1. Chapter 14: Juvenile Corrections: Probation, Community Treatment and Institutionalization

2. Community Treatment
Efforts to provide care, protection, and treatment for juveniles in need
Various forms of such treatment include:
Probation
Treatment services such as individual/group counseling
Restitution
Foster homes
Small group homes
Boarding schools
Counseling
Vocational training
LO1.

3. Institutional Treatment
Correctional centers operated by federal, state and/or county governments
Restrict movement of residents through means such as staff monitoring, locked exits, and interior fence controls
Various types of such treatment include:
Reception centers
Specialized facilities
Training schools
Ranch/forestry camps
Boot camps
Suppression Effect:
A reduction in the number of arrests per year following release from a secure facility
LO1.

4. Juvenile Probation
Non-punitive, legal disposition of juveniles emphasizing community treatment with close supervision
Primary form of community treatment used in the juvenile system
Characterized by:
Established set of rules
Treatment in the community
Community-based programs that provide services ranging from group counseling to drug treatment
LO1.

5. Question
1. A juvenile can reimburse the victim of a crime or donate money to a charity or public cause; this is called:
a. community service
b. a fine
c. monetary restitution
d. monetary probation

6. Historical Development
In England:
Specialized procedures for dealing with youth offenders as early as 1820
In the US:
Juvenile probation as part of social reform in the latter half of the 19th century
Massachusetts took the first step in 1869
By 1890, probation had become a mandatory part of the court structure
The rapid spread of juvenile courts during the first decades of the 20th century encouraged the further development of probation
Youth could be rehabilitated and the public was responsible for protecting them
LO1.

7. Question
2. Murray and Cox report there is a ___________________, a reduction in the number of arrests per year, following release from a secure treatment facility. a. sensitizing effect b. suppression effect c. brutalization effect d. resiliency effect

8. Question
3. ____________________ is the primary form of correctional treatment used by the juvenile justice system.
a. Probation
b. Electronic monitoring
c. Shelter care
d. Individual counseling

9. Contemporary Juvenile Probation
Contemporary probation:
Considered the backbone of community treatment for juveniles
Most popular juvenile disposition for juvenile court judges:
322,900 juveniles were placed on formal probation in 2008
Direct judicial order that allows youth to remain in community under court supervision
Conditions of probation vary
Typically involve basic rules such as attending school/work, keeping regular hours, remaining in the jurisdiction, and staying out of trouble
Often ordered for indefinite period of time
LO1.

10. Figure 14.1 Probation and Correctional Population Trends

11. Arguments in Favor of Probation
For youths who can be supervised in the community, probation represents an appropriate disposition
Probation allows the court to tailor a program to each youth offender
Research raises questions regarding the adequacy of the present system to attend to special needs of female probationers
Personalized probation plans help with this problem
The justice system continues to have confidence in rehabilitation while also accommodating demands for legal controls and public protection
Probation is often the disposition of choice, particularly for status offenders
LO1.

12. Conditions of Probation
Rules and regulations mandating that a juvenile on probation behave in a particular way:
Restitution or reparation
Intensive supervision
Intensive counseling
Participation in a therapeutic program
Participation in an educational or vocational training program
Lead law-abiding lives
Maintain a residence in a family setting
Refrain from associating with certain types of people
Remain in a particular area unless given permission to leave
Supreme Court ruled that a juvenile is normally entitled to legal representation and a hearing if cited for a probation violation
LO1.

13. Duties of Juvenile Probation Officers
Typically involved at four stages of juvenile process:
Intake
Screen complaints and make case decisions: refer the child to agency for service or to the court for judicial action
Predisposition
Participate in release or detention decisions
Post adjudication
Assist the court in reaching a dispositional decision
Prepare pre dispositional reports containing pertinent, comprehensive information regarding the juvenile
Post disposition
Supervise juveniles placed on probation
Provide supervision and treatment in the community
Provide extensive counseling to the child and family
Refer to social service agencies
LO1.

14. Question
4. __________ are rules mandating that a juvenile on probation behave in a particular way, and can include restitution, counseling, and educational and vocational programs.
a. Probation code of conduct
b. Conditions of probation
c. Intake plan
d. Personalized treatment plans

15. Probation Officers – Current Example
Juvenile probation officers work with youths who are on probation. Their duties include, but are not limited to:
Meeting with offenders, their friends, family, and local residents in their neighborhood
Monitoring offenders
Attending substance abuse classes
Investigating the background of juveniles, writing descriptive reports and giving recommendations to the local court
Attending court hearings to voice their recommendations and provide information about offenders and their probation progress
Based on the above job requirements, what credentials should a juvenile probation officer have?
For example, education, knowledge, skills, and experiences etc.
LO1.

16. Probation Innovations
Intensive supervision
Juvenile intensive probation supervision (JIPS)
Treating juveniles normally sent to secure confinement in the community as part of small, specialized caseload
Goals are decarceration, control, and maintaining community ties and reintegration
Electronic monitoring
House arrest coupled with electronic monitoring is common
Effectiveness is debatable
Seems to be effective only with certain populations
LO2.

17. Probation Innovations
Restorative justice
Nonpunitive strategy that attempts to address issues that produce conflict between parties
Key is restoration rather than retribution or punishment
Balanced probation
Integrates community protection, accountability, competency, and individualized attention to juvenile
Restitution
Can take on several forms: monetary, victim services, and community service, among others
Most research shows it is reasonably effective
LO2.

18. Probation Innovations
Residential community treatment
Residential programs:
Non-secure facilities where juveniles are closely monitored
Group homes:
Non-secure residences that provide counseling, education, job training, and family living
Foster care programs:
Involve placement of juvenile with families
Family group homes:
Combination of foster care and group homes
Rural programs:
Provide recreational activities or work for juveniles in a rural setting, i.e., forestry camp or farm, ranch
LO2.

19. Division of Juvenile Justice, CA – Current Example
In response to the budget crisis in California, Gov. Jerry Brown signed Assembly Bill (AB) 109 and 117 in 2011, which will eliminate the state’s Division of Juvenile Justice in Under this realignment, funds are being redirected to the counties to house juvenile offenders convicted of the most violent crimes. This realignment is reported to save the state a total of $250 million a year in the long term.
What are the pros and cons of such realignment? Do you think the monetary savings are worth the cuts to this program?
Do you believe this is an appropriate way to deal with violent juvenile offenders?
LO3.

20. Question
5. What is not a goal of Juvenile intensive probation supervision?
a. Control
b. Incarceration
c. Reintegration
d. Maintaining community ties

21. Question
6. In ___________________, the offender is required to stay home during specific periods of time; monitoring is done by random phone calls and visits or by electronic devices.
a. milieu therapy
b. boot camps
c. wilderness probation
d. house arrest

22. Question
7. Which of the following juveniles is the most likely recipient of Juvenile Intensive Probation Supervision?
a. status offenders
b. first time property offenders
c. juveniles who would normally be sent to secure facilities
d. juveniles who would normally be waived to the adult system

23. Question 8. Which is not a residential program for juveniles?
a. Group home
b. Rural programs
c. Foster home
d. Reform school

24. Secure Corrections History of juvenile institutions
Until the early 1800s, institutions housed juveniles and adults
New York House of Refuge established in 1825
Reform Schools:
Institutions that provide educational and psychological services to improve the conduct of juveniles who are forcibly detained
Massachusetts had the first reform school in 1846: Lyman School for Boys in Westborough
Cottage system:
Second half of the 19th century
Housing in a compound of small cottages accommodating children
Massachusetts had the first cottage system in 1855
LO3.

25. Secure Corrections Twentieth-Century Developments 1899: 1930s: 1940s:
First juvenile court
1930s:
Civilian Conservation Corps began to emerge
Los Angeles County was the first to use camps
U.S. Children’s Bureau sought to reform juvenile institutions
1940s:
American Law Institute’s Model Youth Correction Authority Act passed
1970s:
Focus on least restrictive alternative
Removal of status offenders from secure confinement
1994:
OJJDP reported the following widespread problems in juvenile justice facilities:
Overcrowding, inadequate health care, lack of security, and poor monitoring of suicidal behavior
LO3.

26. Juvenile Institutions Today
Most delinquent juveniles housed in public facilities
Private institutions are relatively small with a specific mission
For example, treating females with serious emotional problems
Population trends
Most delinquents housed in public facilities, most status offenders held in private facilities
In the US, 69% held in public; 31% held in private
The juvenile custody rate varies widely among states
South Dakota has the greatest use of custodial treatment; Vermont and Hawaii the lowest
Physical plans and living areas vary in size and quality
LO3.

27. The Institutionalized Juvenile
Typical resident in juvenile facility:
17 years of age
European American
Male
Incarcerated for average stay of 3 ½ months in a public facility or 4 months in a private facility
Private: Younger
Public: Older, including a small % between 18-21
Most incarcerated youths are person, property, or drug offenders
Minority youth more likely to be incarcerated as punishment for their offenses
7 in 10 juveniles in custody belong to racial or ethnic minorities
LO3.

28. Question
9. In the second half of the 19th century, emphasis shifted from reform schools to the:
a. wilderness program
b. boot camp model
c. cottage system
d. electronic monitoring system

29. The Institutionalized Juvenile
7 out of every 8 incarcerated juveniles are male
Between , the number of female juvenile offenders in custody decreased by less than 2%
Girls are more likely to be incarcerated for status offenses
Institutions for girls are more restrictive than those for boys
Institutions for girls do a less-than-adequate job of rehabilitation
Over the years, the number of females held in public institutions has declined
Girls tend to be incarcerated longer
Female offenders have higher rates of mental health problems
Female facilities are typically isolated in rural areas
LO3.

30. Correctional Treatment for Juveniles
Most institutions employ some form of treatment program
Purpose of juvenile correctional system is rehabilitation of juvenile offender
The most successful programs provide training to improve interpersonal and behavioral skills
Individual treatment: Most common
Psychotherapy, reality therapy, and behavior modification
Group treatment: More economical than individual treatment
Guide group interaction (GGI), Positive peer culture (PPC), and milieu therapy
LO4.

31. Mental Health Among Youth Offenders – Current Example
According to Skowyra and Cocozza (2006), out of the two million children and adolescents arrested each year in the United States, as many as 70% of them are affected with a mental disorder. 1 in 5 suffer from a mental illness so severe that it keeps them from growing into a responsible adult.
What can we do for these youth offenders?
What type of program can serve them better: an institutional treatment program or a community-based treatment program?
LO4.

32. Question
10. Most juveniles that wind up being incarcerated are female.
a. True
b. False

33. Educational, Vocation, and Recreational Programs
Educational programs
Often are best staffed of all programs, but are still inadequate
Vocational programs
Range from auto repair to computer training
Common drawback is “sex-typing”
Wilderness programs
Involve outdoor expeditions that provide opportunities to confront difficulties and achieve personal satisfaction
Juvenile boot camps
Combine get-tough approaches with education, substance abuse treatment, and social skills training
A meta-analysis study shows boot camps to be ineffective in reducing recidivism rates
LO4.

34. The Legal Right to Treatment
Concept introduced to mental health field in 1960 by Morton Birnbaum
Inmates of the Boy’s Training School v Affleck (1972)
Established minimum standards for all juveniles confined in training schools
Other cases related to “right to treatment”:
Nelson v. Heyne (1974)
Morales v. Turman
Pena v. New York State Division for Youth
Ralston v. Robinson
Santana v. Callazo
LO5.

35. Juvenile Aftercare and Reentry
Aftercare provides transitional assistance to juveniles to help them adjust to community life
Reentry is the process of returning to society upon release from a secure custody facility
Services provided to juveniles:
Supervision by parole officers or a caseworker to maintain contact with juvenile, make sure a corrections plan is followed, and show interest and care
Intensive Aftercare Program (IAP)
Balanced, highly structured, comprehensive continuum of intervention for serious and violent juvenile offenders returning to community
LO5.

36. Question
11. _____________ combine get-tough approaches with education, substance abuse treatment, and social skills training.
a. Wilderness programs
b. Juvenile boot camps
c. Cottage systems
d. Electronic monitoring systems

37. Aftercare Revocation Procedures
Adhere to a reasonable curfew set by youth worker or parent
Refrain from associating with persons whose influence would be detrimental
Attend school in accordance with the law
Abstain from drugs and alcohol
Report to the youth worker when required
Refrain from acts that would be crimes if committed by an adult
Refrain from operating an automobile without permission of the youth worker or parent
Refrain from being habitually disobedient and beyond the lawful control of parent or other legal authority
Refrain from running away from the lawful custody or parent or other legal authority
LO5.

38. Future of Juvenile Corrections
Debate regarding effectiveness of community versus institutional treatment
The most effective secure corrections programs are the ones that provide individual services for a small number of participants
Debate regarding effectiveness of correctional treatment versus other delinquency prevention
Focus on deinstitutionalization of juvenile offenders
Disproportionate minority incarceration an issue
Aftercare and reentry services have become a critical part of successful transition to community
LO5.