The Pathways to Change strategy of Safe Passages incorporates several components of best practice programs for reducing juvenile delinquency. By providing intensive, individualized, multi-systemic, and community-based services, this strategy is aligned with the research-based approaches currently being used successfully in many other communities. By developing an evaluation plan that tracked youth outcomes, including the numbers and characteristics (that is, violent, non-violent, etc.) of subsequent offenses, school or employment participation, substance use, and family functioning, for example, the effectiveness of Pathways to Change for participating youth and families could be assessed. The evaluation of the Youth Offender Strategy described capacity-building efforts, successes, and challenges for participating service providers, and assessed how public agencies are working together to address the needs of youth offenders.
Project Team
Evaluation Director