Evaluating the Impact of Alternative Placement Programs for Juveniles in a Southwestern State, 1983-1995: [United States]
Description
This study addressed the question of whether alternative
correctional programs were more effective than traditional training
schools in reducing recidivism among juvenile offenders. Alternative
programs were defined as halfway homes, group homes, foster homes,
ranches, camping programs, and specialized vocational programs, while
training schools were defined as secure, restrictive custody programs
in institutional settings. The goal of this study was to assess the
impact of alternative program placements versus training school for a
12-year period on 266 juvenile delinquents remanded to youth
facilities in a southwestern state in 1983. Subjects chosen for the
study were 298 youth who had been committed by a county court to a
statewide juvenile corrections program between January 1, 1983, and
July 1, 1983. The sample was representative of the youth commission's
population of juvenile offenders in terms of age, race, and sex. All
were first time commitments, and the original commitment offense for a
majority of the youth was a nonviolent property crime, such as
burglary or theft. From this original sample, 32 juveniles were
eliminated from the study because they were not adequately exposed to
either an institutional or alternative program. The final sample
consisted of 266 juvenile offenders, of which 164 were placed in
institutions and 102 were placed in alternative programs. Youth were
not randomly assigned to programs. Juveniles with particular
characteristics were automatically assigned to certain types of
programs. All violent offenders were placed in institutions. The study
was designed to include a lengthy follow-up period, a focus on subject
by program interaction effects, and the use of survival analysis to
examine the timing of recidivism as well as its incidence. Recidivism
was defined as the first arrest or parole revocation that took place
within the follow-up period. The follow-up period was approximately 12
years, from the parole assignment until September 1, 1995. Data were
collected primarily from the administrative records of the state youth
commission. The commission also obtained additional follow-up data
from the state Department of Public Safety and the state Department of
Corrections. Additionally, family background data were collected from
each youth's parole officer in response to a survey conducted
specifically for this study in September 1994. Demographic variables
include commitment age, race, and sex. Psychosocial variables include
family environment and IQ. Other independent variables include
program placement status, delinquency risk scales, and program
adjustment measures. The dependent variable is recidivism, measured as
both a discrete variable indicating whether an arrest occurred and
time until first arrest offense after parole.
Resources
| Name |
Format |
Description |
Link |
|
0 |
ICPSR02991.v1 |
https://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR02991.v1 |
Tags
- program-evaluation
- recidivism
- institutionalization-persons
- juvenile-recidivists
- united-states
- juvenile-offenders
- correctional-facilities-juveniles
- alternatives-to-institutionalization
- juvenile-detention