NCJ Number
204127
Date Published
1998
Length
21 pages
Annotation
This report describes the Boys Town’s Staff-Secure Detention Program for Female Juvenile Offenders, providing intensive treatment for female juvenile offenders.
Abstract
The Boys Town’s Staff-Secure Detention Program for Female Juvenile Offenders serves girls 11- to 18-years-old and is a key component in the continuum of intervention and treatment alternatives. Boys Town is an innovative approach to short-term emergency care for females within the jurisdiction of the juvenile justice system. Competent and compassionate staff provides structure and guidance, and begin to teach young women self-control and how to take charge of their lives. Teaching is at the foundation of the effective treatment provided. Tools required for success include the ability to interact with others in socially acceptable ways and make appropriate decisions in social situations. The program was pioneered in Philadelphia, PA where it served 495 girls in 1996-1997 and was cited by the U.S. Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention as the model for staff-secure detention. The program is also operated in the State of Georgia and has served up to 300 girls per year. The types of crimes committed by female juvenile offenders participating in the program include crimes against persons (65 percent), crimes against property (25 percent), and crimes against persons and property (10 percent). Behavior problems and characteristics of program clientele include, but are not limited to chronic school problems, substance use and abuse, depression and withdrawal, verbal and physical aggression toward peers and adults, and victim of sexual, physical, and emotional abuse/neglect.