Juvenile Justice Reform and the Difference it Makes: An Exploratory Study of the Impact of Policy Change on Detention Worker Attitudes

Abstract

Despite increasing interest in policy implementation and reform, few studies have examined the impact of criminal justice reforms on staff attitudes. This article compares several dimensions of staff attitudes in two similar juvenile detention facilities: one that has undergone significant reform in policy and practice governing staff/detainee interaction and one that has not. Based on survey data gathered from workers in both facilities in the fall of 1991 (N = 109), exploratory findings reveal significant differences between workers in the two facilities in punitive attitudes, but few differences in other attitudes. Implications for understanding both behavioral and cognitive impacts of reforms are discussed.