NCJ Number
67585
Date Published
1977
Length
21 pages
Annotation
RESULTS ARE REPORTED FROM A STUDY OF THE POSTINSTITUTION BEHAVIOR OF A RANDOM SAMPLE OF 212 JUVENILES ADMITTED TO MINNESOTA STATE JUVENILE INSTITUTIONS IN 1973 AND 1974.
Abstract
THE REPORTED RESEARCH IS A FOLLOWUP TO A STUDY DESIGNED TO DETERMINE THE CRITERIA USED BY JUVENILE CORRECTIONAL STAFF IN DECISIONS ABOUT JUVENILES. THAT STUDY CONCLUDED THAT DECISIONS ABOUT COMMITTING A JUVENILE TO AN INSTITUTION'S TREATMENT PROGRAM ARE GENERALLY ARBITRARY. IN THE PRESENT STUDY, THE DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS' COMPUTERIZED AND MANUAL FILES OF THE 212 SUBJECTS WERE EXAMINED, AND ALL INCIDENCES OF RECIDIVISM--RETURN TO A JUVENILE INSTITUTION DUE TO REVOCATION OR PROBATION/PAROLE, RECOMMITMENT, OR COMMITMENT TO AN ADULT CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTION--WERE NOTED FOR THE 2 YEARS AFTER RELEASE. RESULTS SHOWED THAT 60 PERCENT HAD NOT RETURNED TO A STATE JUVENILE OR ADULT CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTION; 27 PERCENT HAD 1 SUCH RECOMMITMENT AND 11 PERCENT HAD MULTIPLE RECIDIVISMS. THE INSTITUTION WITH THE HIGHEST RETURN RATE WAS MINNESOTA METROPOLITAN TRAINING CENTER (51 PERCENT); MINNESOTA HOME SCHOOL (29 PERCENT) AND STATE TRAINING SCHOOL (31 PERCENT) RATES WERE SIMILAR. URBAN-RURAL DIFFERENCES MAY ACCOUNT FOR THESE INSTITUTIONAL DIFFERENCES. OF THOSE JUVENILES PLACED ON INSTITUTIONAL PROBATION, 51 PERCENT RECIDIVATED, AS COMPARED TO 37 PERCENT OF THOSE INSTITUTIONALIZED. MULTIVARIATE ANALYSIS (MULTIPLE LINEAR REGRESSION) SHOWED NO SIGNIFICANT RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN LENGTH OF INSTITUTIONALIZATION AND SUBSEQUENT RECIDIVISM WHEN OTHER FACTORS WERE CONTROLLED. ONLY THE AGE OF THE JUVENILE AT COMMITMENT WAS SIGNIFICANTLY RELATED TO SUBSEQUENT RECIDIVISM. OLDER JUVENILES WERE LESS LIKELY TO BE RECOMMITTED. TABULAR AND GRAPHIC DATA AND REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED---RCB)