NCJ Number
6165
Journal
Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency Volume: 8 Issue: 1 Dated: (JANUARY 1971) Pages: 74-92
Date Published
1971
Length
19 pages
Annotation
THE FINDINGS SUGGEST THAT INSTITUTIONALIZATION HAS LITTLE, IF ANY, EFFECT ON THE PAROLE PERFORMANCE OF JUVENILES.
Abstract
SINCE 1961, THE COMMUNITY TREATMENT PROJECT (CTP) HAS HANDLED SERIOUSLY DELINQUENT MALE AND FEMALE OFFENDERS WHO HAVE BEEN COMMITTED FROM JUVENILE COURTS TO THE STATE CORRECTIONAL SYSTEM FROM FOUR CALIFORNIA COMMUNITIES. RATHER THAN BEING INSTITUTIONALIZED FOR SEVERAL MONTHS, THESE YOUTHS, AGES 13 TO 19 AT INTAKE, ARE PLACED DIRECTLY INTO A SMALL CASELOAD, INTENSIVE, COMMUNITYBASED PAROLE PROGRAM. THERE, AFTER BEING MATCHED WITH A PAROLE AGENT, THEY RECEIVE DIFFERENTIAL OR RELATIVELY INDIVIDUALIZED, AS WELL AS LONG-TERM, TREATMENT. AN INTERPERSONAL MATURITY LEVEL SYSTEM IS USED TO CLASSIFY YOUTHS AND AS ONE IMPORTANT BASIS FOR ESTABLISHING TREATMENT OBJECTIVES AND TECHNIQUES. COMPARATIVE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE CTP AND TRADITIONAL PROGRAMS WAS EVALUATED IN TERMS OF SIX SEPARABLE OUTCOME MEASURES -SUSPENSIONS, RECIDIVISM, DISCHARGE, PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTS, ETC. THE COMPARISON INDICATES THAT THE CTP PROGRAM HAS BEEN ABLE TO HANDLE A LARGE MAJORITY OF ELIGIBLE YOUTHS (89 PERCENT) AT LEAST AS EFFECTIVELY AS HAS THE TRADITIONAL PROGRAM, WHILE TEN PERCENT DO BETTER WITHIN THE TRADITIONAL PROGRAM. CLOSE TO 25 PERCENT DO RATHER POORLY WITHIN BOTH TYPES OF PROGRAM. A MAJOR OBJECTIVE OF CTP