NCJ Number
152877
Journal
Common Sense Volume: 1 Issue: 1 Dated: (1994) Pages: 9-11
Date Published
1994
Length
3 pages
Annotation
A juvenile court director and chief probation officer recommends incorporating principles contained in a booklet on the way to happiness in juvenile probation programs.
Abstract
The booklet has become a key part of the author's probation work with juveniles. He found that many juveniles on probation received ineffective mental health counseling and that many children did not have any real moral values. He determined that children did not have a foundation on which to build their lives and used the happiness principles embodied in the booklet to help youth straighten their lives out. The author requested that children read the booklet and made sure they understood it. The children had to write a report on the booklet and indicate how they would apply it in their own lives. Children who were exposed to the booklet had a much lower recidivism rate than those who had not read the booklet. About 91 percent of those who were given the booklet did not return to court again. In addition to using the booklet, the author helps children with study techniques and encourages them to make amends for the crimes they have committed. He advocates a drug-free lifestyle and notes that the key to effectively using the booklet involves getting teenagers to actually apply it. Since the booklet has been so effective in rehabilitating juvenile delinquents, the author believes that it should be made available to young people before they get into trouble.