NCJ Number
128145
Journal
Journal of Quantitative Criminology Volume: 6 Issue: 4 Dated: (December 1990) Pages: 377-393
Date Published
1990
Length
17 pages
Annotation
Some scholars regard the suppression effect, a drop in delinquency after intervention, as evidence of the effectiveness of corrections programs, while others attribute the drop to a selection artifact.
Abstract
Juvenile delinquents exhibit a sharp rise in arrest rates up to the time of intervention. A Unified Delinquency Intervention System (UDIS) sample of 246 subjects and an Illinois Department of Corrections (DOC) sample of 317 subjects (combined average age: 15.7 years) were studied. Results indicated a 39-percent suppression effect that was considerably lower than the effect claimed in a previous study. Because the general terms of the model are not identifiable, the suppression effect cannot conclusively be attributed to the correction program nor to the selection artifact, but both factors may play a role. Analysis also suggests that the DOC programs outperform the UDIS programs in reducing the crime rate. 7 tables and 21 references (Author abstract modified)