Reading for Life and Adolescent Re-Arrest: Evaluating a Unique Juvenile Diversion Program

We present results of an evaluation of Reading for Life (RFL), a diversion program for nonviolent juvenile offenders in a medium-sized Midwestern county. The unique program uses philosophical virtue theory, works of literature, and small mentoring groups to foster moral development in juvenile offen...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of policy analysis and management 2016-06, Vol.35 (3), p.662-682
Main Authors: Seroczynski, A. D., Evans, William N., Jobst, Amy D., Horvath, Luke, Carozza, Giuliana
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Arrests
Community Programs
Community service
Comparative Analysis
Control Groups
Delinquency
Diversion programs
Effectiveness
Experimental Groups
Group Activities
Juvenile Justice
Juvenile offenders
Literature
Mentors
Moral Development
Moral Values
Morality
Offenses
Prevention
Program Effectiveness
Reading
Reading programs
Recidivism
Studies
United States (Midwest)
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Summary:We present results of an evaluation of Reading for Life (RFL), a diversion program for nonviolent juvenile offenders in a medium-sized Midwestern county. The unique program uses philosophical virtue theory, works of literature, and small mentoring groups to foster moral development in juvenile offenders. Participants were randomly assigned to RFL treatment or a comparison program of community service. The RFL program generated large and statistically significant drops in future arrests. The program was particularly successful at reducing the recidivism of more serious offenses and for those groups with the highest propensity for future offenses.
ISSN:0276-8739
1520-6688
DOI:10.1002/pam.21916