Reducing Juvenile Recidivism With Cognitive Training and a Cell Phone Follow-Up: An Evaluation of the RealVictory Program

• NCJ Number: 239180
• Journal: International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology Volume: 56 Issue: 1 Dated: February 2012 Pages: 61-80
• Author(s): Bert O. Burraston; David J. Cherrington; Stephen J. Bahr
• Date Published: February 2012
• Length: 20 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Research (Applied/Empirical)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This research evaluated the effects of a cognitive training and cell phone intervention on the recidivism of 70 juvenile offenders.

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to evaluate the effects of a cognitive training and cell phone intervention on the recidivism of 70 juvenile offenders. Median days to rearrest were 106 for the control group, 191 for the class-only group, and 278 for the class plus cell phone group. Using rearrest as the survival criterion, the survival ratios of the class-only and class plus cell phone groups were 2.64 and 2.94 times longer than the control group, respectively. After controlling for gender, prior arrests, and risk score, the Poisson regression indicated that the class-only and class plus cell phone groups were 51 percent lower in total arrests than the control group. These results suggest that cognitive training supplemented with a cell phone coach is an effective and cost-efficient intervention for reducing recidivism. (Published Abstract)