Crime Is A Community Responsibility
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Additional Information
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Volunteers Prevent 3 Million Convictions Save Many Billions 1959 - 1999 Four Decades of History Research
by the National Institutes of Health indicates that every 100 probationers were
convicted of a second offense 23
times over the
next five years in a court using volunteers as contrasted with 270
times in a court
not using volunteers. National surveys and projections based thereon have
identified a total of well over 7,000,000 citizen
volunteer/years involved in juvenile and criminal justice probation and other
rehabilitative programs since 1959. The research results when related to the surveys show
that volunteers have prevented over 3 million convictions and have saved United
States taxpayers billions of dollars. Of course, no one will ever know the exact amount of
convictions prevented and dollars saved. However, one fact is certain: no other
practice, procedure or methodology even comes close to the effectiveness of
volunteers. Certainly not jail, fines, routine professional probation or any
other traditional approach. Why? One reason is obvious. When volunteers and
professionals work together, they give 6 to 12 hours a month in rehabilitative
services. When the professional probation officer labors alone, it is usually
about 3 minutes
a month and services are limited to mere superficial monitoring of the
defendant. Also, the quality of services is increased many times
with one-to-one volunteers serving as role models, volunteer pre-sentence
investigators who determine what the defendant's problem really is and how we
should help the defendant deal with those problems, administrative volunteers
helping to carefully coordinate one-to-one volunteers and professional
volunteers like optometrists, drug and employment counselors, dentists,
psychologists, attorneys and other volunteers performing special professional
services including tutoring and teaching life management skills. The mainstay of the volunteer movement is the
one‑to‑one volunteer who at first can only "be there and
listen." Gradually, often after some 25 hours spaced over 2-4 months, a
relationship of friendship develops and then the volunteer does for his/her
friend what friends have always done for each other, help in any way they can.
Court appearances which are usually very negative and debilitating can be, and
often are, very positive life-changing experiences. Take the case of "Jim", a youthful offender
who actually attacked the judge in court while he was being sentenced. Assigned
to a one-to-one volunteer, they began to share their love of the mountains. Each
week they spent hours together in the great out-of-doors. Slowly Jim changed. A
high school dropout, he returned to school and later graduated from college and
law school. He is now a key volunteer in the program which changed his life and
a fine practicing attorney. A 24 year old woman, "Ann", started a
barroom brawl. She had a long juvenile and adult record. Her volunteer spent
months just being there and listening. Finally, after many hours over several
months, Ann felt she could trust her volunteer. At 2:00 A.M. one morning shortly
thereafter Ann's child became ill. Not knowing what else to do, Ann called her
volunteer who met Ann at the hospital a little later with her doctor and helped
Ann medically and emotionally. Shortly before the dawn of a new day, in more
ways than one, Ann told her volunteer, "You really do care." About a
year later, her life completely changed inwardly and outwardly, Ann explained to
the judge. "Now all I want to be is a good wife and mother just like my
volunteer." There is only one solution to the challenge of crime
in and to a free society, the massive involvement of citizen volunteers. Even as
war is too important to leave to the generals, so crime is too important to
leave to probation officers, judges and other professionals. We need to be
involved, all of us working together. |
Send mail to rswain@rj-systems.com with
questions or comments about this web site.
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