In recent years, the sustained criticism leveled at juvenile rehabilitation has raised the question of whether the public continues to endorse the correctional policy of saving youthful offenders. However, in a 1998 statewide survey of Tennessee residents, the respondents indicated that rehabilitation should be an integral goal of the juvenile correctional system. They also endorsed a range of community-based treatment interventions and favored early intervention programs over imprisonment as a response to crime. Taken together, these findings revealed that the public's belief in “child saving” remains firm, and that citizens do not support an exclusively punitive response to juvenile offenders.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Anderson, David C.
1998. Sensible Justice: Alternatives to Prison. New York: The New Press.
2.
Andrews, D. A.
, Ivan Zinger, Robert D. Hoge, James Bonta, Paul Gendreau, and Francis T. Cullen. 1990. “Does Correctional Treatment Work? A Clinically-Relevant and Psychologically Informed Meta-Analysis.”Criminology28:369-404.
3.
Applegate, Brandon K. 1997. “Specifying Public Support for Rehabilitation: A Factorial Survey Approach.” Ph.D. dissertation, Division of Criminal Justice, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH.
4.
Applegate, Brandon K.
, Francis T. Cullen, and Bonnie S. Fisher. 1997. “Public Support for Correctional Treatment: The Continuing Appeal of the Rehabilitative Ideal.”The Prison Journal77:237-258.
5.
Bellah, Robert N.
, Richard Madsen, William M. Sullivan, Ann Swidler, and Steven M. Tipton. 1985. Habits of the Heart: Individualism and Commitment in American Life. Berkeley:University of California Press.
6.
Bellah, Robert N.
, Richard Madsen, William M. Sullivan, Ann Swidler, and Steven M. Tipton. 1991. The Good Society. New York: Knopf.
7.
Bazemore, Gordon
and Susan E. Day. 1996. “Restoring the Balance: Juvenile and Community Justice.”Juvenile Justice3:3-14.
8.
Bazemore, Gordon
and Lynette Feder. 1997. “Rehabilitation in the New Juvenile Court: Do Judges Support the Treatment Ethic?”American Journal of Criminal Justice21:181-212.
9.
Clear, Todd R.
1994. Harm in American Penology: Offenders, Victims, and Their Communities. Albany: State University of New York Press.
10.
Cullen, Francis T.
, Gregory A. Clark, and John F. Wosniak. 1985. “Attribution, Salience, and Attitudes Toward Criminal Sanctioning.”Criminal Justice and Behavior12:305-331.
11.
Cullen, Francis T.
and Karen E. Gilbert. 1982. Reaffirming Rehabilitation. Cincinnati, OH: Anderson.
12.
Cullen, Francis T.
, Kathryn M. Golden, and John B. Cullen. 1983. “Is Child Saving Dead? Attitudes Toward Juvenile Rehabilitation in Illinois.”Journal of Criminal Justice11:1-13.
13.
Cullen, Francis T.
, Sandra Evans Skovron, Joseph E. Scott, and Velmer S. Burton. 1990. “Public Support for Correctional Treatment: The Tenacity of the Rehabilitative Ideal.”Criminal Justice and Behavior17:6-18.
14.
Cullen, Francis T.
, John Paul Wright, Shayna Brown, Melissa M. Moon, Michael B. Blankenship, and Brandon K. Applegate. 1998. “Public Support for Early Intervention Programs: Implications for a Progressive Policy Agenda.”Crime & Delinquency44:187-204.
15.
Currie, Elliott
. 1998. Crime and Punishment in America. New York: Holt.
16.
Dighton, John
. 1999. “Balanced and Restorative Justice in Illinois.”The Compiler: Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority (Winter):4-5.
17.
DiIulio, John J. Jr.1995. “The Coming of the Super-Predators.”The Weekly Standard, November 27, pp. 23-28.
18.
Dillman, Don A.
1978. Mail and Telephone Surveys: The Total Design Method. New York: Wiley.
19.
Doble Research Associates
. 1995. Crime and Corrections: The Views of the People of Oregon. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Doble Research Associates.
20.
Fairbank
, Maslin, Maullin, & Associates. 1998. Mapping California's Opinion. San Rafael, CA: Resources for Youth.
21.
Farrington, David P.1994. “Early Developmental Prevention of Juvenile Delinquency.”Criminal Behaviour and Mental Health4:209-227.
22.
Feld, Barry C.
1993. “Criminalizing the American Juvenile Court.” Pp. 197-208 in Crime and Justice: A Review of Research, Vol. 17, edited by M. Tonry. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
23.
Feld, Barry C.
1998. “Juvenile and Criminal Justice Systems' Responses to Youth Violence.” Pp. 189-261 in Youth Violence—Crime and Justice: A Review of Research, Vol. 24, edited by M. Tonry and M. H. Moore. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
24.
Gerber, Jurg
and Simone Engelhardt-Greer. 1996. “Just and Painful: Attitudes Toward Sentencing Criminals.” Pp. 62-74 in Americans View Crime and Justice: A National Public Opinion Survey, edited by T. Flanagan and D. R. Longmire. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
25.
Gibbons, Don C.1999. “Review Essay: Changing Lawbreakers—What Have We Learned Since the 1950s?”Crime & Delinquency45:272-293.
26.
Gonzalez, John W.1998. “Many in Poll Want Stiffer Laws on Juvenile Criminals: Support Growing to Punish Parents.”Houston Chronicle, June 21, p. 1.
27.
Gottfredson, Stephen D.
and Ralph B. Taylor. 1984. “Public Policy and Prison Populations: Measuring Options About Reform.”Judicature68:190-201.
28.
Gottfredson, Stephen D.
, Barbara D. Warner, and Ralph B. Taylor. 1988. “Conflict and Consensus About Criminal Justice in Maryland.” Pp. 16-55 in Public Attitudes to Sentencing: Surveys From Five Countries, edited by N. Walker and M. Hough. Brookfield, VT: Gower.
29.
Harris, Louis
. 1968. “Changing Public Attitudes Toward Crime and Corrections.”Federal Probation32:9-16.
30.
Henggeler, Scott W.
1997. Treating Serious Anti-Social Behavior in Youth: The MST Approach. Washington, DC: Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.
31.
Jacoby, Joseph E.
and Francis T. Cullen. 1998. “The Structure of Punishment Norms: Applying the Rossi-Berk Model.”Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology89:245-312.
32.
Leiber, Michael J.
, Kurt Roth, Heide Streeter, and Shannon Federspeil. 1997. “Findings from a Survey of Juvenile Justice Personnel in Two States Concerning Correctional Responses and Services for Serious Violent Youth.” Presented at the annual meeting of the Midwestern Criminal Justice Association, Indianapolis, IN.
33.
Lipsey, Mark W.
1992. “Juvenile Delinquency Treatment: A Meta-Analytic Inquiry Into the Variability of Effects.” Pp. 83-127 in Meta-Analysis for Explanation: A Casebook, edited by T. D. Cook, H. Cooper, D. S. Cordray, H. Hartman, L. V. Hedges, R. J. Light, T. A. Lewis, and F. Mosteller. New York: Russell Sage.
34.
Lipsey, Mark W.
and David B. Wilson. 1998. “Effective Interventions for Serious Juvenile Offenders: A Synthesis of Research.” Pp. 313-366 in Serious and Violent Juvenile Offenders: Risk Factors and Successful Interventions, edited by R. Loeber and D. P. Farrington. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
35.
Loeber, Rolf
and David P. Farrington, eds. 1998. Serious and Violent Juvenile Offenders: Risk Factors and Successful Interventions. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
36.
Makeig, John
. 1994. “Most in Poll Favor Rehabilitation for Youthful Offenders.”Houston Chronicle, February 19, p. 30A.
37.
Moon, Melissa M.
, Brandon K. Applegate, and Edward J. Latessa. 1997. “RECLAIM Ohio: A Politically Viable Alternative to Treating Youthful Felony Offenders.”Crime & Delinquency43:438-456.
38.
Moore, David W.1994. “Majority Advocate Death Penalty for Teenage Killers.”Gallup Poll Monthly, September, pp. 2-6.
39.
Moore, Teresa
. 1996. “S.F. Favors Help Over Jail for Youth, Poll Says.”San Francisco Chronicle, October 2, pp. 11A and 17A.
40.
Pettinico, George
. 1994. “Crime and Punishment: America Changes Its Mind.”The Public Perspective5:29-32.
41.
Platt, Anthony M.
1969. The Child Savers: The Invention of Delinquency. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
42.
Roberts, Julian V.
and Loretta J. Stalans. 1997. Public Opinion, Crime, and Criminal Justice. Boulder, CO: Westview.
43.
Rothman, David J.
1980. Conscience and Convenience: The Asylum and Its Alternatives in Progressive America. Boston: Little, Brown.
44.
Schwartz, Ira M.
, John Johnson Kerbs, Danielle M. Hogston, and Cindy L. Guillean. 1992. Combatting Juvenile Crime: What the Public Really Wants. Ann Arbor, MI: Center for The Study of Youth Policy.
45.
Sickmund, Melissa
, Howard N. Snyder, and Eileen Poe-Yamagata. 1997. Juvenile Offenders and Victims: 1997 Update on Violence. Washington, DC: Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.
46.
Sickmund, Melissa
, Anne L. Stahl, Terrence A. Finnegan, Howard N. Snyder, Rowen S. Poole, and Jeffrey A. Butts. 1998. Juvenile Court Statistics, 1995. Washington, DC: Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.
47.
Snyder, Howard N.
1998a. “Juvenile Arrests 1997.”Juvenile Justice Bulletin. Washington, DC: Department of Justice.
48.
Snyder, Howard N.
1998b. “Serious, Violent and Chronic Juvenile Offenders: An Assessment of the Extent of and Trends in Officially Recognized Serious Criminal Behavior in a Delinquent Population.” Pp. 428-444 in Serious and Violent Juvenile Offenders: Risk Factors and Successful Intervention, edited by R. Loeber and D. Farrington. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
49.
Sprott, Jane B.1998. “Understanding Public Opposition to a Separate Youth Justice System.”Crime & Delinquency44:399-411.
50.
Steinhart, David
. 1988. California Opinion Poll: Public Attitudes on Youth Crime. San Francisco: National Council on Crime and Delinquency.
51.
Sundt, Jody L.
, Francis T. Cullen, Brandon K. Applegate, and Michael G. Turner. 1998. “The Tenacity of the Rehabilitative Ideal Revisited: Have Attitudes Toward Offender Treatment Changed?”Criminal Justice and Behavior25:426-442.
52.
The Public Perspective: A Roper Center Review of Public Opinion and Polling. 1997. Storrs, CT: The Roper Center.
53.
Torbet, Patricia
and Linda Szymanski. 1998. State Legislative Responses to Violent Juvenile Crime: 1996-97 Update. Juvenile Justice Bulletin. Washington, DC: Department of Justice.
54.
Triplett, Ruth
. 1996. “The Growing Threat: Gangs and Juvenile Offenders.” Pp. 137-150 in Americans View Crime and Justice: A National Public Opinion Survey, edited by T. Flanagan and D. R. Longmire. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
55.
Yoshikawa, Hirokazu
. 1994. “Prevention as Cumulative Protection: Effects of Early Family Support and Education on Chronic Delinquency and Its Risks.”Psychological Bulletin115:28-54.
56.
Zimring, Franklin E.
1998. “Toward a Jurisprudence of Youth Violence.” Pp. 477-501 in Youth Violence—Crime and Justice: A Review of Research, Vol. 24, edited by M. Tonry and M. H. Moore. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
