TWO TYPES OF TREATMENT PROGRAMS AT THE IOWA TRAINING SCHOOL FOR BOYS - A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF RESIDENT CHARACTERISTICS AND TREATMENT OUTCOME

• NCJ Number: 10255
• Author(s): H E TUPKER; M PRESCOTT
• Date Published: 1970
• Length: 32 pages
• Corporate Author: Iowa Training School for Boys
• Publication Format: Document

Annotation

COMPARISON OF RESIDENTS OF THE 'HEALTH CENTER', THE MAXIMUM SECURITY RESIDENTIAL TREATMENT UNIT, AND THOSE SERVED BY THE REGULAR COTTAGE PROGRAMS.

Abstract

THE HEALTH CENTER TREATMENT GROUP (HCT) CONSISTED OF 43 DIFFICULT-TO-CONTROL, SEVERELY DISTURBED BOYS. THE REGULAR COTTAGE PROGRAM GROUP (RCP) CONSISTED OF 53 BOYS. THE STUDY IS DESCRIPTIVE IN NATURE AND DOES NOT DRAW CONCLUSIONS ABOUT RELATIVE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE TWO PROGRAMS. HOWEVER, THE RESULTS DO DELINEATE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE GROUPS, PARTICULARLY IN TERMS OF OUTCOME OR ADJUSTMENT. THE RESULTS TEND TO CONFIRM THE EXISTENCE OF TWO BEHAVIORALLY DIFFERENT POPULATIONS WHICH ARE, HOWEVER, ALIKE FROM THE STANDPOINT OF DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS. FAMILY DISORGANIZATION AND BEHAVIORAL PROBLEMS WERE SHOWN TO BE RELATED - A GREATER PROPORTION OF HCT BOYS CAME FROM HOMES WITH AN ABSENT PARENT OR WHERE THEY WERE NOT REARED BY THEIR PARENTS. THE HCT GROUP HAD A GREATER NUMBER OF PRIOR COMMITMENTS AND SHOWED LESS SUCCESS WITH ADJUSTMENT, IN TERMS OF PLACEMENT, DISCHARGE, PAROLE FAILURE, AND RECIDIVISM. THOUGH NOT CONCLUSIVE, THE STUDY DOES SHOW THE NEED FOR DIFFERENTIATED TREATMENT AND FOR MORE RESEARCH INTO COMMUNITY-BASED PROGRAMS TO EASE POST-RELEASE TRANSITION.