NCJ Number
47839
Date Published
1978
Length
35 pages
Annotation
ISSUES RAISED IN REPORTS ON MORE THAN 80 GROUP HOMES ARE DISCUSSED, AND AN APPROACH TO IMPROVING THE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN GROUP HOMES AND THE COMMUNITIES IN WHICH THEY ARE LOCATED IS SUGGESTED.
Abstract
THE ISSUES ADDRESSED RELATE TO THE DEFINITION OF A COMMUNITY-BASED GROUP HOME, THE QUESTION OF WHETHER DELINQUENT OR STATUS OFFENDERS SHOULD BE KEPT IN THEIR OWN COMMUNITIES, THE EXPERIENCE OF GROUP HOMES WITH COMMUNITY RESISTANCE AND COMMUNITY SUPPORT, AND WAYS OF NEUTRALIZING RESISTANCE AND BUILDING SUPPORT. A REVIEW OF REPORTS ON GROUP HOME PROGRAMS SUGGESTS THAT SOME GROUP HOMES ARE ABLE TO RELY HEAVILY ON ACTIVE COMMUNITY SUPPORT WHILE OTHERS MUST STRUGGLE AGAINST THE POSSIBILITY THAT THEIR NEIGHBORS WILL TRY TO CLOSE THEM DOWN. GROUP HOMES ARE SAID TO HAVE THEIR OWN VALIDITY REGARDLESS OF THEIR RELATIONSHIP TO THE COMMUNITY, ALTHOUGH A COMMUNITY-SUPPORTED GROUP HOME IS PREFERABLE TO AN ISOLATED HOME. THE 'SNEAK APPROACH' TO ESTABLISHING A GROUP HOME IN A NEIGHBORHOOD IS CRITICIZED. THE PROGRAM REPORTS ALSO SUGGEST THAT GROUP HOMES MAY HAVE A BETTER CHANCE OF DEVELOPING A COMMUNITY BASE IN RURAL AREAS (EVEN IN CITIES AND TOWNS IN GENERALLY RURAL AREAS) THAN IN URBAN AREAS OF THE EASTERN SEABOARD. GUIDELINES FOR ESTABLISHING GROUP HOMES AND NEUTRALIZING COMMUNITY RESISTANCE ARE PRESENTED IN EXCERPTS FROM TWO OF THE REPORTS REVIEWED. A LIST OF REFERENCES IS INCLUDED. (LKM)