Issues in Juvenile Program Implementation: A Case Study

Abstract

Both adult and juvenile justice agencies seek to offer quality programs, but implementing a new program can be a difficult and daunting task. The purpose of this paper is to highlight the issues and concerns faced by one jurisdiction as a result of attempting to implement a new curfew check program. The goal is to share specific issues with general underlying solutions that may be utilized in other jurisdictions. An examination of the records of 79 juvenile offenders assigned to the program provides the information for this discussion. Results indicate that some basic assumptions of the program designers were incorrect, and that constant monitoring and the centralization of tasks were keys to program sustainability.

Canadian Female Gang Inmates: Risk, Needs, and the Potential for Prison Rehabilitation

“…Furthermore, a perennial problem of program implementation is that of fidelity-replicating the original intervention as it was initially designed and delivered. Urban (2008) observed how ''failing to adhere to the original plan, original dose, or original philosophy has resulted in failure to reach goals in multiple circumstances'' (p. 100). Thus, successfully replicating existing gang interventions is more challenging than simply following guidelines established by another program and requires a significant investment in research and program development.…”