Theoretical Foundations for the Design and Placement of Community-Based Treatment Facilities for Juveniles

• NCJ Number: 79598
• Journal: Juvenile Family Court Journal Volume: 32 Issue: 3 Dated: (August 1981) Pages: 3-10
• Author(s): E L Jensen; P O'Connor-Clift
• Date Published: 1981
• Length: 8 pages
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: Presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Criminology in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, November 7-10, 1979.

Annotation

In line with the increasing local needs for dealing with juvenile offenders in the community, this paper advocates the use of delinquency theory as the conceptual foundation for the architectural design and placement of community-based alternatives to incarceration.

Abstract

With deinstitutionalization and community-based treatment of delinquents becoming more common, the need for facilities compatible with re-integration efforts is crucial. In addition, we present guidelines for the site selection, community acceptance and physical design of a model community-based treatment facility for minor offenders, which are based on a theoretical integration of social control theory and the labeling approach. Deinstitutionalization has become an increasingly important component of the juvenile justice system in recent years. An abundance of evidence points to the negative consequences of juvenile correctional institutions. In addition, research indicates that community-based programs are at least as effective in reducing delinquent behavior as institutionalization, and that these alternatives to incarceration are often less costly. A bold example of deinstitutionalization is the closure of training schools in Massachusetts and the concomitant shift of treatment to community programs. With community-based treatment of delinquents becoming more common, the need for physical facilities compatible with the re-integration effort becomes crucial. In line with the increasing local needs for dealing with juvenile offenders in the community, we advocate the use of delinquency theory as the conceptual foundation for the architectural design and placement of community-based alternatives to incarceration. In addition, we present guidelines for the site selection and design of a community-based treatment facility for minor offending juveniles which are based on a theoretical framework. (Publisher's abstract)