NCJ Number
106265
Date Published
1984
Length
20 pages
Annotation
A randomly selected sample of 585 former students of Glen Mills Schools (Pennsylvania juvenile correctional facility) were interviewed to determine their experiences while in the school and their adjustment in the community after leaving the school.
Abstract
Of the 1,345 students admitted to Glen Mills Schools (GMS) during 1976-1980, 607 were located, and 585 agreed to be interviewed. Postrelease data were collected for 640 boys. Based on questions about the boys' experiences while at GMS, the school has established a humane environment where aggression and intimidation between staff and students and among students is held to an insignificant level. Major GMS programs were praised by the respondents, and there was a strong relationship between involvement in the GMS program and postrelease adjustment in the community. Overall, 54 percent of 577 former students interviewed had been rearrested within 2.25 years after discharge. The best available data suggest that this recidivism rate is below that of most similar institutions. The recidivism increase between 1977 and 1980 reflects economic recession and a shift toward more punitive sanctions rather than the declining effectiveness of the GMS program. 34 tables, 9 figures, the interview protocol, and the project data sheet.