NCJ Number
238280
Date Published
December 2011
Length
130 pages
Annotation
This study investigated the effectiveness of juvenile rehabilitation programs in Connecticut based on the experiences of former juvenile offenders.
Abstract
This study identified four main themes regarding the effectiveness of Connecticut's juvenile rehabilitation programs in reducing juvenile recidivism. The four themes were that participants benefited from informative and insightful programs taught by knowledgeable and caring professionals, the actions of other inmates was the only significant deterrence to participant success, participants matured as a result of learning from their mistakes, and participants felt that their lives improved as a result of their participation in the programs. Data for the study were obtained from semi-structured interviews with a sample of former juvenile offenders (n=20) who had been found guilty of committing one or more offenses in the past and had not been involved in any offense at least 5 years from their incarceration as juveniles. Using a set of open-ended questions, the participants were asked about their experiences with the rehabilitative programs during their incarceration period. The participants' answers were analyzed using a four-step process. The analysis found that on the whole, the various rehabilitation programs used Connecticut's juvenile corrective facilities were successful at preventing recidivism among juvenile offenders. This finding was attributed to the idea that participants felt their lives improved and that they became better people as a result of their incarceration and participation in these programs. Study limitations and implications for future research are discussed. Tables, references, and appendixes