NCJ Number
218495
Journal
Journal of Correctional Education Volume: 58 Issue: 1 Dated: March 2007 Pages: 14-26
Date Published
March 2007
Length
13 pages
Annotation
This study examined the effectiveness of a pilot program designed to improve the academic, psychosocial, and adaptive skills of juvenile offenders with substance abuse problems.
Abstract
The findings indicated that overall, the recidivism rate for participants was a low 8.1 percent and that nearly half of participants (47.8 percent) either returned to public school or entered full-time competitive employment upon graduation. An examination of the differences between successful participants and unsuccessful participants revealed significant differences in ethnicity, age, and diagnosis. The successful participants were more likely to be White, younger, and have a single diagnosis. The results demonstrated the effectiveness of the pilot program in addressing the educational, vocational, and community assimilation needs of juvenile offenders with substance abuse problems. In terms of policy implications, the findings suggest that not only are the needs of juvenile offenders multi-faceted, they need a multi-faceted solution that brings all relevant agencies to work together. Future research should focus on using longitudinal studies to measure whether the desired outcomes have long-lasting impacts on the juvenile’s lives. Participants were 62 juvenile offenders served by the pilot program between October 2002 and September 2004. All participants had substance abuse diagnoses and 48.4 percent had dual diagnoses. Data were gathered from participants’ files and included information on attendance rates, drug testing outcomes, recidivism, demographic characteristics, family background, and outcomes following completion. Data analysis consisted of cross-tabulation and chi-square procedures. Tables, references, appendix