Does the Youth Corrections System Work?: Tracking the Effectiveness of Intervention Efforts With Delinquent Boys in State Custody

This study adopted a systemic approach to studying intervention efforts with delinquent youth, examining the association between several youth corrections programs and adult criminal outcomes. Two studies were designed to use juvenile and adult court records to evaluate the effectiveness of treatmen...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Psychological services 2004-07, Vol.1 (2), p.126-139
Main Authors: Florsheim, Paul, Behling, Steven, South, Mikle, Fowles, Timothy R, DeWitt, John
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Correctional Institutions
Human
Human Males
Intervention
Juvenile Delinquency
Juvenile Justice
Male
Treatment Effectiveness Evaluation
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Summary:This study adopted a systemic approach to studying intervention efforts with delinquent youth, examining the association between several youth corrections programs and adult criminal outcomes. Two studies were designed to use juvenile and adult court records to evaluate the effectiveness of treatment programs provided to delinquent youth in state custody. The results of Study 1 suggested that court-recorded delinquent charges can be used to estimate delinquency severity. The results of Study 2 presented a discouraging but not entirely unexpected illustration of the effectiveness of intervention efforts among delinquent youth. It was found that time spent in juvenile detention facilities, work programs, and group homes was associated with negative adult criminal outcomes. No links between time spent in youth corrections programs and positive outcomes were identified. Implications for future program evaluation efforts are discussed.
ISSN:1541-1559
1939-148X
DOI:10.1037/1541-1559.1.2.126