NCJ Number
45822
Date Published
1977
Length
38 pages
Annotation
A DIRECTORY, BY STATE, OF GROUP HOME ALTERNATIVES TO INCARCERATION FOR JUVENILES IS PRESENTED WHICH BRIEFLY OUTLINES GROUP HOME AVAILABILITY AND SALIENT FEATURES OF STATE PROGRAMS.
Abstract
GROUP HOMES HAD THEIR ORIGINS IN BOTH EUROPE AND AMERICA IN THE 1940'S. THE FIRST APPLICATION OF COMMUNITY-BASED RESIDENTIAL TREATMENT PROGRAMS WAS IN 1952 IN NEW JERSEY. THE FIRST GROUP HOME PROGRAM DEVELOPED SPECIFICALLY FOR JUVENILE DELINQUENTS IN THE UNITED STATES WAS A MINNESOTA DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS PROGRAM INITIATED IN 1965. SINCE THAT TIME, ADDITIONAL STATE PROGRAMS HAVE BEEN IMPLEMENTED. ACHIEVEMENT PLACE, A GROUP HOME BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION MODEL, DEVELOPED BY THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS BUREAU OF CHILD RESEARCH IN THE LATE 1960'S HAS BEEN PERHAPS THE SINGLE MOST INFLUENTIAL MODEL; OF THE HOMES LISTED, 140 ARE MODELED AFTER IT. IN COMPILING THIS DIRECTORY, USE WAS MADE OF RICHARD RACHIN'S 'DIRECTORY OF HALFWAY HOUSES AND GROUP HOMES FOR TROUBLED CHILDREN' (1977) WHICH LISTS 634 GROUP HOMES IN 24 STATES. AN ADDITIONAL SEARCH SUCCEEDED IN LOCATING ANOTHER 350 GROUP HOMES. IN ALL, THERE WERE 984 GROUP HOMES IN 39 STATES, PUERTO RICO, AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA REPORTED. IN GENERAL, THE GROUP HOME IS LOCATED WITHIN A COMMUNITY, RATHER THAN AN INSTITUTIONAL CAMPUS, AND AN ATTEMPT IS MADE TO PROVIDE A HOMELIKE ATMOSPHERE FOR THE RESIDENTS (ON THE AVERAGE 6 TO 11 PER HOME). EMPHASIS IS PLACED ON UTILIZING AVAILABLE COMMUNITY RESOURCES AND SCHOOLS. APPENDIXES INCLUDE A LISTING BY STATE OF AVERAGE GROUP HOME OPERATION COSTS AND COSTS PER CHILD PER DAY, AND PER YEAR; A SUMMARY OF CONSTRUCTION, PURCHASING/LEASING, AND OPERATION COSTS; STAFF/CHILD RATIOS; AND LENGTH OF STAY FOR THE UNITED STATES. AN OUTLINE OF THE BEHAVIORAL TYPOLOGY AND TYPES OF GROUP HOMES UTILIZED BY THE CALIFORNIA DIFFERENTIAL TREATMENT PROGRAM IS INCLUDED. A BIBLIOGRAPHY LISTS 97 GROUP HOME EVALUATION PAPERS PREPARED FOR INDIVIDUAL HOMES OR REPRESENTING STATEWIDE GROUP HOME SYSTEMS. (JAP)