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Date: April 30, 2024 Tue
Time: 1:47 am
Time: 1:47 am
Results for boys and girls clubs
1 results foundAuthor: Damooei, Jamshid Title: The Evaluation Report For Targeted ReEntry Program of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Oxnard and Port Hueneme Summary: Crime devastates victims, communities, and even perpetrators. Over the last several decades, the United States has faced serious problems with its criminal justice system. The population of incarcerated Americans has grown tenfold since 1970 and those who have been released from prison are more likely than not to return to prison. The vicious cycle of imprisonment, release, and imprisonment need to be reduced and if possible stopped. In the last decade, there has been renewed interest in programs that are intended to reduce the recidivism rate of released prisoners. The Targeted Reentry Program of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Oxnard and Port Hueneme is one such program that focuses on the needs of at‐risk juvenile offenders. The program provides services to youth offenders from the time the time they are detained in juvenile facilities through their release and reintegration with the community. The Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Oxnard and Port Hueneme rely on several collaborators to provide specialized services that are beyond their purview. These collaborators include: - Palmer Drug Abuse Program - Ventura County Public Health - The Ventura County Probation Agency - The Coalition to End Family Violence This study has worked to collect data both from the management of and participants in the Targeted Reentry Program in order to determine the effectiveness of the services provided. Based on these findings, the program proves to be an effective resource in the lives of these young people. Participants perceive the services to be effective and they consistently utilize everything that the program has to offer. Moreover, the rates of recidivism are relatively low and they seem to be gainfully engaged in the community upon release. Data collected through studying the records of program management indicate the following: - Significant proportions (36%) of youths who have received the program services are currently employed. - 84% of those who have participated in the Targeted Reentry Program are either currently in school or they have earned academic credentials that could help them become employed. Most encouragingly, 10% are currently pursuing secondary education beyond high school. - 36% of program participants received counseling services while they were inside the juvenile facility. - 86% of those who received counseling while they were in detention continued to receive counseling after they left the facility and began reintegrating into their communities. - The vast majority of respondents (70%) received substance abuse treatment inside the juvenile facility. This is a significant finding. First, it speaks to the success and ability of the Targeted Reentry Program to provide a service to a large number of program participants. Second, it indicates just how many of the youths entering the program is in need of substance abuse treatment. The majority of participants (52%) who received substance abuse treatment within the Juvenile Facility indicate that they continued to receive such treatment after they released into the community. - 85% of those who participated in the Targeted Reentry Program were not returned to the juvenile facility after their release only for a new offense. In addition to consulting the records of program management, the research team prepared a survey that was administered to program participants. The results of the survey are as follows: - At the time respondents filled out the questionnaire, a majority (53.5%) were legal adults over the age of eighteen. - When entering the program, juvenile offenders were between the ages of 14 and 17. The largest share of respondents (46.7%) was 17 when beginning the program. - Nearly three‐fourths of respondents (73.3%) are males. - 53.3% of respondents indicate that they are full‐time high school students not currently employed. An additional 13.4% are also studying; 6.7% are attending community college fulltime while another 6.7% are attending college while working. An additional third of respondents are no longer pursuing an education. 20% are working full‐time while 13.3% are working parttime jobs. - All respondents to the survey are either working or studying. This means that all these individuals are on the path to having a more stable life. - The findings of the program participant survey are quite promising. Only 13.3% of survey respondents indicate that they have had new charges filed against them after exiting the Targeted Reentry Program for the first time. This level of recidivism is significantly less than national levels that are generally in excess of 60%. - All survey respondents believed that the Targeted Reentry Program helped them to "find [the] real sources of my [their] problems." Specifically, 60% believed the program was very successful while 40% believed it to be only successful in this regard. - All survey respondents indicated that the program changed the way they deal with their problems for the better. This is further evidence that the services of the program are helping to develop pro‐social behavior among participants. - All survey respondents indicated that the program was successful in making them more hopeful about their lives. This is the third question in which program participants indicate unanimously that the program has encouraged pro‐social behavior. - 93.3% of respondents indicate that the program successfully gave them the opportunity to meet people who care about them and their wellbeing. - All survey respondents believe that the program taught them the value of an education for a better life in the future. Such motivation may help them become more likely to take their education seriously. - 86.7% of respondents believe that the program was successful in teaching them useful skills that will help them succeed in the job market. Once again, this finding touches on the issue of employability and the need for helping these youth offenders find stable livelihoods that will encourage them to avoid criminal activity. - Another area in which the program seems to help participants is in allowing them to appreciate the importance of health living. Respondents unanimously believed that the program was successful in teaching them the importance of healthy living. Details: Oxnard, CA: Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Oxnard and Port Hueneme, 2010. 30p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 23, 2013 at: http://www.bgcop.org/aboutus/impact/tre_report.pdf Year: 2010 Country: United States URL: http://www.bgcop.org/aboutus/impact/tre_report.pdf Shelf Number: 131696 Keywords: At-Risk YouthBoys and Girls ClubsJuvenile OffendersJuvenile ReentryReentry (California)RehabilitationReintegrationVoluntary and Community Organizations |