Program Evaluation Helps Youth Offenders
Another project being conducted by Dr. Simon Fass, an associate professor of Public Affairs in the School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences, also aims to help at-risk youth. Dr. Fass recently became principal investigator-evaluator for the Parent Empowerment Program funded under a Juvenile Accountability Block Grant from the U.S. Department of Justice. The $233,150 grant was competitively awarded to the Dallas County Juvenile Department which administers the Program.
The Parent Empowerment Program (PEP) focuses on the tendency of many parents and others youth guardians who come into the Dallas County Juvenile Drug Court to act as obstacles to their children’s chances of staying out of the justice system. Denial, unwillingness to recognize their children’s drug or other problems, reluctance to address problems due to embarrassment, personal experiences with drug abuse and criminality, and other factors often undermine efforts to help children. In an attempt to empower such parents to become more involved in preventing relapse of children (as well as themselves), the PEP engages them in a sequence of interactive classes and support group meetings that are synchronized with their child’s progress through the Drug Court process. Tracking children during and after departure from the Court, and comparing their re-arrest rates with those of youth and parents not selected for the Program, will help to determine whether PEP can bolster responsibility and improve futures and outcomes.
- Updated: February 20, 2007
