CONTRIBUTION OF JUVENILE OFFENDER TREATMENT AND SERVICE PROGRAMS TO THE REDUCTION OF JUVENILE DELINQUENCY

• NCJ Number: 11328
• Author(s): S CLARKE
• Date Published: 1973
• Length: 33 pages
• Grant Number(s): 73-NI-04-0002
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Justice; US Dept of Justice NIJ Pub
• Corporate Author: University of North Carolina
• Sale Source: National Technical Information Service
• Publication Type: Program/Project Evaluation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

RESULTS ARE REVIEWED OF THREE RESIDENTIAL AND FIVE NON-RESIDENTIAL JUVENILE OFFENDER TREATMENT PROGRAMS CONDUCTED IN VARIOUS PARTS OF THE U S SINCE 1960.

Abstract

THE CONCLUSIONS INDICATE THAT LITTLE EVIDENCE OF SUCCESS IN REDUCING DELINQUENCY SUBSEQUENT TO TREATMENT WAS SHOWN. EVIDENCE OF SUCH SUCCESS WAS CONSIDERED SOMEWHAT COMPROMISED BY WEAKNESS OF EVALUATION METHODOLOGY. THE AUTHOR FEELS THAT THE DATA TENTATIVELY SUGGEST THAT IT MAY BE SOME WHAT EASIER TO REDUCE THE DELINQUENCY OF HARD-CORE JUVENILE OFFENDERS THAN THAT OF LESS SERIOUS OFFENDERS. IT IS SUGGESTED THAT IN THE FUTURE SUCH PROGRAMS SHOULD BE CONDUCTED AND EVALUATED FRANKLY AS EXPERIMENTS, AND THAT TREATMENT SHOULD NOT BE COMPULSORY UNLESS RESTRICTION OF THE OFFENDER'S LIBERTY IS JUSTIFIED FROM PUBLIC SAFETY COSIDERATIONS. THE AUTHOR ALSO CONCLUDES THAT RESOURCES SHOULD BE CONCENTRATED ON THE SERIOUS OFFENDER, ESPECIALLY THE FIRST-TIME OFFENDER WHOSE OFFENSE INVOLVES ACTUAL THEFT, PROPERTY LOSS, OR PERSONAL INJURY. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)