Impact of a Juvenile Residential Treatment Center on Minority Offenders

• NCJ Number: 182498
• Journal: Journal of Contemporary Criminal Justice Volume: 16 Issue: 2 Dated: May 2000 Pages: 194-208
• Author(s): Jill A. Gordon; Laura J. Moriarty; Patricia H. Grant
• Date Published: May 2000
• Length: 15 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

A comparison of postrelease behavior of 254 Ohio youths released from a residential treatment center and a similar group of 226 youths discharged from traditional juvenile institutions revealed that regardless of race, the residential treatment group had a lower percentage of reconvictions and recommitments than the comparison group.

Abstract

The residential treatment center, the Paint Creek Youth Center, served males ages 15-18 with no major mental health problems and used family, cognitive, behavioral, and social learning perspectives to seek to change attitudes and behaviors from antisocial to prosocial. The other two centers operated as traditional juvenile detention centers and emphasized custody and security of the community and facility while providing education, vocational training, and some limited treatment such as Alcoholics Anonymous. The research tested three hypotheses. The first was that nonwhite youth were more likely to be reconvicted of a new offense and recommitted than were white youth regardless of the type of facility. The second was that nonwhite youth in a residential treatment facility were less likely to be reconvicted of a new offense or recommitted than were nonwhite comparison youth. The third was that white youth in a residential treatment facility were less likely to be reconvicted of a new offense or recommitted than a comparison group of white youth. The study data for each youth covered at least 2 years after release. The recidivism of the group from the treatment center was lower than that of those from the detention centers, regardless of race. In addition, minority offenders in the residential treatment facility were less likely to be reconvicted or recommitted than were minority offenders in the comparison group. These findings have implications for future correctional endeavors. Tables, notes, and 30 references (Author abstract modified)