Serving Juvenile Time in New Mexico: A Comparison of Institutionalized and Reintegrated Male Offenders

• NCJ Number: 162913
• Journal: Juvenile and Family Court Journal Volume: 47 Issue: 2 Dated: (Spring 1996) Pages: 1-14
• Author(s): A F Selph; L T Winfree; G L Mays
• Date Published: 1996
• Length: 14 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: An earlier version of this article was presented at the annual meetings of the Western Society of Criminology in Las Vegas, Nev., February 1990.

Annotation

In New Mexico all male juveniles sentenced to serve time in a State facility eventually go to the New Mexico Boys' School (NMBS), including males who are candidates for a reintegration center; this study compares a random sample (n=98) of youths released from the NMBS with a group (n=92) who completed a reintegration program.

Abstract

The research focused on two key issues: the role of personal-biographical or sociolegal factors in the decision to assign a youth to the reintegration center rather than to have him remain at the NMBS; and among juveniles who participated in either program, the identification of the personal-biographical or sociolegal factors that provided the greatest insights into the length of their stay in State custody. The NMBS has a capacity for 181 males and is responsible for the secure custody, care, treatment and education of boys sentenced to the facility by the State's children's courts. The reintegration center is a nonsecure, community-based reintegration program. In addressing the key issues, this study not only examines institutional decisionmaking processes but also addresses the outcomes that result from the decisions. The study found that although the juvenile sample from the reintegration center spent less time in State custody than youth in the traditional training school, they were also significantly older when they were transferred to the reintegration center. Further, reintegration, as it has been operationalized in this particular program, is best viewed as a form of diversion, or an attempt to normalize a youth's life as rapidly as possible. The study also found that although candidates for transfer to New Mexico's reintegration program are evaluated in a general sense, there are apparently no specific criteria. The decision is more merit-based than it is a function of any characteristics identified as indicative of success in this research. The policy implications of both the processes and the outcomes are discussed. 3 tables and 37 references