NCJ Number
200552
Journal
International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology Volume: 47 Issue: 3 Dated: June 2003 Pages: 291-308
Date Published
June 2003
Length
18 pages
Annotation
This article reports on the Growing Up FAST program, which is part of a family-focused initiative aimed at the establishment of prosocial relationships between parole officers and families of serious youthful offenders.
Abstract
Researchers have called for a new intervention strategy that brings parole and probation officers closer to the families of serious youthful offenders. It is argued that simple supervision and enforcement have not reduced the rate of recidivism for young offenders. As such, a new paradigm that more concretely involves parole officers in the family lives of serious youthful offenders is a necessary step toward crime reduction. The authors describe the parole initiative known as the Growing Up FAST program, which was designed with this new intervention strategy in mind. The program strives to strengthen families through a two-step process. The first step involves the creation of a family definition of “successful adulthood.” The second level involves the application of this definition in the family’s everyday lives. A case study is presented of a female youthful offender who was referred to the Growing Up FAST program. The authors show how the program helps with competency development, accountability to the victim, and responsibility for public safety. In conclusion, the authors note that in many cases, intervention strategies are put in place without parole officers having the tools to make the strategies work in the field. The Growing Up FAST program represents a partnership between researchers and practitioners in the field. References