What types of reforms were enacted in the Massachusetts juvenile corrections system in the 1960s and 1970s, and what were some of the factors that influenced them?

What will be an ideal response?


In the 1960s, the state of Massachusetts recruited mental health professional Dr. Jerome Miller to oversee a reform of the state juvenile corrections system. The reforms were motivated by public outcry over a series of reports describing widespread physical and sexual abuse of youth in custody. Miller initially attempted to transform the existing training schools into less restrictive therapeutic communities, but he faced significant opposition. Ultimately, he closed down all of the state training schools and replaced them with small, community-based residential and nonresidential programs that substantially reduced recidivism rates.

Criminal Justice

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The power to arrest

a. is generally useless b. really has few social effects c. is always carried out the same way d. is a necessary and useful tool

Criminal Justice

Theorists who believe that an individual's socialization determines the likelihood of criminality adopt the ______ approach to human behavior

a. social process b. social learning c. social stigma d. social reaction

Criminal Justice

_____ programs reach out to some of the highest-risk youths by using local groups

a. Social organization b. Community-based c. School achievement d. Substance abuse

Criminal Justice

Statewide sentencing guidelines are mentioned most frequently as the procedures for ensuring _____ and appropriate severity in sentencing

Fill in the blank(s) with correct word

Criminal Justice