NCJ Number
50466
Date Published
1978
Length
0 pages
Annotation
THREE MIAMI, FLORIDA, HALFWAY HOUSES FOR JUVENILE OFFENDERS ARE DESCRIBED IN THIS VIDEOTAPE PROGRAM.
Abstract
INTENDED FOR USE BY COMMUNITY INTEREST GROUPS, PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICERS, CORRECTIONAL WORKERS WHO DEAL WITH JUVENILES, AND PARENTS, THE PROGRAM FEATURES TALKS WITH STAFFS OF THE CENTERS, VOLUNTEER WORKERS, AND THE OFFENDERS. THE BASIC FUNCTIONS OF EACH TREATMENT PROGRAM ARE DISCUSSED, EXPLAINING HOW EACH HALFWAY HOUSE USES YOUTH COUNSELORS AND PEER GROUP COUNSELING TO HELP REHABILITATE THE CLIENTS. THE REHABILITATIVE EFFECTS OF THE CENTERS ARE DESCRIBED, SHOWING THAT THE COMMUNITY TREATMENT PROGRAMS HELP CHILDREN WHO HAVE BEEN IN TROUBLE WITH THE LAW. RESULTS OF STUDIES HAVE INDICATED THAT COMMUNITY-BASED CENTERS ARE MORE EFFECTIVE THAN INCARCERATING JUVENILES IN AN INSTITUTION, AND THEY HAVE ALSO PROVEN TO BE AN ASSET TO THE COMMUNITY. THE INTERVIEWS WITH THE OFFENDERS SHOW THAT THEY PREFER THIS FORM OF REHABILITATIVE TREATMENT TO THE TRADITIONAL TYPES OF INCARCERATION, AND THEY ALSO THINK THAT THE PROGRAMS ARE WORTHWHILE AND EFFECTIVE.