NCJ Number
72117
Date Published
1977
Length
344 pages
Annotation
To determine the relationship of juvenile institutionalization to subsequent delinquency and adult felony careers, this study examines the records of 432 boys admitted to Wisconsin juvenile institutions in 1965.
Abstract
The study subjects constituted a 50 percent random sample of all boys admitted to State institutions for the first time in that year. Official Wisconsin records for the following 10 years were examined to collect data. The State's numbering system, in which the identification number assigned to a juvenile is used throughout the individual's adult criminal career, permitted data collection. Results showed that 61 percent of the subjects were returned to a juvenile institution following the first release. A total of 36 percent were convicted for adult felonies and were placed on probation or sentenced to a Wisconsin prison. Status offenders has a much lower rate of recidivism than others. Data on convictions in other States were not available, and could affect these findings' validity, although Wisconsin criminal justice personnel indicated that Wisconsin's interstate mobility rate is low. It was concluded that although over half of the institutionalized delinquents continued to have adjustment problems following release, the rate and intensity of serious trouble decreased as the released youth approached adulthood. Results challenged the popular contention that all juvenile institutions are training schools for criminals. Findings suggested the need for preventive efforts and early intervention, especially among youths having problems at school. It is recommended that institutionalization be reserved as a last resort for delinquents and that postrelease services be improved. A literature review, tables, 101 reference, and appendixes presenting the study instrument and additional results are included.