NCJ Number
55534
Date Published
1979
Length
500 pages
Annotation
A SECURE TREATMENT UNIT IS PROPOSED FOR HANDLING JUVENILE DELINQUENTS RECOGNIZED TO BE CHRONICALLY VIOLENT. THE PLAN DESCRIBES TREATMENT AND SECURITY POLICIES, ARCHITECTURAL PLANS, AND CLIENT CHARACTERISTICS.
Abstract
AN INTERVIEW WITH A YOUNG NEW YORK GANG MEMBER PROVIDES A UNIQUE LOOK AT THIS PERSON'S THOUGHTS, IDEAS, FEELINGS, ATTITUDES, AND METHODS OF OPERATION. LIKE MOST LIFESTYLE VIOLENT JUVENILES, THE INTERVIEWEE HAS A DISTORTED PERCEPTION OF SOCIETAL VALUES, IS COMMITTED TO IMMEDIATE GRATIFICATION, AND IS ALIENATED FROM SOCIETAL STRUCTURES AND INSTITUTIONS. LIFESTYLE VIOLENT JUVENILES HAVE HAD REPEATED CONFLICTS WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT PERSONNEL AND HAVE LEARNED TO USE EXPLOITATION TO GRATIFY PEER-DIRECTED DESIRES. THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM USUALLY PROCESSES CHRONICALLY VIOLENT JUVENILES THROUGH THE ADULT SYSTEM RATHER THAN TRYING TO HANDLE THEM WITHIN THE JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM. THE PROPOSED SECURE TREATMENT UNIT IS TO BE A HIGHLY SPECIFIC, MAXIMUM SECURITY FACILITY. IT WILL PROTECT RESIDENTS FROM EACH OTHER, AS WELL AS FROM SOCIETY, AND THE ABSOLUTE SAFETY OF EACH RESIDENT IS TO BE PART OF THE TREATMENT. A RELATIVELY LARGE INSTITUTION COMPOSED OF FIVE SUBUNITS OR CLUSTERS FOR HOUSING, SERVICES, AND OTHER FACILITIES IS PLANNED. THE FIRST UNIT WILL BE A MEDICAL DIVISION FOR PERPETRATORS OF VIOLENT INCIDENTS WITHIN THE INSTITUTION. THE SECOND UNIT, THE HEART OF THE FACILITY, WILL BE DEVOTED TO RESOCIALIZATION OF INMATES. TREATMENT WILL EMPHASIZE LEARNING SURVIVAL STRATEGIES THAT DO NOT REQUIRE THE USE OF VIOLENCE. INMATES SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETING THE SECOND UNIT WILL MOVE ON TO THE THIRD WHERE THEY WILL OCCUPY SMALL SELF-CONTAINED SUITES, WORK IN ONE OF THE INSTITUTION'S SHOPS, AND RECEIVE EDUCATION SERVICES. UNITS FOUR AND FIVE ARE TO BE PRERELEASE AREAS; TREATMENT IN THESE UNITS WILL CONSIST MAINLY OF EDUCATION AND VOCATIONAL TRAINING WITH DECREASED EMPHASIS ON AFFECTIVE AND EXPERIMENTAL LEARNING. SOME WORK RELEASE WILL BE PERMITTED IN THE LAST UNIT. THE TEXT DISCUSSES ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN, STAFF REQUIREMENTS AND OPERATION, AND APPROPRIATE CLIENTELE FOR THE UNITS. APPENDIXES CONTAIN INTERVIEWS WITH CRIMINAL JUSTICE PERSONNEL AND SEVERAL DELINQUENTS ON INSTITUTIONS AND TREATMENT FOR JUVENILE OFFENDERS.