Discuss the Massachusetts Experience. What impact did the Massachusetts Experience have on community programs, in your opinion was this a positive or negative impact? Explain

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

• The expansion of community programs was energized by correctional reform in the state of Massachusetts.
• Since the early 1970s, Massachusetts has led the movement to keep juvenile offenders in the community.
• After decades of documenting the failures of the youth correctional system, Massachusetts closed most of its secure juvenile facilities. Today, 40 years later, the Massachusetts Department of Youth Services still operates a community-based correctional system.
• The majority of youths are serviced in nonsecure community settings, and only a few dangerous or unmanageable youths are placed in some type of secure facilities.
• Many of the early programs suffered from residential isolation and limited services.
• Over time, however, many of the group homes and unlocked structured residential settings were relocated in residential community environments and became highly successful in addressing the needs of juveniles, while presenting little or no security risk to themselves or others.
• Though the efforts to turn juvenile corrections into a purely community-based system has not been adopted elsewhere, the Massachusetts model encouraged development of nonpunitive programs, which have proliferated across the nation.
• The concept of probation has been expanded, and new programs have been created.
• Student views will vary.