The Effectiveness of the Sheriff's Department's Juvenile Diversion Projects in Southeast Los Angeles County (CA)

Authors

Dale E. Berger, Claremont Graduate UniversityFollow
Mark W. Lipsey, Vanderbilt UniversityFollow
Laura B. Dennison
Janet M. Lange

Document Type

Article

Department

Behavioral and Organizational Sciences (CGU)

Publication Date

4-1977

Disciplines

Criminology and Criminal Justice | Legal Studies | Social and Behavioral Sciences

Abstract

The major message of this report is that juvenile diversion, as practiced by the three Sheriff's Department Projects in southeast Los Angeles County, appears to be quite successful. The accomplishments of these three projects were assessed with regard to two primary goals: 1. Reduction of the number of juveniles referred further into the juvenile justice system (probation and the courts) by law enforcement. 2. Reduction of the incidence of juvenile delinquency among youthful offenders subsequent to diversion. 1. The pattern of findings reviewed in this report provide convincing evidence that both these goals are being met. The highlights of that evidence are as follows: a. With the inception of the diversion projects in 1976, the number of diversions from the participating law enforcement stations increased substantially. b. The majority of the juveniles selected for diversion would probably have been referred to the Probation Department on non-detained petition applications if diversion had not been available; only a minority would have been counseled and released. c. The records of the sheriff's stations participating in the diversion projects showed that they sent fewer non-detained petition applications to the Probation Department after the projects began operations.

Comments

Previously linked to as: http://ccdl.libraries.claremont.edu/u?/irw,384.

Pdf modified from ILL pdf of published version.

Rights Information

© 1977 National Criminal Justice Reference Service

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Terms of Use for work posted in Scholarship@Claremont.

Recommended Citation

This report may be cited as Berger, D. E., Lipsey, M. W., Dennison, L. B., & Lange, J. M. (1977). The Effectiveness of the Sheriff Department's Juvenile Diversion Projects in Southeast Los Angeles County. A Supplement to the First Annual Evaluation Report for the Cerritos Corridor Juvenile Diversion Project, the Positive Alternatives for Youth Diversion Project (PAY), and the Southeast Early Diversion Project (SEED). Report submitted by the Claremont Graduate School Center for Applied Social Research. National Criminal Justice Reference Service. Report may be requested from NCJRS, a division of the United States Department of Justice.