NCJ Number
168808
Date Published
1996
Length
184 pages
Annotation
A Michigan program designed to provide felony juvenile delinquents with residential and wilderness challenge programming followed by intensive aftercare instead of a longer time in a medium-custody training school was evaluated with respect to its outcomes and costs.
Abstract
The Nokomis Challenge Program began in 1989. It combined 3 months of residence and outdoor challenge programming in a remote wilderness camp with 9 months of intensive community-based aftercare. It is designed for low-risk and medium-risk felony juvenile delinquents who would otherwise be placed in a residential facility for 14-16 months. The evaluation used a quasi-experimental design in which 192 youths were assigned using a quota sampling procedure to either Nokomis or routine residential placement. Outcomes were followed for 2 years. The program cost approximately $38,400 per year, compared to $56,000 for a typical residential placement. However, the total failure rate was 70 percent in the Nokomis group, versus 24 percent in the comparison group. A substantial number of Nokomis youths were transferred to residential placements or other custody. In addition, 13 percent of the Nokomis group and 8 percent of the comparison group were arrested for a felony within 6 months of release; 29 percent of the Nokomis youths and 16 percent of the comparison group were arrested within 1 year. The main weakness of the Nokomis program appeared to relate to the community phase. Findings suggested the desirability of better placement decisions, early recognition of possible failure in Nokomis, or restructuring to increase the time in the residential phase. Figures, tables, footnotes, and 92 references