NCJ Number
69899
Journal
California Youth Authority Quarterly Volume: 32 Issue: 2 Dated: (Summer/Fall 1980) Pages: 80-84
Date Published
1980
Length
5 pages
Annotation
Two planned reentry programs (PREP) have been established at California Youth Authority institutions; the programs are designed to provide incentive and an opportunity for early release.
Abstract
The short-term accelerated program concept was chosen because of the Youth Authority's rising institutional pupulation and a belief that mixing the less sophisticated wards with the more sophisticated, longer term commitments would be more damaging than helpful. The 4- to 5-month programs aim to provide intensified experiences in counseling, survival education, community services, recreation, and preparole preparation in order to strengthen the youth's repertoire of basic survival skills. This goal is to be achieved by minimizing penetration into negative institution subcultures, identifying and remediating deficiencies in everyday living skills, fostering personal independence and rational decisionmaking, and ensuring continuity in institution and parole elements. The program uses participatory management approaches and in counseling, emphasizes rational self-counseling, assertiveness training, and behavior modification. Educational objectives focus on self management and everyday survival skills. The youths enhance their interactional and social skills through involvement (working) in the community. Recreation programs aim to ensure participation by all youths. Finally, parole preparation is continues throughout PREP. The program is designed to follow a progressive learning experience from orientation and goal formation, through skills development, to community service and preparole. The youths are motivated to participate because they stand to receive a reduction in time by approximately 3 to 4 months. While the program is only 7 months old (by late 1979), it is hoped that the program will grow to produce better results than long-term incarceratin.