NCJ Number
59469
Date Published
1979
Length
65 pages
Annotation
THIS ARTICLE REPORTS THE RESULTS OF A 1978 MONITORING EFFORT OF MASSACHUSETTS RESIDENTIAL PROGRAMS FOR COURT-INVOLVED YOUTH.
Abstract
THE REPORT WAS PREPARED PURSUANT TO REQUIREMENT OF THE JUVENILE JUSTICE AND DELINQUENCY PREVENTION ACT (JJDPA). THE JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM IN MASSACHUSETTS HAS BEEN THE FOCUS OF NATIONAL ATTENTION FOR SEVERAL YEARS DUE TO THE REFORM THAT TOOK PLACE IN THE LATE 1960'S WHICH RESULTED IN THE CLOSING OF LARGE TRAINING AND INDUSTRIAL SCHOOLS AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF NETWORKS OF RESIDENTIAL SCHOOLS AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF NETWORKS OF RESIDENTIAL PROGRAMS DESIGNED TO WORK WITH BOTH DELINQUENT YOUTH AND STATUS OFFENDERS. THIS STUDY DETERMINES THE NUMBER OF THESE COMMUNITY-BASED AND GROUP RESIDENTIAL PROGRAMS, THE TYPES OF SERVICES THEY OFFER, AND TYPES OF YOUTH SERVED. THE MONITORING EFFORT CONSISTED OF TWO MAJOR PHASES OF DATA COLLECTION. A MAIL SURVEY WAS SENT TO 905 SERVICE PROVIDERS IDENTIFIED IN A 1977 MONITORING EFFORT, AND ALL IDENTIFIED RESIDENTIAL FACILITIES WERE SITE VISITED BY MONITORS TO VERIFY THE SCREENING AND TO COLLECT COMPLIANCE INFORMATION. EIGHT INDEPENDENT RESEARCHERS WERE HIRED TO CONDUCT THE 148 SITE VISITS. RESULTS OF THE 1975-1978 DATA ANALYSIS INDICATES THAT MASSACHUSETTS IS IN SUBSTANTIAL COMPLIANCE WITH THE DEINSTITUTIONALIZATION AND SEPARATION MANDATE OF THE JUVENILE JUSTICE AND DELINQUENCY PREVENTION ACT. THERE HAS BEEN A 94 PERCENT REDUCTION IN THE DETAINMENT OF ACCUSED STATUS OFFENDERS AND NONOFFENDERS IN JUVENILE DETENTION FACILITIES SINCE 1975. THERE HAS ALSO BEEN A 66.8 PERCENT REDUCTION IN CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES PLACEMENTS FOR ADJUDICATED STATUS OFFENDERS. IN REGARD TO THE SEPARATION OF JUVENILES FROM INCARCERATED ADULTS, MASSACHUSETTS WAS IN 100 PERCENT COMPLIANCE IN THE BASELINE YEARS AND SIMILARLY IN 1978. THE DEINSTITUTIONALIZATION OF COURT-INVOLVED YOUTH IN MASSACHUSETTS WAS DEINSTITUTIONALIZATION AS A RESULT OF AN EFFORT INSTIGATED AND SUPPORTED BY PRIVATE CITIZENS, ADVANCED BY THE STATE, AND REFINED WITH FEDERAL FUNDS THROUGH JJDPA AND THE OMNIBUS CRIME CONTROL ACT (LEAA). THROUGHOUT THE REPORT, 2 BASELINE YEARS-1967 AND 1975-ARE USED TO PROVIDE A MORE ACCURATE PICTURE OF THE EFFECTS OF THE DEINSTITUTIONALIZATION WHICH OCCURED IN MASSACHUSETTS 10 YEARS AGO. THE REPORT CONTAINS TABULAR DATA AND AN APPENDIX PRESENTING TABULAR DATA TO SUPPORT STUDY CONCLUSIONS. (MJW)