LOCAL GOVERNMENT STRUCTURE AND PERFORMANCE: LESSONS FROM AMERICA?

The debate in the UK on the reform of local government structure is poorly informed by empirical evidence. This article bridges part of the empirical gap by drawing upon analyses of structural effects in the USA. Two main dimensions of structure are outlined: fragmentation and concentration, both of which can vary vertically and horizontally. Fourteen structural hypotheses are identified and categorized as technical, competitive and political effects. The empirical evidence from the USA suggests that fragmentation is associated with lower spending and concentration is associated with higher spending. The implications of the evidence for structural reform in the UK are analysed. It is concluded that the creation of a single-tier system may not lead to greater efficiency, and that the advantages of a two-tier system have been underestimated.     

Sierra Leone To-day

This article represents the greater part of a Lecture by theretiring Governor, now a Crown Agent for the Colonies, deliveredat a joint meeting with the Royal Empire Society on the 23rdJuly, when Lord Milverton was in the Chair.     

DIFFERENTIAL INTEGRATION AND JOB RETENTION AMONG EXOFFENDERS

Recent studies of the police have tended to stress the small role played by the police in the discovery and detection of offenses, and correspondingly, the dependence of the police on the public. The article focuses on the difficulties faced by the police where offenses occur in private or, at least in low-visibility areas, and suggests six strategies that the police use in order to overcome this initial disadvantage, strategies which in many cases may be sources of controversy .     

Reclaiming Futures: A Model for Judicial Leadership in Community Responses to Juvenile Substance Abuse

Juvenile courts across the country have become the leading service delivery system for youths with substance abuse problems, not by choice, but by necessity. At 10 communities around the nation, judges and project staff are in their fifth year of pioneering changes to the way the juvenile justice system helps teens in trouble with drugs, alcohol, and crime. These judges are part of Reclaiming Futures, an initiative of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and they are working with local leaders to re‐invent the way law enforcement, courts, probation, detention facilities, treatment providers, families, schools, and the community work together to help troubled youths succeed. Together, they have written a guide for judges, court administrators, government entities, community leaders, and interested citizens to share the knowledge and experience they have gained from the nationwide Reclaiming Futures initiative. Their goal is to encourage and motivate others to launch similar projects in their communities, and to provide a blueprint for judges and others striving to undertake this level of collaboration.