Juvenile Corrections

Abstract

Juvenile offenders are rarely incarcerated in prison. Instead, they are placed in correctional facilities providing various forms of interventions to reduce their risk of reoffending and future behavioral problems. In general, those interventions can be divided into rehabilitative and deterrent approaches. Numerous systematic reviews and meta‐analytic results suggest a much higher effectiveness in reducing future criminal behavior of interventions following the rehabilitative approach compared to programs following the deterrent approach (such as boot camps or “Scared Straight” programs). Rehabilitative programs following the “Blueprint” Guidelines such as the Multidimensional Treatment Foster Care (MTFC) Program, Functional Family Therapy (FFT), and Multisystemic Therapy (MST) show substantial effect in reduction of crime rates in delinquent juveniles. Furthermore, cost–benefit analyses also show their efficacy with positive cost–benefit ratios.