Juvenile Delinquency Recidivism Prevention Coursework

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Introduction

Many studies have been carried out to examine the rates of recidivism among juveniles and the ineffectiveness of the juvenile prison. All these studies agree that juvenile delinquents have unique developmental needs that need to be addressed through special programs. Incarceration alone is not adequate enough to correct the behavioral deficits of juvenile delinquents. Hence there is a need to improve the juvenile prison programs. Various studies suggest that incorporating the prison experience with special programs such as relapse prevention program, family intervention program and alternative education programs would have a significant impact in curbing juvenile recidivism.

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Relapse prevention program

A relapse prevention program has its basis on behavioral and social cognitive theories of human behavior. Howell and Enns (1995) state that, “relapse prevention interventions foster the long-term maintenance of adaptive behavior through improved self-management and enhanced self-efficacy,” (p. 151). The program takes into consideration various personal, social and environmental factors which make it easy for an individual to continuously engage in antisocial behavior. Factors which surpass an individual’s ability to adaptively deal with present situation reduce the individual’s self-control temporarily. This temporary loss of self-control is referred to as a lapse. If the lapse is followed by self-blaming tendencies or a need for instant gratification, a relapse (repeat occurrence of the behavior) is most likely to occur. In relapse prevention programs, the subjects are taught how to identify the high-risk factors that encourage their lapse and relapse. Participants are then taught how to strategically deal with such factors and how to avoid lapses using more adaptive behavioral strategies and enhanced self-efficacy (Howell and Enns, 1995).

Relapse prevention programs have been used successfully in reducing recidivism, particularly among adults struggling with alcohol and other drugs. For instance, Somers and Marlatt (1992) found that relapse prevention programs can be very effective in treating adults addicted to alcohol. On the other hand, some studies show that relapse prevention programs are not effective in reducing recidivism. In a study conducted by Mermelstein, Karnatz and Reichmann (1992), the relapse prevention program used did not help to reduce smoking among the participants. However, when applied to juvenile delinquents, relapse prevention programs seem to be very effective in reducing recidivism. Meta-analysis studies conducted by various scholars (such as Andrews et al., 1990) show that the rate of juvenile recidivism is significantly reduced if relapse-prevention programs are incorporated into the prison experience. The effectiveness of relapse prevention programs on juveniles lies in their use of behavioral and cognitive principles.

Alternative literacy education program

Research on juvenile delinquency shows that many delinquents either lack access to formal education or are unable to cope with the demands of the educational system and therefore lag behind their peers. Engagement in criminal activities, therefore, serves as a means to an end for the juveniles. In order to reduce recidivism, various research studies suggest that alternative literacy education programs should be developed for juveniles. Alternative literacy education engages juveniles through creativity, critical self-awareness, and a shift in how audience and authorship are understood,” (Jacobi, 2008, p. 71). The special developmental and social needs of youth who end up in correctional facilities are the reasons behind the need for alternative literacy education programs. These needs can therefore serve as the foundation upon which the rates of juvenile recidivism can be reduced. Coley and Barton (2006) argue that “to help put juveniles on a path to a crime-free life, logic dictates that residential facilities should also function as good schools – from both academic and vocational standpoints,” (p. 12).

An effective alternative literacy education program would use different teaching modes including teaching prints, visual and oral channels. It would also instill in the juveniles specific life skills such as creative problem-solving, teamwork spirit and the ability to execute challenging tasks independently. One of the reasons why juveniles re-offend is that the prison experience often fails to prepare them for the life-after-prison when they are returned back to their communities. Alternative literacy education programs would equip the juveniles with adequate and critical knowledge and skills with which they can be able to succeed in life after release. As Jacobi (2008) states, “alternative literacy promotes an increased sense of identity, confidence, and motivation,” (p. 82). The effectiveness of such programs lies in the fact that they encourage inmates to undertake creative activities such as writing and storytelling using their day-to-day life experiences. The program also encourages inmates to engage in self-reflection which goes a long way in correcting their maladjusted behavior and cognitive reasoning.

Family intervention program

Family intervention programs have been proven through research to reduce the rate of recidivism among juveniles. An example of such programs is the multiple-family group intervention (MFGI) which was created to attend to the needs of juvenile delinquents by changing families’ coercive interactional modes. The logic behind the MFGI is the significant impact that families have on their children’s behavior. For instance, studies on juvenile delinquents show that the majority of the delinquents come from dysfunctional families, families full of conflict or families in which the parents are consistently absent. Therefore to reduce the rates of recidivism among juveniles, it is necessary to address their unique families’ needs. Keiley (2007) conducted a study to test the effectiveness of the MFGI in reducing juvenile recidivism. The researcher used 140 participants from two different juvenile correctional facilities in Indiana State. The participants used in the study were all two months away from their release. In addition, the caregivers of the participants were also included in the program. Each session of the program lasted about 1.5 hours every day for two weeks and the sessions were overseen by family therapists.

From the study, the researcher found that the adolescents who had taken part in the MFGI program had a recidivism rate of below 44 percent as compared to the national recidivism rate of 65-85%. In addition, it was found that the quality of affect regulation of both the participants and their caregivers is enhanced through the program. Although caregivers tend to have more effective tactics than their children, the MFGI helps all the members of the family to have some control over their coercion interactional patterns. The results of this study support previous studies such as the Henggeler, Smith and Schoenwald (1994) study. The study by Keiley (2007) is however limited in the fact that the follow-up was done only 6 months after the release. Prior studies have also used shorter follow-up periods such as 3 months. Research is therefore needed to examine the effect of MFGI on juvenile recidivism in the long term.

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Conclusion

Juvenile delinquents have unique developmental needs and therefore they cannot be compared to adult criminals. In order to reduce juvenile recidivism, the juveniles’ special developmental needs should be addressed. Instead of just confining the juvenile delinquents, juvenile prisons should also enroll them in programs that will cater to their developmental needs and correct their maladaptive behaviors.

Reference List

Andrews, D.A., Zinger, I., Hoge, R.D., Bonta, J., Gendreau, P., & Cullen, F.T. (1990). Does correctional treatment work? A clinically relevant and psychologically informed meta-analysis. Criminology, 28, 369-397.

Coley, R., & Barton, P. (2006). .

Henggeler, S.W., Smith, B.H. & Schoenwald, S.K. (1994). Key theoretical and methodological issues in conducting treatment research in the juvenile justice system. Journal of Clinical Child Psychology, 23, 143-150.

Howell, A.J. & Enns, R.A. (1995). A high-risk recognition program for adolescents in conflict with the law. Canadian Psychology, 36(2), 149.

Keiley, M.K. (2007). Multiple-family group intervention for incarcerated adolescents and their families: A pilot project. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 33(1), 106-124.

Jacobi, T. (2008). Writing for change: Engaging juveniles through Alternative Literacy Education. Journal of Correctional Education, 59(2), 71-93.

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Mermelstein, R.J., Karnatz, T., & Reichmann, S. (1992). Smoking. In P.H. Wilson (Ed.), Principles and practice of relapse prevention (pp. 43-68). New York: Guilford.

Somers, J.M., & Marlatt, G.A. (1992). Alcohol problems. In P.H. Wilson (Ed.), Principles and practice of relapse prevention (pp. 23-42). New York: Guilford.

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IvyPanda. 2022. "Juvenile Delinquency Recidivism Prevention." May 13, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/juvenile-delinquency-problem/.

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