Scared Straight Program Analysis

75% of youth in correctional facilities for delinquency are not in for a serious violent felony crime (Ross). Many minors in such facilities are held because their families cannot take care of them. Drug use, often stemming from the parents, is prevalent in teens detained in juvenile detention. Additionally, teen pregnancy and sexual abuse are common among the incarcerated young adults. Most of them have some level of a psychiatric disorder, however, a small percentage of them actually receive treatment. An unhealthy home environment, drug addiction, and mental trauma all contribute to the cycle of juvenile detention. In fact, 66% of youth who have been arrested will become repeat offenders within 24 months (“21 Juvenile Repeat Offenders

The Texas juvenile justice system is comprised of 166 juvenile probation departments serving all 254 Texas counties. Approximately 98% of youth in the Texas juvenile justice system are provided services through their local probation departments. These departments and residential facilities provide numerous services, but only a small number of facilities offer programs and housing for mental health juvenile offenders. Many public officials, officers, educational staff and those dealing with juvenile offenders are typically quick to label a juvenile as a typical behavioral issue. This is normally the case but in recent years data has showed that… “Of the new admissions in 2014, there were 54% who presented with at psychiatric diagnosis, indicating a need for mental health care.” Certified peace officers,

Rehabilitation for at risk teens has been an ongoing issue that runs deep in certain communities. When kids at young ages are exposed to stress and have to cope early on with dysfunction they are denied the opportunity to mature and conditioned to commit thinking errors that perpetuate a young offender into an adult offender. To find ways to break this cycle John Hubner accounts his time on the Giddings State School Capital Offenders Program and how a group of counselors are able to combine many strategies in rehabilitating young offenders who have committed serious crimes. Young people convicted of serious crimes are often transferred to adult prisons that institutionalize young people to prison life only increasing the likely hood of

The Florida Department of Juvenile Justice Office of Prevention and Victim Services provides voluntary youth crime prevention programs through the state of Florida. The Florida Department of Juvenile Justice mission is to increase public safety by reducing juvenile delinquency through operative prevention, intervention and treatment services that builds up families for a turn around of a brighter future of a troubled youth. The main functions of these programs as will be indicated in this paper are designed to reduce juvenile crime and protect public safety. These programs that will be stated main focused is to help those high-risk juveniles and those who display problem behaviors such as ungovernability, truancy, running away from home and other pre-delinquent behaviors. The state of Florida addresses these problems by contracting this delinquency programs prevention services and awarding grants to this local providers throughout the state of Florida.

The first suggestion that I will introduce is not inside the Juvenile prison when adolescents enter into the system but before when adolescents enter the system. A program called the “Beyond Scared Straight” program was built in the 1970’s for at-risk youth

To ascertain whether practitioners attribute the desistance of young people from offending behaviour to the effective practice of targeted youth programs. Young offender’s recidivism has been said to be the consequence of ridiculous control programs attracting reduced compliance from young offenders according to (Kempen and Young 2014). Practitioners competences has been put under scrutiny with critiques such as (Andrews, Donald and James 2010) and (Petrosino et all 2010), alleging that they sometimes deviate from their professional requisites. Much of the criticism was specifically for the private practitioners rendering inconsistent treatment regime, lacking commitment to the recommended practice. Thus, this evident knowledge gap has failed young offenders to satisfy the targeted programs aims of desisting from antisocial behaviours and other criminal activities (Woods et al

Juvenile institutions and programs have changed over time. There are also juvenile programs that necessarily do not punish juvenile’s delinquents but instead help modify their behavior to avoid recidivism. Certain treatments and methods regarding how to deal with these dangerous young offenders were fixed and improved to make these institutions and programs more effective in changing the lives of these young

The scared straight program on tv puts way more fear into me than the scared straight appearance on OITNB. The scared straight appearance on OITNB made me laugh I know that if I had been one of the teens there I could not have taken them seriously. Their prison isn't as scary as they tried to make it seem and the guards were just standing on the side with limited interactions with the kids. I think programs like these have a good intentions, but do not have a high effective outcome because of social factors that play apart the teens life. On the scared straight program on tv many teens see a family member or friends in the jail. Instead of taking their advice the teens considered their selves as untouchable so the same rules don't apply

The M.A.C.E. program also includes a class for parents and guardians while their child spends the day in the prison. These classes are designed to help the parents learn how to “…get their child on the right course.” This program, unlike the original program from 1978, is designed to be educational rather than confrontational, and attempts to provide participants and parents with the “tools” they need to create a better life and set personal goals (MACE). Parents of children who have participated in the M.A.C.E. program have claimed to see a noticeable difference in their child after the program, stating that they have “…definitely see[n] improvement.” After the show’s feature on A&E’s Beyond Scared Straight, the program has received an “overwhelming national response” and has dramatically increased in popularity

The goals of juvenile corrections are too deter, rehabilitate and reintegrate, prevent, punish and reattribute, as well as isolate and control youth offenders and offenses. Each different goal comes with its own challenges. The goal of deterrence has its limits; because rules and former sanctions, as well anti-criminal modeling and reinforcement are met with young rebellious minds. Traditional counseling and diversion which are integral aspects of community corrections can sometimes be ineffective, and studies have shown that sometimes a natural self intervention can take place as the youth grows older; resulting in the youth outgrowing delinquency.

I enjoy watching Beyond Scared Straight as well. It is rather interesting to see if the child's behavior changes at the end and how they turn out after the program. I agree that this form of treatment in most cases are temporary. I believe in order for this form of treatment to have a decent amount of positive effect on a child's life will require more than just a few days of discipline. Especially if once they leave they are back in the same troubling environment. I also wonder what goes on behind the scences and if their goals is to really change people lives or to get ratings.

How is it easily to assume that these children are passed the redemption stage and far from help if it is not taken into consideration at all. When there are adults that are known predators and even murders who are constantly placed in prison and after a certain amount of time served are released back into the public to cause havoc yet again. Resources like evidence based programs are forfeited when juveniles are charged as adults. Evidence based programs, “Analysis of programs that are effective in addressing juvenile justice issues can assist with choosing appropriate and cost effective interventions. Improvements in the measurement, analysis, collection, reporting, and use of data are integral to improving outcomes for youth.” ( http://www.ncsc.org/Topics/Children-Families-and-Elders/Juvenile-Justice-and-Delinquency/Juvenile-Justice-and-Reform/Home.aspx ) A lot of these reform methods have been used and proved to have worked, turning juveniles who were once thought of as a loss cause become a functioning adult in society. Without further criminal activity or thoughts or wanting to commit any other crimes since then on. For instance, “various forms of family therapy and cognitive-behavioral interventions, are designed to change a youth’s

The utilization of evidence based programs have proven to have positive outcomes for youth such as; reduced anxieties, and depression, academic success, support systems and skills for employment. Characteristically, juvenile delinquency follows a route comparable to that of usual adolescent development. Delinquent behavior is a path followed and not just something that children randomly engage in and therefore, through the understanding of the developmental paths of at-risk youth, researchers believe that early interventions can help to increase positive outcomes (Youth.Gov, 2017).

Every person involved in the situation needs individual “game plans”. One treatment does not fit all. Each individual person has a specific plan to help them with the problem he or she may have. This may include medicine, medical attention, schooling, or even jail. For the child this might include schooling, medical attention, or even foster homes.

Children need to have a role model in their presence to advocate educational activities, community involvement, and avoiding contact with the law for bad behavior. As Baker states, “Delinquents are made, not born” (1991, Pg. 274). Possible noncriminal behaviors that may affect a juvenile to become delinquent include; child neglect and/ or abuse, termination of parental rights, foster home placements, those beyond parental control, interfamily assault and other criminal acts (Baker, 1991, Pg. 275). Parents must learn to teach family conflict intervention, management problems, favorable parental attitudes and involvement in problem behaviors. At an early age we learn to do what it thought, showed, and have the adult figure set the example in our lives. For example, helping with academic failure, avoid delinquent criminal peers, and guide away from drug use and crime. Adolescent problem behaviors start with the parents, then move into the community, and society must respond by providing alternative programs and institutions to help the problem.