Executive Summary: Process Evaluation of the Pennsylvania Bureau of Juvenile Justice Services' Aftercare Program

This is an executive summary of the process evaluation of the aftercare services program of the Pennsylvania Bureau of Juvenile Justice Services (BJJS), prepared by the National Center for Juvenile Justice (NCJJ) for the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency. NCJJ evaluated the design and implementation of the new BJJS program for aftercare service delivery, transformed in January 2005 from a treatment model to a case management model. The new model provides services at disposition, an earlier stage than the norm. Juveniles progress through their own individualized service plans, which are developed taking into account their own and their family’s needs, as well as community resources available to them. The new model requires collaboration among agencies that previously functioned independently. This document describes the evaluation method used, summarizes program strengths and needs, and recommends further activity in three areas: case-tracking information systems, validation of risk assessment instruments, and performance of an outcomes evaluation.

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