NCJ Number
61131
Journal
CRIMINOLOGIA Volume: 1 Issue: 2 Dated: (JANUARY 1978) Pages: 57-86
Date Published
1978
Length
30 pages
Annotation
THIS STUDY DESCRIBES A MEXICAN STATE SCHOOL FOR JUVENILE DELINQUENTS THAT USES THE HOLISTIC APPROACH TO ACHIEVE REHABILITATION.
Abstract
TRADING THE CAUSES FOR JUVENILES' ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIOR WOULD BE OF GREAT HELP IN ACHIEVING REHABILITATION OF JUVENILE DELINQUENTS, BUT IT IS NOT ALWAYS POSSIBLE. GENERAL, OR SOCIAL, CAUSES OF JUVENILE DEVIANCE CANNOT BE ERADICATED, BUT PERSONAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL REASONS FOR INDIVIDUAL ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIOR CAN BE ISOLATED AND TREATED. MEXICAN LAWS REGARDING THE TREATMENT AND REHABILITATION OF JUVENILE OFFENDERS ARE ESPECIALLY PROGRESSIVE AND THE SCHOOL FOR THE REHABILITATION OF JUVENILES, ESTABLISHED IN 1972, EMBODIES THESE ENLIGHTENED CORRECTIONAL PHILOSOPHIES. THE PROGRAM OF THE SCHOOL IS AIMED AT THE WHOLE PERSONALITY OF EACH CHILD AND THE APPROACH IS ALWAYS EDUCATIONAL, NOT PUNITIVE. MENTALLY ILL AND PSYCHOPATHIC CASES CANNOT BE INCLUDED IN THE PROGRAM, BUT MUST BE TREATED SEPARATELY BY SPECIALISTS IN INSTITUTIONS. THE SCHOOL TREATS CHILDREN OF AVERAGE INTELLIGENCE AND WITH GOOD REHABILITATION POTENTIAL. INTERVIEWED, TESTED, AND CAREFULLY SUPERVISED BY PSYCHOLOGISTS, PHYSICIANS, AND SOCIAL WORKERS THE CHILDREN FOLLOW REGULAR PROGRAMS OF STUDY, WORK ('ERGOTHERAPY') WITH ART EDUCATION, ESPECIALLY PAINTING, BEING AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE CURRICULUM. SAMPLES OF REPORTS FROM THE SCHOOL CURRICULUM SHOW THE NUMBER OF STUDY HOURS DEVOTED TO DIFFERENT SUBJECTS AND ACTIVITIES DURING A TYPICAL SCHOOL TERM. DESPITE SOME DRAWBACKS, WHICH HAVE NOT YET BEEN CORRECTED (FIRST OFFENDERS ARE NOT SEPARATED FROM RECIDIVISTS, THE SCHOOL IS UNDERSTAFFED, THE COMMUNITY IS NOT ALWAYS SUPPORTIVE), THE INTEGRAL TREATMENT OF JUVENILE OFFENDERS PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL APPEARS TO BE SUCCESSFUL THUS FAR. --IN SPANISH. (LGR)