GROUPS, COLLATERAL CONTRACTS BY SIG COUNSELORS, AND VARIOUS OPERATIONS OF THE PARENT GROUP. THE EVALUATORS' OBSERVATIONS AND CONCLUSIONS CONCERNING THE PROGRAM AND IDENTIFICATION OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR PROGRAM MODIFICATION AND IMPROVEMENT ARE ALSO PROVIDED. INTERVIEW GUIDES FOR SIG PROGRAM COUNSELORS AND FOR PROGRAM INTERFACE ARE APPENDED. TABULAR DATA AND A CHART ARE INCLUDED. (WJR)