NCJ Number
66312
Date Published
1979
Length
147 pages
Annotation
THIS STUDY ASSESSED THE IMPACT ON JUVENILE DELINQUENTS' ATTITUDES OF A PROGRAM, AIMED AT DETERRING JUVENILE RECIDIVISM, IN WHICH DELINQUENTS INTERACTED WITH INMATES OF SAN QUENTIN PRISON IN CALIFORNIA.
Abstract
THE SQUIRES PROGRAM, CREATED IN 1964, IS COMPLETELY RUN BY INMATES. PROGRAM COMPONENTS INCLUDE TOUGH CONFRONTATIVE RAP SESSIONS, GUIDED TOURS INVOLVING PERSONAL INTERACTION WITH PRISONERS, AND PICTURES OF PRISON VIOLENCE AND CONTRABAND. IN THE PRESENT STUDY, 79 JUVENILE MALE PROBATIONERS WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO EXPERIMENTAL AND CONTROL GROUPS. THE 34 EXPERIMENTALS AND 35 CONTROLS WERE SIMILAR IN BACKGROUND AND PRETEST SCORES. THE EXPERIMENTAL SUBJECTS WERE SENT TO THE SQUIRES PROGRAM ON THREE CONSECUTIVE SATURDAYS IN 1979. SUBJECTIVE IMPRESSIONS OF SUBJECTS AND STAFF SUGGESTED THAT THE PROGRAM MADE A VIVID IMPRESSION ON ALMOST ALL PARTICIPANTS. THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP HAD MORE POSITIVE ATTITUDE CHANGES THAN DID CONTROLS ON ATTITUDES TOWARD CRIME AND THE DELINQUENCY INDEX. NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES WERE FOUND IN ATTITUDES TOWARD SCHOOL AND ATTITUDES TOWARD PRISON. RESPONSES TO A YOUTH EVALUATION QUESTIONNAIRE SHOWED THAT PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS HAD A VERY POSITIVE VIEW OF THE PROGRAM. MOST BELIEVED THAT THE PROGRAM COULD PREVENT THEIR FRIENDS FROM GETTING INTO FURTHER TROUBLE; THEY LIKED THE SQUIRES COLLECTIVELY; AND THEY LIKED THE RAP SESSIONS. THOSE WHO HAD POSITIVE ATTITUDES HAD LOWER POSTTEST SCORES. YOUTHS WHO TENDED TO DISLIKE THE SQUIRES INMATES HAD MORE PRIOR CRIMES AGAINST PERSONS. FOOTNOTES, TABLES, AND EXTENSIVE APPENDIXES PRESENTING STUDY INSTRUMENTS AND ADDITIONAL RESULTS ARE INCLUDED.