DEINSTITUTIONALIZATION OF JUVENILE-OFFENDERS

This research investigated the effects of the closing of a juvenile co rrectional institution. A nonequivalent control group design was used to compare the effects of the closing on placements and criminal behav ior for three groups (N = 927) whose institutionalization experiences differed Official crime data were obtained for all, and interviews wer e attempted with 752 juveniles. The noninstitutionalized group's recid ivism was significantly higher than that of the institutionalized grou ps both during and after the period of institutionalization. Consisten t group differences in offending were observed for crimes against prop erty but not for crimes involving drugs or crimes against persons. The se differences were significant but not as pronounced when only the mo st serious crimes were considered. Implications for the design of effe ctive juvenile correctional strategies are discussed