Age range

Website: www.co.alameda.ca.us/probation/

Mission/Goals: The "Reaffirming Young Sisters Excellence" (RYSE) program has two primary objectives: 1) preventing girls whose cases have been adjudicated in the Alameda County Juvenile Court from returning to the justice system; and 2) promoting the development of girls’ social competencies so they can sustain crime-free and economically secure lifestyles. This non-residential 12-month program provides intensive supervision and comprehensive services for girls, including a 12-week life skills and learning component, pregnancy prevention and teen parenting classes, substance abuse counseling, anger management, family counseling, short-term crisis home placement and community activities and services.

Note: In 2000, The RYSE program was the recipient of the Public Service Excellence Award (PSEA), which recognizes "the highest standards of public service... programs and projects represent innovative and effective models of outstanding service delivery to the American public." PSEAs are sponsored by Public Employees Roundtable and co-sponsored by the National Association of Counties, The International City/County Management Association, the National Governors' Association, the National League of Cities, the U.S. Conference of Mayors, the U.S. Office of Personnel Management and the Federal Executive Boards. These national awards are given in the following categories: Federal, State, City, County, Intergovernmental, and Community Service. RYSE is a county-level program, serving girls from all of Alameda County, including Oakland.

Source(s): www.jrsa.org/jjec/prog

rams/gender/evaluations.html; www.theezine.net/articles/54/Public-Service-Excellence-Awards-2000.html

Type of Evaluation: Experimental

Objective: To examine the effect of gender-specific programming on reducing reoffending.

Impact/Outcomes: Findings indicate no significant differences between the two groups in completion of probation, time to completion of probation, time to completion of community service, or time to completion of restitution. Examination of rearrest rates showed that there were no significant differences between the treatment and control groups; examination of pretest and posttest scores on a risk assessment also showed no significant differences between the two groups. Therefore, there is no evidence to suggest the RYSE program was more effective than traditional probation.