Quoted Passages & Reminders

Regarding Rutgers University's critical analysis of the "Scared Straight" experiment and similar programs which employ get tough or scare tactics to try to prevent juvenile crime:
" 'Deterrence,' the Rutgers researchers began their second report, 'has long been one of the fundamental goals of the criminal justice system, and more recently of the juvenile justice system as well. Unfortunately, little is known about the deterrent effects of exposure to these systems.' In any case, the researchers went on, studies suggest that the CERTAINTY of punishment has more impact on crime than the SEVERITY. The lifers at Rahway can expound on the horrors of the place to their young audiences, but they cannot guarantee tham that the kids are going to end up there if they steal a purse or sell some drugs. 'Perceived severity,' the researchers concluded, 'has no particular deterrent effect.' "

And it appears that those who were supposedly "scared straight" actually got into more trouble than those who weren't: "Six of the 19 who went to Rahway with no prior record were arrested within the next six months. Only one of the 21 with no prior record who did not go to Rahway was arrested subsequently."

Finally: "...Richard J. Lundman and Frank Scarpitti looked at 40 juvenile delinquency prevention programs. 'Our own research and the research of others' they wrote, 'lead us to the nearly inescapable conclusion that few, if any, of these efforts successfully prevented delinquency.' The authors suggest less optimism, for the moment: so far, the program hasn't been devised that will knock out juvenile crimes. With the best intentions, the lifers at Rahway can't transform city schools, poor and broken families, jobless summers. Too many of us, the Rutgers researchers write near the end of their report, 'have failed to take account of these realities, and consequently have raised unrealistic expectations and goals for the Project.' This research, like that of Lundman and Scarpitti, suggests that people consider sociological and psychological causes in future programs for delinquency prevention."


REMINDERS: I should have a write-up of our first out-of-class essay on Tuesday (9/23), so look for that. Also, since we are a bit behind, on Monday I may post some of my lecture notes on biological and psychological theories.