What Constitutes Effective Intervention for Probationers?

Probation officers are the most important contacts for youth involved in the juvenile justice system! Give yourselves a pat on the back now… Probation officers are the most important contacts for youth involved in the juvenile justice system! Give yourselves a pat on the back now… Probation Officers Are Key

Probation officers help youths by:  Referring  Assessing  Coordinating  Counseling  Cajoling Probation officers help youths by:  Referring  Assessing  Coordinating  Counseling  Cajoling Probation Officers Are Key

The end goal is:  Reduce risk of recidivism  Hold youths accountable for their behavior  Promote their health and well-being  Expand their access to opportunity The end goal is:  Reduce risk of recidivism  Hold youths accountable for their behavior  Promote their health and well-being  Expand their access to opportunity Probation Officers Are Key

 “Over 60% of youth encounters with the juvenile justice system are through community supervision with Probation Officers.” (Snyder & Sickmund 2006) Probation Officers Are Key

 Despite the resources committed to youth probation, the development of effective evidence-based probation practices have been erratic Probation Officers Are Key

 Interventions have been shown to help reduce recidivism among juveniles involved in the justice system as part of multifaceted strategy Probation Officers Are Key

Interventions Are Important! According to the OJJDP:  Effective interventions play an essential role in any strategy designed to diminish the rates of juvenile delinquency  Serious, violent, and chronic juvenile offenders absent effective interventions, are likely to recidivate while at the age for peak offending According to the OJJDP:  Effective interventions play an essential role in any strategy designed to diminish the rates of juvenile delinquency  Serious, violent, and chronic juvenile offenders absent effective interventions, are likely to recidivate while at the age for peak offending

Types of Intervention: Interventions Are Important! Individual counselingFamily counseling Interpersonal skillsGroup counseling Behavioral programsReduced caseload Multiple servicesWilderness challenge RestitutionEarly release Employment relatedDeterrence programs Academic programsVocational programs Advocacy/casework

3 rules of effective interventions:  Must be therapeutic in nature  Apply the Risk Principle  Have quality implementation 3 rules of effective interventions:  Must be therapeutic in nature  Apply the Risk Principle  Have quality implementation Interventions Are Important!

Treatments found most effective in curbing juvenile recidivism:  Mentoring (21%)  Group counseling (22%)  Behavioral programs (22%)  Cognitive behavioral programs (26%)  Multiple services-case management (20%) Treatments found most effective in curbing juvenile recidivism:  Mentoring (21%)  Group counseling (22%)  Behavioral programs (22%)  Cognitive behavioral programs (26%)  Multiple services-case management (20%) Interventions Are Important! (“The Primary Factors that Characterize Effective Interventions with Juvenile Offenders: A Meta-Analytic Overview”)

Treatments with positive effects:  Mediation-Restorative Program (12%)  Family Counseling (13%)  Family Crisis Counseling (12%)  Mixed Counseling (16%)  Social Skills (13%)  Challenge (12%)  Academic (10%)  Service Broker (10%) Treatments with positive effects:  Mediation-Restorative Program (12%)  Family Counseling (13%)  Family Crisis Counseling (12%)  Mixed Counseling (16%)  Social Skills (13%)  Challenge (12%)  Academic (10%)  Service Broker (10%) Interventions Are Important! (“The Primary Factors that Characterize Effective Interventions with Juvenile Offenders: A Meta-Analytic Overview”)

Interventions Are Important! Programs with weak or no effects or inconsistent evidence:  Wilderness/challenge  Early release, probation/parole  Deterrence programs  Vocational programs Programs with weak or no effects or inconsistent evidence:  Wilderness/challenge  Early release, probation/parole  Deterrence programs  Vocational programs

 Debate among academics that only interventions that address a juvenile’s criminogenic needs are effective  Specifically cognitive-behavioral and social learning approaches  Analysis has shown mentoring and general counseling to be very effective  Debate among academics that only interventions that address a juvenile’s criminogenic needs are effective  Specifically cognitive-behavioral and social learning approaches  Analysis has shown mentoring and general counseling to be very effective There is No Silver Bullet in Treating Delinquency

 Program implementation is just as important as type of program There is No Silver Bullet in Treating Delinquency

Cornerstones of quality implementation:  Treatment providers that are professionally trained  Service delivery that is monitored  Corrective actions are taken when quality deteriorates Cornerstones of quality implementation:  Treatment providers that are professionally trained  Service delivery that is monitored  Corrective actions are taken when quality deteriorates There is No Silver Bullet in Treating Delinquency

In Midwestern town of 175,000, young offenders who were on probation and considered high-risk were matched with highly vetted volunteer citizen counselors. There is No Silver Bullet in Treating Delinquency (“Effectiveness Of Citizen Volunteers Functioning As Counselors For High-risk Young Male Offenders”)

Matching criteria for citizen counselors and probationers:  Sex  Ethnicity  Educational background  Intellectual level  Vocational aspirations  Recreational interests Matching criteria for citizen counselors and probationers:  Sex  Ethnicity  Educational background  Intellectual level  Vocational aspirations  Recreational interests There is No Silver Bullet in Treating Delinquency (“Effectiveness Of Citizen Volunteers Functioning As Counselors For High-risk Young Male Offenders”)

 The counseling relationships lasted about ten months  Weekly meetings were held an average of 3 meetings a month  The counseling relationships lasted about ten months  Weekly meetings were held an average of 3 meetings a month There is No Silver Bullet in Treating Delinquency (“Effectiveness Of Citizen Volunteers Functioning As Counselors For High-risk Young Male Offenders”)

Counselors helped youth manage:  Personal problems  Financial issues  Educational problems  Interpersonal relationships  Volunteers arranged for employment - either full or part-time jobs Counselors helped youth manage:  Personal problems  Financial issues  Educational problems  Interpersonal relationships  Volunteers arranged for employment - either full or part-time jobs There is No Silver Bullet in Treating Delinquency (“Effectiveness Of Citizen Volunteers Functioning As Counselors For High-risk Young Male Offenders”)

 The citizen counseled group, committed fewer and less serious offenses than the control high-risk group.  Exhibited a lower recidivism rate (14% vs. 54%) by nearly 40%!  The citizen counseled group, committed fewer and less serious offenses than the control high-risk group.  Exhibited a lower recidivism rate (14% vs. 54%) by nearly 40%! There is No Silver Bullet in Treating Delinquency (“Effectiveness Of Citizen Volunteers Functioning As Counselors For High-risk Young Male Offenders”)

The citizen counseled group was:  Employed more regularly  Made greater educational progress  Appeared to be more responsible, less impulsive and less rebellious than the group on regular probation  More accepting toward other probationary requirements, especially educational classes The citizen counseled group was:  Employed more regularly  Made greater educational progress  Appeared to be more responsible, less impulsive and less rebellious than the group on regular probation  More accepting toward other probationary requirements, especially educational classes There is No Silver Bullet in Treating Delinquency (“Effectiveness Of Citizen Volunteers Functioning As Counselors For High-risk Young Male Offenders”)

 Interventions are equally effective on institutionalized and non-institutionalized youth involved in the juvenile justice system  Interventions have also been shown to have similar results irrespective of age, race, or gender  Interventions are equally effective on institutionalized and non-institutionalized youth involved in the juvenile justice system  Interventions have also been shown to have similar results irrespective of age, race, or gender Does Individualized Justice Work?