NCJ Number
57373
Date Published
1979
Length
28 pages
Annotation
AN EVALUATION FINDS THE ACHIEVEMENT PLACE FOR BOYS PROGRAM OF LAWRENCE, KAN., BOTH CHEAPER AND MORE EFFECTIVE THAN INSTITUTIONALIZATION IN HELPING PROBLEM BOYS AND PREVENTING RECIDIVISM.
Abstract
ACHIEVEMENT PLACE IS A COMMUNITY-BASED HOME WHICH USES TEACHING HOUSE PARENTS TO WORK WITH GROUPS OF SIX TO EIGHT DELINQUENT OR PREDELINQUENT YOUTHS. THE BOYS ARE AGED 12 THROUGH 15 YEARS AND HAVE FAILED TO RESPOND TO TRADITIONAL PROBATION OR COUNSELING SERVICES. ALL HAVE BEEN JUDGED IN DANGER OF INSTITUTIONALIZATION. ACHIEVEMENT PLACE EMPLOYS A POINT SYSTEM (TOKEN ECONOMY) TO MOTIVATE BOYS, A SYSTEM OF SELF-GOVERNMENT, AND COUNSELING SESSIONS WITH PARENTS. OF THE FIRST 41 BOYS ACCEPTED, 61 PERCENT WERE WHITE, 29 PERCENT BLACK, 7 PERCENT AMERICAN INDIAN, AND 2 PERCENT SPANISH AMERICANS. THEIR IQ SCORES RANGED FROM 73 TO 113 AND NEARLY ALL HAD SEVERE ACADEMIC DEFICIENCIES. THE PROGRAM EVALUATION FOUND THAT ALL BOYS IN THE PROGRAM IMPROVED THEIR ACADEMIC SKILLS. TO STUDY THE EFFECT OF ACHIEVEMENT PLACE TREATMENT ON SUBSEQUENT INSTITUTIONALIZATION, TWO CONTROL GROUPS WERE USED. FIRST, POST-RELEASE DATA ON THE ORIGINAL 8 BOYS IN THE PROGRAM WERE COMPARED WITH THOSE ON 18 BOYS WHO APPLIED BUT WERE REJECTED DUE TO SPACE LIMITATIONS: AFTER 2 YEARS, ONE BOY FROM THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP HAD BEEN INSTITUTIONALIZED COMPARED TO 56 PERCENT (OR 10 BOYS) FROM THE CONTROLS. THEN DATA ON THE FIRST 18 BOYS ADMITTED WERE COMPARED TO DATA ON 19 SIMILAR BOYS WHO WERE SENT TO THE STATE BOYS' SCHOOL. AFTER 2 YEARS, 22 PERCENT OF THE ACHIEVEMENT PLACE GROUP HAD BEEN INSTITUTIONALIZED, COMPARED TO 47 PERCENT OF THE CONTROLS. THE COST WAS $15 PER DAY PER BOY, COMPARED TO $44 FOR THE BOYS IN INSTITUTIONS. THE PROGRAM HAS GOOD COMMUNITY ACCEPTANCE, AND 35 SIMILAR PROGRAMS HAVE BEEN ESTABLISHED IN OTHER AREAS. TABLES PRESENT STUDY DATA. REFERENCES ARE APPENDED.