AN ASSESSMENT OF THE EFFECTIVENESS OF AN INTENSIVE TREATMENT PROGRAM FOR SEVERELY MENTALLY DISTURBED JUVENILE-OFFENDERS

This study is a follow-up of a 1992 analysis of juvenile offenders wit h severe mental and behavioral disorders who completed an intensive tr eatment program on the Intensive Treatment Unit (ITU) at a midwestern juvenile correctional facility. The recidivism of this group was compa red with that of a control group of offenders who were not on the ITU as a means of assessing (a) overall program effectiveness and (b) stat us as a mentally disturbed offender on the ITU as a predictive factor for further criminal and violent behavior. This study specifically com pared these two groups in rates of reoffending, type of reoffending, a nd sentencing. The results showed that ITU and control subjects did no t differ significantly on any of these variables. It war concluded tha t mentally disturbed offenders who complete intensive treatment progra mming reduce their risk for further reoffending, including future viol ent offending, to levels similar to that of juvenile offenders from th e general institution population.