The University of Texas Medical Branch conducts evaluation of the project with Dr. Thomas as principal investigator. Analysis considers impact, outcome and process utilizing information collected from official sources, agency records and participants in programs. Official data include juvenile crime statistics and school behavioral reports. Agency records provide data on programs and participants. Participants in specific programs are interviewed and information about them collected from other sources.
Consent is obtained and confidentiality maintained on all individual information.
Baseline information including targeted risk factors comprises official statistics and information collected about participants upon entering programs. Impact and outcome are based on follow-up data. A federal certificate of confidentiality was obtained to assure individual participants privacy would be protected and the means to share information between agencies. Arrests for all juvenile crime have decreased since the initiation of the Island Youth Programs. These decreases are greater than national and regional trends.