GROUP 'PROBATION' SUPERVISION OF MALE, JUVENILE, AUTO-THEFT OFFENDERS USING BEHAVIOR THERAPY AND ITS EFFECTS ON RECIDIVISM

• NCJ Number: 37543
• Author(s): D G SMITH
• Date Published: 1976
• Length: 55 pages
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Justice; Massachusetts Cmtte on Criminal Justice
• Publication Format: Document
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

REPORT ON A STUDY TO DETERMINE IF A STRATEGY BASED ON SOCIAL LEARNING THERAPY IS MORE EFFECTIVE THAN TRADITIONAL PROBATION IN REDUCING THE RECIDIVISM RATE AMONG MALE JUVENILES ADJUDICATED FOR AUTO THEFT.

Abstract

THE CAMBRIDGE (MA) AUTO THEFT PROGRAM SUBSTITUTED GROUP SUPERVISION AND COUNSELING SERVICES FOR TRADITIONAL PROBATION TECHNIQUES TO DEAL WITH YOUTHS REFERRED AFTER ARRAIGNMENT BY PROBATION OFFICERS. THE DATA COLLECTED ARE THE RATES OF RECIDIVISM FOR THE TWO GROUPS OF MALE, JUVENILE, AUTO THEFT OFFENDERS WHO WERE THE SUBJECTS OF THE STUDY. THE RECIDIVIST RATE OF THE CONTROL GROUP WAS COMPARED WITH THAT OF THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP WHICH HAD RECEIVED GROUP COUNSELING BASED ON SOCIAL LEARNING THERAPY. THESE RATES WERE RECORDED AS PERCENTILES AND A CHI SQUARE CORRECTIONAL TEST WAS RUN ON THE RAW DATA. THE ANALYSES INDICATED THAT THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN TRADITIONAL PROBATION AND GROUP SUPERVISION PROBATION WERE NOT SIGNIFICANT. IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT COUNSELING TIME BE DOUBLED IF THE EXPERIMENT IS TO BE RE-CONDUCTED.