NCJ Number
244074
Date Published
December 2012
Length
98 pages
Annotation
This report presents the findings and methodology of an evaluation of the Texas Juvenile Justice Department's (TJJD's) Reentry and Reintegration Planning and Services for juvenile offenders, with attention to its impact on recidivism.
Abstract
The evaluation concluded that this program has had an impact on the outcomes for youth released from State facilities. Since the implementation of reentry and reintegration planning, juveniles who have been released from State residential confinement have had lower rearrest and reincarceration rates than juveniles released prior to the program's implementation. Youth participating in select parole services also have had lower rearrest and reincarceration rates than expected. Under the reentry program, reentry planning begins at the time of admission to a TJJD facility. In order to ensure that an effective plan is developed to address a youth's rehabilitation and community reentry needs, a comprehensive and accurate assessment is completed at the Orientation and Assessment Unit and continues at regular intervals during the youth's time in TJJD. TJJD's rehabilitative strategy, CoNEXTions, established in 2007, incorporates individual and group components that positively impact a youth's behavior. CoNEXTions is an integrated, system-wide rehabilitative strategy that offers various therapeutic techniques and tools that are used to help individual TJJD youth lower risk factors and increase protective factors. Prior to release from residential programming, referrals are made for youth with special needs to the local Community Resource Coordination Groups and the Texas Correctional Office on Offenders with Medical or Mental Impairment. Additional resources pertain to community organizations related to employment and education. TJJD also partners with volunteers and mentors, who provide valuable services to youth. Successful reentry is enhanced by collaboratively developing the community reintegration plan prior to release and implementing appropriate levels of supervision and services after institutional placement. 2 tables and appended enabling legislation and gang intervention treatment upon reentry