Study 1
Caldwell and Van Rybroek (2005) examined the impact of the intensive treatment program by comparing the outcome results of 101 male youths treated to the point of recommended release at the Mendota Juvenile Treatment Center (MJTC) with 147 comparison male youths who were admitted to MJTC briefly for assessment or stabilization services and returned to a secured juvenile correctional institution. The treatment group consisted of youths who had been transferred to MJTC because they had failed to adjust to the correctional institution setting. They had been disruptive or aggressive enough to, in effect, have been “expelled” from traditional rehabilitation services. Staff from the secured correctional institution decided whether the youth would be returned to that facility. Youths in the comparison group were returned to the facility when it was believed they could benefit from conventional rehabilitation services in the institution.
The sample consisted of male juveniles. In total, 51 percent were African American, 38 percent were white, 9 percent were Hispanic, and 2 percent were Asian or Middle Eastern. The average age was 17 years and 1 month. For demographic and historical variables, there were no statistically significant differences between the treatment and control groups, except on race. The treatment group consisted of 59 percent African American males, and the control group consisted of 37 percent African American males. There were no significant differences on the clinical and diagnostic information about the treatment and control groups. There were also no significant differences on institutional and release characteristics, except for one: MJTC treatment youths were more likely to be granted early release and therefore spent fewer total days in incarceration.
The study looked at information about youths who were admitted over a 4½-year period (when data was available). Recidivism outcome variables were drawn from public court records of filed charges. Data on the offenses included the type (nonviolent, misdemeanor, nonviolent felony, violent misdemeanor, violent felony with injury, and homicide), number of offenses in each category, and days at large before each offense type. All youths were followed from the date of their release from juvenile confinement to Aug. 1, 2003. The average follow-up period was about 4½ years (1,657 days). There were no significant differences between treatment and comparison groups on average days of follow-up.
To account for the possibility that nonrandom group assignment resulted in sampling bias, a propensity score analysis was conducted. A propensity score representing the probability that each case would be in the treatment group was generated based on numerous variables (such as age of first arrest, number of Conduct Disorder Symptoms, academic achievement scores, and number of charged crimes against persons). The propensity scores were then used as one of two covariates to assess the association between MJTC treatment and recidivism. Survival analysis for each outcome variable was also conducted to determine the association between MJTC treatment and offense-free time in the community. Cox regression analysis was used, in which the propensity score was entered first, followed by the treatment group assignment. The study authors did not conduct subgroup analyses.
Study 2
Caldwell and colleagues (2006) examined the treatment responses of 141 juveniles with high scores on the Psychopathy Checklist: Youth Version (PCL: YV) [M total > 27]. Fifty-six of those offend received intensive treatment in the MJTC, and 85 received treatment as usual in conventional juvenile correctional institution settings. Study participants were consecutively released from MJTC between 1995 and 1997, after participating in either a brief evaluation or full treatment that was prompted by disruptive and unmanageable behavior. Youths were transferred at the discretion of staff at the juvenile correctional institution when they were found to be nonresponsive to rehabilitation services. They were returned to the correctional institution when they were found to be more amenable to the usual services.
Overall, the study sample was 59 percent African American, 31 percent white, and 10 percent Hispanic, Native American, Asian, or Arab. For demographic and historical variables, there were no statistically significant differences between the treatment and control groups, except on race. The treatment group was 41.1 percent African American, and the comparison group was 71.8 percent African American. There were no significant differences on the clinical and diagnostic information about the treatment and comparison groups. There were also no significant differences on institutional and release characteristics, except for one: MJTC treatment youths were more likely to be granted early release and therefore spent fewer total days in incarceration.
Recidivism outcomes of interest were measured as the number and type of charges filed in a state circuit court against the youth over the 2 years (730 days) following release from secured custody. Recidivism data was collected from a statewide computer database of circuit court records.
Again, propensity score analyses were conducted to correct for the effect of nonrandom assignment to the MJTC treatment group. The propensity score analyses supplemented the basic analyses of the relationship between treatment and recidivism outcomes. The study authors did not conduct subgroup analyses.
