NCJ Number
100546
Journal
New England Journal on Criminal and Civil Confinement Volume: 11 Issue: 2 Dated: (Summer 1985) Pages: 420-436
Date Published
1985
Length
17 pages
Annotation
Florida's short-term elective program (STEP), a wilderness program for juvenile offenders, meets Florida's requirement that juvenile programs be 'diversified and innovative,' has achieved its own objectives, and is comparable to other juvenile treatment programs in recidivism rates.
Abstract
STEP has evolved under the right-to-treatment concept affirmed by the courts. It is a commitment program for first offenders, for transfers from other juvenile programs, and for juveniles recommitted for parole or new offense violations. The treatment is based on the Outward Bound approach of learning through physical challenge, reality therapy, and individual counseling. Two separate studies of STEP's effectiveness were conducted for 1980-82 and 1976-83. The 1976-83 study measured recidivism as recommitment or revocation by juvenile authorities as well as conviction by an adult court within 1 year. The recidivism rate was 50.8 percent. The 1980-82 study measured recidivism as recommitment, revocation, or sentencing by an adult court within 24 months. It found a recidivism rate of 44.1 percent. Although STEP is comparable to other juvenile treatment programs in recidivism rates, until the juvenile justice system develops statistical uniformity, short-term programs such as STEP should be evaluated by other criteria (length of stay, cost per case, etc.) before valid comparisons can be made. 130 footnotes.