This research center at the University of Colorado appears to be doing some pretty good work in evaluating youth crime prevention programs. Their research methods are first-rate.
However, in any study of youth crime, it is crucial to keep in mind that most of the model programs are dealing with kids with little actual criminal involvement—Big Brothers Big Sisters of America for instance—and major studies show that most kids committing crimes will spin out of the system, without any intervention, after one or two arrests.
A previous post addressed this.
An excerpt from their website, Blueprints for Violence Prevention Overview.
“Why do we need to know what works? For two reasons.
“First, many programs, despite their good intentions, are either ineffective or actually do more harm than good. Second, ineffective or harmful programs are a waste of scarce violence prevention dollars.
“For example, Scared Straight, which is supposed to deter delinquent youth from a life of crime by showing them life in prison, actually increases crime. Yet shock probation programs like Scared Straight continue to be used throughout the country. Ineffective prevention programs include boot camps, gun buybacks, peer counseling, summer jobs for at-risk youth, neighborhood watches, and home detention with electronic monitoring.
“But other prevention programs, like Life Skills Training and Project Towards No Drug Abuse, not only work but are highly cost-effective. They are among 11 model programs certified by Blueprints, meaning that they have a high level of evidence supporting their effectiveness and should be replicated in other communities to prevent violence and drug abuse. In addition, Blueprints has designated 19 promising programs that have shown good results but require either replication in another community or additional time to demonstrate their effectiveness and sustainability.”
Lampstand Foundation website, http://www.lampstandfoundation.org/
"The sinner is at the very heart of Christianity. Nobody is so competent as the sinner in matters of Christianity. Nobody, except the saint." Charles Peguy (1873-1914)
About
- David H. Lukenbill
- I am a California native, married, we have one daughter and live close to the American River with two cats and all the wild critters we can feed. I am a management consultant to nonprofit organizations and have an Associates of Arts degree in Administration of Justice from Sacramento City College, a Bachelor of Science degree in Organizational Behavior from the University of San Francisco and a Master of Public Administration degree, also from the University of San Francisco.