NCJ Number
52225
Journal
Crime and Delinquency Volume: 16 Issue: 3 Dated: (JULY 1970) Pages: 305-316
Date Published
1970
Length
12 pages
Annotation
SOUTHFIELDS, A KENTUCKY REPLICATION OF HIGHFIELDS, A NEW JERSEY PROGRAM FOR TREATMENT OF DELINQUENT BOYS, WAS EVALUATED ANNUALLY FOR 4 SUCCESSIVE YEARS. THE STUDY SUGGESTS THE PROGRAM BECOME PART OF A 3-STEP PLAN.
Abstract
THE SOUTHFIELDS PROGRAM USED A TOTAL CULTURAL MILIEU TO ALTER BEHAVIOR PATTERNS OF DELINQUENT BOYS. PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITY FOR BEHAVIORAL CONTROL WAS VESTED IN A PEER GROUP OF 'OLD BOYS,' THOSE WHO HAD IDENTIFIED WITH THE VALUES OF THE DOMINANT SOCIETY AND THUS HAD BECOME CULTURE CARRIERS. PROGRAM FOLLOWUP WAS OBTAINED ANNUALLY ON ALL 191 BOYS RELEASED FROM SOUTHFIELDS BETWEEN JULY 1, 1963, AND JUNE 30, 1966. FOLLOWUPS WERE OBTAINED ALSO FOR A SAMPLE OF 162 BOYS RELEASED FROM THE STATE JUVENILE TRAINING SCHOOL FOR BOYS, KENTUCKY VILLAGE, AND FOR 157 BOYS PLACED ON PROBATION DURING THE SAME PERIOD. THESE DATA SHOWED THAT THE BOYS ON PROBATION HAD THE LOWEST RECIDIVISM RATES (77 PERCENT SUCCESS RATE), FOLLOWED BY THE GRADUATES OF SOUTHFIELDS (70 PERCENT SUCCESS RATE). KENTUCKY VILLAGE BOYS HAD A 50 PERCENT SUCCESS RATE AND SOUTHFIELDS' NONGRADUATES A 46 PERCENT SUCCESS RATE. FURTHER ANALYSIS OF THESE FIGURES SHOWED THAT BLACKS DID NOT DO AS WELL AS WHITES IN SOUTHFIELDS, BUT DID AS WELL AS WHITES ON PROBATION AND AT KENTUCKY VILLAGE. DIRECT COMPARISONS BETWEEN THE NEW JERSEY AND THE KENTUCKY PROGRAMS WERE NOT POSSIBLE BECAUSE OF THE DIFFERENCES IN POPULATION CHARACTERISTICS. THE STUDY SUGGESTS THAT SOUTHFIELDS WORKS AS BOTH A SCREENING AND A REMEDIAL PROCEDURE--SCREENING OUT SOME BOYS FOR RETURN TO THE COMMUNITY OR DIFFERENT TREATMENT, WHILE TREATING OTHERS WITHIN THE INSTITUTION. THE PROGRAM IS SEEN AS THE SECOND STEP IN A THREE-STEP PLAN FOR HANDLING DELINQUENTS, THE FIRST STEP BEING PROBATION AND THE THIRD THE STATE CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTION. TABLES PRESENT STUDY DATA. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED--GLR)