SOCIAL AND LEGAL FACTORS AFFECTING THE DECISION PROCESS TO REFER AND PLACE YOUTHS IN MASSACHUSETTS DEPARTMENT OF YOUTH SERVICES SECURE INTENSIVE CARE TREATMENT FACILITIES

• NCJ Number: 44210
• Author(s): R E ISRALOWITZ
• Date Published: 1977
• Length: 316 pages
• Grant Number(s): 77-NI-99-0036
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Justice
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Thesis/Dissertation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: FACULTY OF THE FLORENCE HELLER GRADUATE SCHOOL FOR ADVANCED STUDIES IN SOCIAL WELFARE, BRANDEIS UNIVERSITY DOCTORAL DISSERTATION

Annotation

THIS STUDY EXAMINES SOCIAL AND LEGAL VARIABLES WHICH PREDICT DECISIONS TO PLACE YOUTHS IN SECURE CARE FACILITIES AND EVALUATES THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THESE FACILITIES IN CARING FOR SERIOUS JUVENILE OFFENDERS.

Abstract

AN INTRODUCTORY DISCUSSION OF THE SERIOUS JUVENILE OFFENDER EXAMINES THE MAJOR THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVES OF JUVENILE DELINQUENCY IN GENERAL, AND SERIOUS JUVENILE DELINQUENCY IN PARTICULAR. THE INFORMATION COVERED PROVIDES A FOUNDATION FOR DEFINING SERIOUS JUVENILE DELINQUENCY. THE MASSACHUSETTS DEPARTMENT OF YOUTH SERVICES (DYS) CARE SYSTEM IS EXAMINED, IN PARTICULAR: THE HISTORY OF SECURE CARE DURING DYS'S EFFORTS TO MAINTAIN A DEINSTITUTIONALIZED, COMMUNITY-BASED SERVICE SYSTEM FOR YOUTHFUL OFFENDERS; THE DYS PROCESS FOR PLACING A YOUTH IN SECURE CARE; THE SECURE CARE FACILITIES PRESENTLY UTILIZED BY DYS; AND THE MASSACHUSETTS TASK FORCE ON SECURE FACILITIES' RESEARCH OF THE NUMBER OF YOUTHS NEEDING SECURE CARE. A LITERATURE REVIEW ON FACTORS INFLUENCING DECISIONMAKING WITHIN THE JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM CONSIDERS VARIOUS STUDIES THAT HAVE EXAMINED THE EFFECT OF SOCIAL AND LEGAL VARIABLES ON DECISIONS MADE IN THE JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM. THE STUDIES INCLUDED DEAL WITH DETENTION, PROBATION OFFICERS' RECOMMENDATIONS, AND COURT DISPOSITIONS. A CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK IS PRESENTED TO LINK THE LITERATURE REVIEWED WITH THE DYS SECURE CARE DECISIONMAKING PROCESS, AND THE STUDY'S SPECIFIC RESEARCH HYPOTHESES ARE DEFINED. A SECTION ON METHODOLOGY DESCRIBES THE SAMPLE POPULATION AND THE DATA COLLECTION PROCEDURES. THE SOCIAL AND LEGAL VARIABLES AFFECTING THE DECISIONMAKING PROCESS ARE ANALYZED FROM BIVARIATE AND MULTIVARIATE RESEARCH PERSPECTIVES. THE SOCIAL POLICY IMPLICATIONS OF THE DATA ANALYSIS AND OF THE DYS SECURE CARE SYSTEM ARE EXAMINED, AND FUTURE RESEARCH SUGGESTIONS ARE PROVIDED. A SUMMARY OF THE STUDY'S EMPIRICAL FINDINGS IS FURNISHED. AN APPENDIX DETAILS THE SECURE CARE PROGRAM PROCESS.