NCJ Number
249699
Date Published
2011
Length
3 pages
Annotation
Based on a literature review, this study defines the goal and features of day treatment centers for serious juvenile offenders, identifies variations in day treatment centers, and reviews research evidence on the effectiveness of day treatment programs in achieving their objectives.
Abstract
Day treatment centers - also known as day reporting centers, community resource centers, or day incarceration centers - are highly structured, community-based, post-adjudication, non-residential programs for serious juvenile offenders. The goal of day treatment is to provide intensive supervision to ensure community safety and a wide range of services intended to prevent future delinquent behavior. The intensive supervision is fulfilled by requiring the offender to report to the facility daily at specified times for a designated period of time. Generally programs are provided at the facility during the day and/or evening at least 5 days a week. Participants stay at home at night. Day treatment centers differ in a number of ways, including the target population, eligibility criteria, services, treatment goals, caseload, and requirements for completion. Despite the rapid spread of day treatment programs for juveniles, to date there are few impact evaluations. Most of the evaluation research done thus far has examined the effect of services on adult offenders. These evaluations have showed mixed results for adult offenders. The one evaluation reviewed for a day treatment program for juveniles in Florida (AMIkids Community-based Day Treatment) found that youth who received services were significantly less likely than control youth to be rearrested, rearrested for a felony, adjudicated or convicted for an offense, or sentenced to prison within 1 year of release compared with youth who completed residential programming. Additional evaluation research is needed for a variety of day treatment programs for juveniles. 10 references