Chapter 15: Juvenile Corrections - Probation, Community Treatment, & Institutionalization

community treatment

refers to efforts to provide care, protection, and treatment for juveniles while they remain in the community and reside with parents or guardians. This approach can involve nonsecure and non-institutional residences, counseling services, victim restitution programs, and other community services to treat juveniles in their own communities

nonresidential programs

juveniles remain in their own homes but receive counseling, education, employment, diagnostic, and casework services through an intensive support system

suppression effect

a reduction in the number of arrests per year for youths who have been incarcerated or otherwise punished

probation

nonpunitive, legal disposition for juveniles emphasizing community treatment in which the juvenile is closely supervised by an officer of the court and must adhere to a strict set of rules to avoid incarceration

conditions of probation

the rules and regulations mandating that a juvenile on probation behave in a particular way

juvenile probation officer

officer of the court involved in all four stages of the court process—intake, predisposition, post-adjudication, and post-disposition—who assists the court and supervises juveniles placed on probation

social investigation report, or predisposition report

developed by the juvenile probation officer, this report consists of a clinical diagnosis of the juvenile and their need for court assistance, relevant environmental and personality factors, and any other information that would assist the court in developing a treatment plan for the juvenile

juvenile intensive probation supervision (JIPS)

a true alternative to incarceration that involves almost daily supervision of the juvenile by the probation officer assigned to the case

house arrest

an offender is required to stay at home during specified periods of time; monitoring is done by random phone calls and visits or by electronic devices

electronic monitoring

active monitoring systems consist of a radio transmitter worn by the offender that sends a continuous signal to the probation department computer, alerting officials if the offender leaves their place of confinement. Passive systems employ computer-generated random phone calls that the offender must answer in a certain period from a particular phone or other device

monetary restitution

a requirement that juvenile offenders compensate crime victims for out-of-pocket losses caused by the crime, including property damage, lost wages, and medical expenses

victim service restitution

the juvenile offender is required to provide some service directly to the crime victim

community service restitution

the juvenile offender is required to assist some worthwhile community organization for a certain period

residential programs

placement of a juvenile offender in a residential, nonsecure facility such as a group home, foster home, family group home, or rural home where the juvenile can be closely monitored and develop close relationships with staff

group homes

nonsecured, structured residences that provide counseling, education, job training, and family living

foster care programs

juveniles who are orphans or whose parents cannot care for them are placed with families who provide the attention, guidance, and care they did not receive at home

family group homes

a combination of foster care and a group home in which a juvenile is placed in a private group home run by a single family rather than by professional staff

rural programs

specific recreational and work opportunities provided for juveniles in a rural setting, such as a forestry camp, a farm, or a ranch

wilderness probation

programs involving outdoor expeditions that provide opportunities for juveniles to confront the difficulties of their lives while achieving positive personal satisfaction

reform schools

institutions in which educational and psychological services are used in an effort to improve the conduct of juveniles who are forcibly detained

cottage system

housing juveniles in a compound containing a series of cottages, each of which accommodates 20 to 40 children and is run by a set of cottage parents who create a homelike atmosphere

least restrictive alternative

choosing a program with the least restrictive or secure setting that will best benefit the child

individual counseling

counselors help juveniles understand and solve their current adjustment problems

psychotherapy

highly structured counseling in which a skilled therapist helps a juvenile solve conflicts and make a more positive adjustment to society

reality therapy

a form of counseling that emphasizes current behavior and that requires the individual to accept responsibility for all of their actions

behavior modification

a technique for shaping desired behaviors through a system of rewards and punishments

group therapy

counseling several individuals together in a group session; individuals can obtain support from other group members as they work through similar problems

positive peer culture (PPC)

counseling program in which peer leaders encourage other group members to modify their behavior, and peers help reinforce acceptable behaviors

milieu therapy

all aspects of the environment are part of the treatment, and meaningful change, increased growth, and satisfactory adjustment are encouraged; this is often accomplished through peer pressure to conform to the group norms

boot camps

juvenile programs that combine get-tough elements from adult programs with education, substance abuse treatment, and social skills training

right to treatment

philosophy espoused by many courts that juvenile offenders have a statutory right to treatment while under the jurisdiction of the courts

Ralston v. Robinson

this case placed limits on the right to treatment for juvenile offenders

aftercare

transitional assistance to juveniles, equivalent to adult parole, to help youths adjust to community life

reentry

the process and experience of returning to society upon release from a custody facility post-adjudication

intensive aftercare program (IAP)

a balanced, highly structured, comprehensive continuum of intervention for serious and violent juvenile offenders returning to the community

evidence-based program

correctional programs that have been rigorously tested, proven effective, and can be adapted to other settings and departments