NCJ Number
62932
Date Published
1979
Length
125 pages
Annotation
RESULTS ARE REPORTED FROM AN EVALUATION OF AN ILLINOIS JUVENILE DELINQUENCY PREVENTION PROGRAM INVOLVING YOUTH TOURS OF MENARD CORRECTIONAL CENTER, WHERE SELECTED INMATES DESCRIBE TO THE YOUTH THE NATURE OF PRISON LIFE.
Abstract
THE INTENT OF THE PROGRAM IS TO SO PORTRAY THE ADVERSITIES OF PRISON LIFE TO PARTICIPATING THAT THEY WILL MODIFY THEIR BEHAVIOR TO AVOID THE CONSEQUENCES OF CRIMINALITY. EXPERIMENTAL (TOUR) AND CONTROL (NONTOUR) GROUPS WERE RANDOMLY SELECTED FROM A POPULATION OF ADOLESCENT MALES AGED 13 TO 18 YEARS. THE POPULATION WAS STRATIFIED INTO SUBGROUPS OF YOUTH WHO HAD BEEN PETITIONED TO JUVENILE COURT, YOUTH WHO HAD BEEN CONTACTED BY THE POLICE BUT NOT REFERRED TO COURT, AND YOUTH WHO HAD NEVER BEEN CONTACTED BY POLICE. A TOTAL OF 161 JUVENILES WERE IN THE EXPERIMENT, 94 IN THE TOUR GROUP AND 67 IN THE CONTROL GROUP. THE TWO TESTS ADMINISTERED TO THE EXPERIMENTAL AND CONTROL GROUPS SEVERAL DAYS BEFORE AND WITHIN 10 DAYS AFTER THE TOURS WERE THE JESNESS INVENTORY AND PIERS HARRIS CHILDREN'S SELF-CONCEPT SCALE. THE TESTS GENERALLY SHOWED NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN SELF-CONCEPT OR PROPENSITY TOWARD ASOCIAL BEHAVIOR AS A RESULT OF THE TOURS. BASED ON THESE FINDINGS, THE TOURS AS PRESENTLY ARRANGED SHOULD BE DISCONTINUED. BENEFITS MAY BE DERIVED FROM VARIATIONS OF THE SAME GENERAL CONCEPT APPLIED AS PART OF A MORE COMPREHENSIVE TREATMENT PROGRAM. THE APPENDIXES DESCRIBE THE STATISTICAL ANALYSIS, AND TABULAR DATA ARE INCLUDED. (RCB)