Describe wilderness probation programs. Do you believe these programs have value, why or why not?

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

• Wilderness probation programs involve troubled youths in outdoor activities as a mechanism to improve their social skills, self-concept, and self-control.
• Typically, wilderness programs maintain exposure to a wholesome environment; where the concepts of education and the work ethic are taught and embodied in adult role models, troubled youth can regain a measure of self-worth.
• A number of wilderness programs for juvenile offenders have been evaluated for their effects on recidivism.
• Research of the effects of wilderness programs—those emphasizing physical activity over more therapeutic goals—on recidivism, indicated that these programs do not work.
• Some of the programs show success, such as the Spectrum Wilderness Program in Illinois, others had negative effects; that is, the group that received the program had higher arrest rates than the comparison group that did not receive the program. Taken together, the programs suffered from:
• Poor implementation.
• Weak evaluation designs or problems with too few subjects or large dropout rates.
• Failure to adhere to principles of successful rehabilitation, such as targeting high-risk youths and lasting for a moderate period of time.
• However, wilderness programs that include a therapeutic component have been shown to be effective in reducing juvenile offending.
• Student views will vary.