This study evaluated the efficiency and effectiveness of the unique operational structure of the two juvenile justice centers developed by the Los Angeles County Probation Department. These centers, which house all the agencies involved in juvenile justice under the same roof, were compared to the conventional processing system. The unified structure was found to be far more efficient than the conventional system of separate agencies handling different stages of the processing of juvenile referrals. However, the emphasis on judicial continuity and closer supervision, brought about by the centralization, did not reduce recidivism.
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