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Serving Juvenile Time in New Mexico: A Comparison of Institutionalized and Reintegrated Male Offenders *
Author(s) -
Selph Andrew F.,
Winfree L. Thomas,
Mays G. Larry
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
juvenile and family court journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.155
H-Index - 19
eISSN - 1755-6988
pISSN - 0161-7109
DOI - 10.1111/j.1755-6988.1996.tb00750.x
Subject(s) - juvenile , psychology , state (computer science) , sample (material) , juvenile delinquency , center (category theory) , criminology , political science , computer science , chemistry , genetics , algorithm , chromatography , biology , crystallography
In New Mexico, all male juveniles sentenced to serve time in a state facility eventually go to the New Mexico Boys' School (NMBS), including males who are candidates for a reintegration center. The current study compares a random sample (n = 98) of youths released from the NMBS with a group (n = 92) who completed a reintegration program. Two key questions guided the research: (1) What role do personal‐biographical or socio‐legal factors play in the decision to assign a youth to the reintegration center rather than to have him remain at the Boys' School? and (2) Among juveniles who participated in either program, what personal‐biographical or socio‐legal factors provided the greatest insights into the length of their stay in state custody? By addressing these questions, the current study not only examines institutional decision‐making processes, but also addresses the outcomes that result from the decisions. The policy implications of both the processes and the outcomes are addressed in this article.