Youthful Offender Program Follow Up Report, 2001

In 1996, the Iowa Division of Criminal and Juvenile Justice Planning was asked by the Governor’s Alliance on Substance Abuse (GASA) to examine the five Youthful Offender Programs (YOPs) that were in operation at that time. The focus of the original study was to describe the programs, their clientele, and two outcome measures (program completion and recidivism). One section of the report provided a detailed description of each of the five programs in operation at the time of the original study and the findings for each. Another section of the report highlighted program completion rates and recidivism rates. The Youthful Offender Programs were designed to operate as part of a partnership with a number of different agencies (county attorneys, the district departments of correctional services, and a variety of different treatment agencies) to provide a holistic approach in the rehabilitation of youthful offenders. These programs were designed specifically for offenders between the ages of 16 and 21 who had committed first time felonies or aggravated misdemeanors as an alternative to incarceration or in response to non-compliant probationer behaviors. Offenders who were 16 and 17 years of age had to have been waived to the adult court to be eligible for entry to the program.