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Juvenile justice policies in America have become a central focal point for many professionals
and practitioners within the criminal justice system. Since federal legislation was passed in 1974 that
enacted the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act, there has been tremendous pressure to
implement rehabilitative guidelines, along with the already existent "Just Desserts" type policies.
Promoting public safety, by reducing the risk through incapacitation of violent juvenile
offenders, is a. primary concern. Is there enough being done by federal, state, and local governments to
promote prevention before a juvenile becomes violent? Due to an increase in violent behavior issues,
prison over-crowding problems, limited budgetary resources, and conservative ideals, program policy and
evaluation characteristics for state mandated juvenile justice programs today must try to blend
rehabilitative and "Just Desserts" sentencing for their delinquents.
This descriptive study focused on issues that have been of a consistent concern within the
juvenile justice profession. The issue that was particularly focused upon was increased rehabilitative
programming measures verses deterrence mechanisms as a method to reducing recidivism activity among
our delinquent population. Another issue that was evaluated was concern over whether or not our
recidivism activity was effective for our minority-youth population. In addition to those issues, this study
provided a comparative analysis between Jefferson County and other Ohio counties using the most
current evaluation of Ohio's juvenile justice programming guidelines (known as RECLAIM Ohio).
A detailed explanation of Ohio's existent juvenile justice program is presented and why there is a
need to analyze that program. Finally this study examines a random sample of minority/non-minority
adjudicated delinquent male/female youth from one of Ohio's medium sized counties, Jefferson. This
study provides insight and an understanding as to whether or not, Ohio's current juvenile justice policies
are on track in reducing recidivism rates among its juvenile population within its local communities.
Among the most important findings within this study is that the youth selected for this study,
who has prior records, were less likely to re-offend upon completion of a RECLAIM, Ohio program.
Sixty-eight percent of the male minority felony offender sample population had a prior record; 50 percent
were prior felony offenders. Forty-five percent of the total minority male youth group was selected as
felony offenders for this study. Only 26 percent of the total minority male population who completed a
RECLAIM Ohio program re-offended as a felony offender. The non-minority male felony offender
group, the largest of the four felony offender groups, had a prior record (39%). Nineteen percent were
prior felony offenders. Forty-eight percent of the total group was selected as a felony offender. Sixteen
percent of the total non-minority male sample population re-offended as a felony offender. Of the non-minority
female sample population, 33 percent of the sample had a prior record. There was only one
non-minority female that had a prior felony offender. Twenty-two percent of the total group was selected
as a felony offender for this study. None of the non-minority females re-offended as a felony offender.
According to the data collected for this study, adjudicated youth within Jefferson County, upon
being terminated from a RECLAIM Ohio program, are significantly less likely to re-offend in the same
capacity as the offense that they w~re adjudicated. Although recidivism activity for the felony random
sample was at 45 percent, only 18 percent, of the 45 percent to re-offend, committed a felony offender.
The recidivism rate activity for the misdemeanor youth sample was 34 percent; only 11 percent of those
youth had re-offended as a felony offender. These percentages indicate that RECLAIM Ohio, within
Jefferson County, has been effective in reducing the level of delinquent behavior for youth who complete
their RECLAIM Ohio programming requirements. |
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