Write 8 sentences each question.
These questions are about Juvenile Offending.
1. Describe deterrence theory. What are the key assumptions of deterrence theory? What assumption does the theory make about the effect of punishment? What type of punishment is most likely to impact the decision making of would be offenders? What assumption does the theory make about human nature? What are some of the key limitations of deterrence theory? Why is it frequently difficult to implement deterrence theory in the real world? What else does the theory overlook?
2. How effective are "get-tough" measures? Why doesn't punishment deter more offenders? What can be done to make punishment more effective?
3. As described in class, both Texas and California pursued a policy of mass incarceration that led to a dramatic increase in the rate of juvenile incarceration, though California eventually moved away from this approach. What was the outcome in each state? What major conclusions have been drawn by researchers regarding the impact of incarceration on the juvenile crime rate?
4. What is the difference between formal and informal sanctions? When, and under what conditions, are formal sanctions most likely to deter juvenile offending? When are they least likely to deter offending? What are the policy implications? What could be done to increase the deterrent power of formal sanctions?
5. Why did the Supreme Court place limits on the use of life sentences in juvenile cases?
6. What is a randomized controlled experiment (RCT)? Describe how to conduct a proper evaluation of a prevention or rehabilitation program.
7. When the "Scared Straight" program was evaluated, what did the results of the evaluation show? How can we explain the results?
8. How does the Scared Straight program compare to other rehabilitation programs, such as Multisystemic Therapy?
9. What are the common characteristics of effective prevention and rehabilitation programs?
10. Describe the following prevention and rehabilitation programs: (1) the Nurse-Family Partnership, (2) Multisystemic Therapy, and (3) the Montreal Prevention Experiment. According to evaluation studies, what is the impact of these programs? Are they effective in preventing antisocial behavior? If so, how effective are they? Why are they effective?
11. What general conclusions have been drawn regarding the cost-effectiveness of prevention programs? Are they cost effective? To what degree?
12. Describe the following innovations and the impact they have had on juvenile offending and juvenile justice:
- The Missouri Model
- The Ceasefire Program in Cincinnati, Ohio
- Santa Cruz Country efforts to address the over-representation of minorities in the juvenile justice system
13. What is restorative justice? Why do many regard it as a better alternative to traditional court processing? What have been the results of restorative justice efforts? What does the evidence show?
14. What is the "cycle of juvenile justice"? Describe overall trends in juvenile justice over the past few decades, especially with respect to the emphasis placed on punishment versus rehabilitation. What explains the latest "swing of the pendulum?
15. The way we respond to juvenile offenders is being influenced by out evolving understanding of adolescent decision-making and the notion of adolescent immaturity. What does the research evidence suggest about the nature of adolescent immaturity? Why do adolescents often make relatively poor decisions? Identify six aspects of adolescent immaturity.
16. What should we do to prevent and control juvenile delinquency and youth violence?