NCJ Number
59372
Date Published
1977
Length
0 pages
Annotation
THIS 6-MONTH EXPLORATORY STUDY WAS DESIGNED TO DETERMINE WHETHER SENTENCING JUVENILE OFFENDERS TO 20 HOURS OF COMMUNITY SERVICE AND HAVING THE VICTIM PRESENT AT SENTENCING REDUCED FURTHER DELINQUENCY.
Abstract
THE STUDY USED FOUR BEHAVIORAL MEASURES OF OUTCOME (POLICE CONTACT, COURT CONTACT, SCHOOL ATTENDANCE, AND SCHOOL BEHAVIOR PROBLEMS) AND ONE PSYCHOLOGICAL TEST (THE JESNESS INVENTORY, A PERSONALITY INVENTORY CONSISTING OF 11 SUBSCALES). THE 36 JUVENILES FROM THE BENTON FRANKLIN COUNTIES JUVENILE COURT, WASH., WERE ASSIGNED TO ONE OF THREE TREATMENT CONDITIONS: 20 HOURS OF COMMUNITY SERVICE (DESCRIBED AS SYMBOLIC RESTITUTION) WITHOUT THE VICTIM PRESENT AT SENTENCING, 20 HOURS OF RESTITUTION WITH THE VICTIM PRESENT AT SENTENCING, AND NO RESTITUTION AND NO REQUIREMENT THAT THE VICTIM BE PRESENT. DATA ON BEHAVIORAL DIFFERENCES IN THE VARIOUS GROUPS AND TEST SCORES AFTER A 6-MONTH PERIOD WERE COMPARED STATISTICALLY USING FISHER'S EXACT TEST. PERFORMANCE PATTERNS OF THE SUBJECTS ON THE PSYCHOLOGICAL TEST INDICATE A POSITIVE EFFECT OF RESTITUTION ON POSTEXPERIMENT SCORES (PARTICULARLY ON THE ASOCIAL AND IMMATURITY INDEXES) BUT NO NOTABLE EFFECT ON THE SCORES WITH REGARD TO THE VICTIM'S PRESENCE AT SENTENCING. BECAUSE THE STATISTICAL ANALYSIS OF BEHAVIORAL DIFFERENCES REVEALED NO SIGNIFICANT FINDINGS FOR THE THREE GROUPS, THE RESULTS DO NOT ENCOURAGE FURTHER INVESTIGATION. HOWEVER, IF A SIMILAR STUDY IS CONDUCTED, IT SHOULD INVOLVE A LARGER SAMPLE, ADDITIONAL PSYCHOLOGICAL VARIABLES, AND OTHER SENTENCE TYPES SUCH AS WEEKEND DETENTION. STUDY DATA, REFERENCES, AND AN INTERVIEW PROCEDURES USED IN THE STUDY ARE PROVIDED. (DAG)