Reducing Overrepresentation of Minorities in Juvenile Justice: Development of Community-Based Programs in Pennsylvania

Abstract

Although minority overrepresentation in juvenile justice settings has been identified as a persistent problem, interventions are scarce. To address minority overrepresentation in its juvenile justice system, Pennsylvania funded nine community-based intervention programs. This article describes a systematic model that provides an active role for program staff in program assessment and development prior to the design of outcome evaluations. Using archival, interview, and observational methods, we conducted evaluability assessments and process evaluations of each program. These formative evaluations provided essential information to strengthen community-based program planning, implementation, and impact assessment.