Radical Correctional Reform: A Case Study of the Massachusetts Youth Correctional System

Abstract

The authors raise three principal questions. First, what part should traditional training schools play in providing treatment for youthful offenders? Second, what is the relative effectiveness of community based in comparison to institutional treatment services for juvenile delinquents? Third, what problems arise in undertaking a radical change in policy and program from institution to community based services? To answer these questions, the Center for Criminal Justice at the Harvard Law School is evaluating the reforms undertaken by the Massachusetts Department of Youth Services since 1969. This article offers a preliminary report and description of the problems and progress of these reforms through three phases: the emergence of a mandate for reform, the reform of institutional treatment,and the move from institutions to community corrections. Interviews with staff and youth so far indicate a positive response of youth to the new programs.