Using evidence-based programs in juvenile justice means more than pulling brand-name interventions off the shelf, says a leader in the field.
Policymakers and practitioners have a large body of research to draw on to determine whether a particular program has promise, including those of the mom-and-pop variety, said Shay Bilchik, director of the Center for Juvenile Justice Reformat Georgetown University.
But knowing a program has potential isn’t the only factor for success. Instead, programs also need to be embedded in a work culture that recognizes the importance of assessing juveniles’ risks and needs, matching juveniles to the programs best suited for them and continually evaluating a program’s effects, he said during a Forum for Youth Investment webinar today.
Without those steps, even the best-designed programs with the best-intended staff are undermined. For example, a program that works for juveniles at moderate risk for reoffending isn’t the proper place for their high-risk peers. A “misdiagnosis” can increase the odds of recidivism rather than driving them down.
[For more of this story, written by Sarah Barr, go to http://jjie.org/evidence-doesn...-expert-says/285120/]
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