April Williams 
Spelman College
Major: Sociology
Mentor: Dr. Donald Lund, Research Associate Professor of Sociology & Coordinator of Evaluation and Assessment for Justiceworks
The Effectiveness of Community-Based Intervention Programming on Juvenile Delinquency
Juvenile delinquency has become a major problem in American society. A variety of community-based intervention programs based on differing conceptual models have been initiated to address delinquency. This study was conducted to investigate what type of programming is effective in preventing recidivism among juveniles. The research consists of three methodologies. A review of the literature gives an overview of which theories, methods and practices have been found to work best for specific communities and populations. Results of group interviews held with program participants of community-based programs in the Boston Massachusetts area are presented. The group interviews give insights obtained directly from program participants regarding delinquency prevention and intervention services. Implications for prevention and intervention programming as well as future research are discussed.
