HD50 - Evaluation of the Richmond City Continuum of Juvenile Justice Services


Executive Summary:
In 1994, the General Assembly authorized funding for the development and implementation of new community-based programs and services for adjudicated juveniles in the City of Richmond. The new programs and services augmented the existing system, creating a wider range of sentencing options called the Richmond City Continuum of Juvenile Justice Services. The Continuum primarily strives to hold juvenile offenders accountable with appropriate sanctions, provide a diverse range of services, and retain offenders in the community. Implementation of the Continuum programs began in 1995. At this time, at least nine new programs and services are accepting offenders.

This evaluation was designed to provide information on the program characteristics and processes, the offenders participating in the Continuum programs, and professional reactions to the Continuum program. A limited amount of preliminary outcome information is also provided; however, outcome assessment will be pursued more thoroughly in the next year of the evaluation. Four post-dispositional sanctioning programs were reviewed in detail during this phase of the evaluation: Intensive Supervision Program, Extended Day Treatment, Juvenile Boot Camp and Aftercare, and the Post-Dispositional Detention Program. The information reported in this document was collected through a combination of interview, survey, and case file review activities.

The evaluation results indicate that juvenile justice professionals in the City of Richmond are very satisfied with the Continuum program and are particularly pleased with the array of services and sanctions it provides. File review information reveals the striking life circumstances of the children served by the Continuum programs, which frequently include very low educational attainment, substance abuse, a high proportion of deceased fathers, and family histories of criminal activity and substance abuse. A review of program processes indicates that programs are attempting to respond to these client needs by modifying programming as needed and integrating, to the degree possible, the Continuum services.

Juvenile justice professionals who interact with the Continuum programs are particularly pleased with the increased supervision provided by these programs. Although preliminary outcome information indicates that many Continuum offenders have returned to the attention of the juvenile justice system, most are charged with Violations of Probation which are attributed to increased supervision. Probation Officers and program staff reported improving outcomes for Continuum clients, and Probation Officers generally asserted that Continuum clients are responding more positively than juveniles in non-Continuum placements.

The Continuum is a dynamic system which continues to be developed in many respects, therefore conclusions are preliminary at this point. Response to the Continuum effort has been positive and programs do provide a diverse array of services; therefore, evaluators recommend that the General Assembly continue funding for these programs. However, juvenile justice professionals have identified areas of concern which require further study. To explore these concerns and the continuing effects of Continuum programming, evaluators also recommend that the General Assembly direct the Department of Criminal Justice Services to continue this evaluation effort. For this interim report, the evaluators have also developed several recommendations that may be useful in guiding program development and improving program effectiveness.