Sustained Impact of a Community-Based Intensive Supervision Probation Program on Minority Youth at Varying Risk Levels

Title of Study: Sustained Impact of a Community-Based Intensive Supervision Probation Program on Minority Youth at Varying Risk Levels

The University of Southern California will evaluate the sustained impact of an intensive supervision probation model implemented in Los Angeles, California, and used in many jurisdictions today. Through community-based supervision and services, the Youth and Family Accountability Model aims to: hold juvenile offenders accountable for their actions (i.e., impose appropriate sanctions and require offenders to make restitution to victims); protect the community by reducing recidivism among program participants; and build offenders' competence and thereby reduce placement out of the community. The program was developed as an intervention targeting juveniles who had at least two arrests or one felony arrest, were placed home on probation by the juvenile court, and had no previous placements out of the home or involvement with family court. The program's initial evaluation findings suggest that while this intervention model holds promise for lasting favorable impacts on high risk youth, it may have a negative impact on low risk youth which could result in increased involvement in the juvenile justice system. It is important for researchers to investigate the long-term impacts of this program for both high and low risk participants. Project performance will be measured by the project's adherence to its established timeline and by the quality of deliverables.
CA/NCF