There is a common belief that teenagers need and deserve particular treatment since they are still developing and because their unlawful conduct likely will not carry over into adulthood. For this reason, the concept of rehabilitation has great promise for application to young offenders. Juvenile correctional services should, in theory, prioritize the reintegration of young offenders into society.
Conceptual, in which researchers compile the ever-growing study literature to analyze the effect sizes (the number of changes between groups) of studies that compare treatment and control groups, has been a huge boon to broad evaluations of the efficacy of delinquent interventions. In 1992, Lipsey performed the largest meta-analysis on juvenile offenses interventions, looking at 443 separate studies to see which ones had the most conclusive results. Specifically, Lipsey examined programs and services that aim to prevent, mitigate, or treat offenses and related antisocial behavior issues. In 64.3% of the studies he looked at, the treatment group had better outcomes than the comparison group regarding reduced recidivism.
To achieve the multiple purposes of incarceration, programming for juveniles is an efficient and successful method. Programs do not need to be groundbreaking or expansive to help lessen the number of issues incarcerated adolescents face. The following advantages of programming, outlined in the first Macintosh Guide for Great Practice in Detention Centers, are valid today, regardless of the location where detained juveniles are housed. Good programming prevents incarcerated teens from dwelling on destructive methods to release pent-up rage. Youth focus more on the good results of the program and less on the negative ones, such as damaging themselves, others, the facility, or the equipment.
Inpatient drug treatment is a typical form of adolescent recovery. The Desk of Juvenile Justice and Prevention of Offences recommends that juveniles who commit drug-related offenses be tried in a special drug court, where they will be sentenced only if they fulfill certain conditions, such as completing drug treatment, agreeing to and passing random drug tests. After finishing inpatient care, most patients need a year or more follow-up care in an outpatient setting.
Youth offenders might find renewed optimism and a clearer route to achievement via participation in educational programming. They can realize that there is life outside criminal activity. The cornerstone of every successful program aimed at rehabilitating at-risk youth is education. To be sure, this is a reliable and established resource. Department of Youth Services and the Prevention of Crime To that purpose, the juvenile offender may be offered the chance to finish high school. This has been confirmed as a reliable source. In addition, several centers provide opportunities for residents to acquire college credit at the community college level.
Rehabilitation programs often include vocational education as a supplement to standard schooling. Apprenticeships are a vital part of this education system, and training programs focusing on construction and carpentry are quite common. Young people have many more options outside a criminal life if they acquire marketable skills.
Counseling, both on an individual and family basis, is an essential component of any treatment regimen. One method of helping a young criminal with his or her problems and needs is individual therapy. Hormonal and physiological concerns in adolescents vary from those of adults. Furthermore, they may still be working through challenges from their formative years. The addition of the family to the therapy room is a great plus. The family and the juvenile are taught effective techniques for boosting the adolescent's morale. In addition, methods for settling disputes are examined.
Staff members' daily activities inevitably include some goal-oriented action. Staff members, however, must remain vigilant and actively absorb the lessons learned by adolescents after each program activity.
Exercise − Youth engage in an activity or exercise chosen by staff, with the expectation that they will help youth reach or attain certain objectives.
Inspection − The staff watches the kids interact with one another. The behavior of youths is to monitor one another. Workers encourage kids to talk about what they have seen and learned. The workers discuss their findings.
Methodology − Staff members consciously engage in informal or formal debriefings with adolescents after each activity to discuss what transpired (e.g., "How did you/everyone do, get along?"). Can you report a result or an end to the action? Why were you successful in reaching your objective, or why were you not? How did it succeed or fail? Explain how simple or complex the recent event, action, etc. was. To what extent did individual actions within the group determine whether or not the task was completed successfully?
Make Blanket Statements − The staff debriefs the event with the young people, discussing their growth. This is a great chance to teach young people the value of collaboration, the need to create and stick to goals, the value of communicating effectively, and the importance of developing strategies for dealing with frustration. Staff debriefs youngsters on what transpired throughout the activity and what abilities they used or may have deployed to achieve their goals.
Pertain − Staff members inquire about what the young people took away from experience and how they may apply it to future endeavors. Was there any improvement in their abilities? In what ways might they use the knowledge they gained from their encounters?
Program activities need to be result focused to promote adolescent health and development. The youngsters who participate in any activity, whether physical or not, need to have a set of objectives in mind. These objectives should be baked into every program element and interaction between staff and adolescents. If they are not, then the event is pointless. Facilitating a letting go of pent-up feelings. Making use of one's physical energies positively. Instruction on the principles of sports and other leisure pursuits. Encouragement of adolescents to engage in positive activities. Imparting the values of sportsmanship, discipline, and cooperation. As a safe way to express anger in public. Offering the young person, a deeper insight into who they are. Learning new things can be carried on after one's release from prison. Preventing idleness by giving them something to do each day. Creating wholesome routines and a fit body. Overcoming hostility against mature people and grownup demands. Facilitating social diagnosis by the observation of the youth's conduct.