Quantitative data and descriptive data (written self-evaluation and journal entries) were collected from young adults participating in a standard 26-day Outward Bound course during a quasi-experimental control group design experiment to determine the degree to which participation in a high risk wilderness program leads to self-discovery,…

Several theories postulate that factors such as socioeconomic status, environmental and genetic influences, and psychological traits account for juvenile delinquents' tendency to be poor readers. The academic needs of the Massachusetts Department of Corrections youthful offender population were explored to determine the need for reading programs…

This report explores the validity of measures for eventual use in assessing attitudinal and cognitive skills of delinquent adolescents. Ten measures of a battery along with a reading test were administered to adolescent males, 14 to 18 years of age, held in pretrial detention. The 11 tests were validated against 37 criterion variables encompassing…

Recommends the use of the Group Reading Inventory (GRI), an informal survey instrument, to identify general reading abilities of individuals in correctional facilities. Discusses why the GRI is appropriate for use, guidelines for constructing a GRI, and procedures for administering, scoring, and interpreting the instrument. (NRJ)

Introduces Port Camman Project (UK), a 31-day residential course exposing young offenders to various outdoor adventure activities. Results of pre- and postprogram administration of a self-esteem questionnaire show increases in self-esteem in 10 of 14 males surveyed; negative changes are interpreted based on behavior patterns during the full 31-day…

Little is known about the characteristics of adolescent sex offenders who do not reoffend. Most studies emphasize reoffense rates, recidivism and those who reoffend. Moreover, these studies provide quantitative summaries without describing the individual, his behavior, and challenges after treatment. The present study seeks to provide novel…

Recent Florida legislation changes have resulted in policy modifications reflecting a "get tough" approach to juvenile crime. In 2000, budget cuts by the Florida legislature eliminated one of the state's primary community service-oriented juvenile diversion programs, the Juvenile Alternative Services Program (JASP). JASP was subsequently…

An Adolescent Study Group was established by the Michigan Department of Public Health/Center for Substance Abuse Services (MCPH/CSAS) to examine the current delivery system of substance abuse treatment services for adolescents. The primary focus was on treatment services for alcohol, tobacco and other drug (ATOD) problems among adolescents in…

This report contains the results of a 3-year study sponsored by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, whose purpose was to assess what has been happening to youth who commit status offenses (truants, runaways, incorrigibles), in the aftermath of the 1974 Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act. The book reviews and…

This final report on the first year of the Minnesota Corrections Computer Project contains information on administration, organization, information development, user services, delivery, evaluation, planning, and finances of the project. Implemented at two juvenile correctional institutions, this program was intended to provide supplementary…

This model, developed to establish standards for effective detention home education, is based on results of a questionnaire sent to staff members of 45 youth homes in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan and Wisconsin. The model covers seven aspects of youth home education: (1) purpose, (2) target persons, (3) personnel, (4) program, (5) procedures,…

Delinquents (n=116) with reading disabilities were given daily multisensory (Orton/Gillingham approach) remedial reading instruction or regular reading instruction. One year after release, the treatment group had made significantly greater growth in reading and had a significantly lower rate of recidivism. (Author/DB)

Following a national trend of "getting tough" on juvenile crime, the Florida legislature eliminated one of the State's primary community service-oriented juvenile diversion programs, the Juvenile Alternative Services Program (JASP). JASP was subsequently replaced with four other diversion programs, two of which (the Walker Plan and an…

This paper examines the recidivism data for juvenile offenders discharged from a Massachusetts residential treatment center between 1976 and 1995. The criminal histories, juvenile and adult, of 162 delinquent youth referred through the Massachusetts Department of Youth Services who left the program were reviewed. Recidivism was defined as any…

While an adolescent sexual offender's response to treatment is thought to be impacted by both static and dynamic factors, there is no objective method of assessing the likelihood of success or failure in treatment. The assessment of amenability to treatment is generally a subjective process completed by clinicians in the field. Using descriptive…