NCJ Number
126812
Journal
Insight Volume: 6 Issue: 36 Dated: (September 3, 1990) Pages: 24-26
Date Published
1990
Length
3 pages
Annotation
Glen Mills Schools in Concordville, Pennsylvania, is often the last resort before incarceration in an adult prison for male juvenile delinquents with records of repeated and serious offenses. However, its critics charge that its success is due to its ability to choose its students.
Abstract
While Glen Mills does have several admission criteria, excluding juveniles with emotional problems, histories of arson or suicide attempts, or those overtly homosexual, it has transformed the behavior of some very tough offenders. The Glen Mills philosophy is to use peer group dynamics to channel delinquents into educational, vocational, and athletic achievements. These achievements are made without the threat of physical restraint or psychotropic drugs. The large student population and absence of rules results in a reliance on self-policing, a concept opposed to the mainstream of thinking in the juvenile justice field, which advocates a combination of incarceration and intensive counseling.