An Evaluation of Alternative Treatment for Juvenile Offenders
As Smith, Usinger-Lesquereux and Evans (1999) have commented, research studies continue to document the alarmingly high prevalence of juvenile delinquency and the persistence of juvenile crime in the United States. A large variety of competing intervention approaches have been developed to combat juvenile delinquency and crime, among which incarceration, various counseling strategies, "boot camps," group homes, educational and skills-based interventions, and alternative residential placement are prominent. The purpose of this report is to identify and evaluate these alternative treatments and interventions to determine which strategies offer greatest promise for reducing juvenile delinquency and crime.
To that end a qualitative, narrative review of relevant theoretical and empirical literature was conducted. As subsequent sections of this report demonstrate, and as studies conducted by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) (2001) have confirmed, there is no "one-size-fits-all" or universally effective treatment or intervention strategy that works consistently. Indeed, as the discussion below indicates, reducing juvenile crime or delinquency is a complex and challenging process that often requires tailoring interventions to the specific needs and problems manifested by an offender.
Various treatment alternatives are identified in the literature. The juvenile justice system has many treatment options from which to choose. The traditional jails and correctional centers represent one avenue which combines both punishment and rehabilitation which takes the form of a combination of academic and vocational education, counseling, and other therapeutic interventions. In addition, there are specialized Youth Centers for Serious Offenders which are less secure than traditional jails and oriented toward high quality tailored programming, Group Home Treatment ...