Word of the Day: Recidivism

I was just blown away by this article... Mo. tries new approach on teen offenders It's a rather long article but here is the crux of it, I was particularly drawn in by the young man who was cited as an example of what the system could do. I almost teared up when I read about how far the young man had progressed. I wish there were more opportunities for similar programs available for at-risk kids, especially before they even get to jail. "Here, large, prison-style 'gladiator schools' have been abandoned in favor of 42 community-based centers spread around the state so that now, even parents of inner-city offenders can easily visit their children and participate in family therapy.

"The ratio of staff to kids is low: one-to-five. Wards, referred to as 'clients,' are grouped in teams of 10, not unlike a scout troop. Barring outbursts, they're rarely separated: They go to classes together, play basketball together, eat together, and bunk in communal 'cottages.' Evenings, they attend therapy and counseling sessions as a group.

"Missouri doesn't set timetables for release; children stay until they demonstrate a fundamental shift in character — a policy that detainees say gives kids an added incentive to take the program seriously.

"Those who are let out don't go unwatched: College students or other volunteers who live in the released youths' community track these youths for three years, helping with job placement, therapy referrals, school issues and drug or alcohol treatment.

"The results?

"_About 8.6 percent of teens who complete Missouri's program are incarcerated in adult prisons within three years of release, according to 2006 figures. (In New York, 75 percent are re-arrested as adults, 42 percent for a violent felony. California's rates are similar.)

"_Last year, 7.3 percent of teen offenders released from Missouri's youth facilities were recommitted to juvenile centers for new offenses. Texas, which spends about 20 percent more to keep a child in juvenile corrections, has a recidivism rate that tops 50 percent.

"_No Missouri teens have committed suicide while in custody since 1983, when the state began overhauling its system. From 1995 to 1999 alone, at least 110 young people killed themselves in juvenile facilities nationwide, according to figures from the National Center on Institutions and Alternatives."

I was particularly drawn in by the young man who was cited as an example of what the Missouri program could do. I almost teared up when I read about how far the young man had progressed. I wish there were more opportunities for similar programs available for at-risk kids, especially before they even get to jail. I guess I was also so touched by the article because I try myself to give opportunities to kids. I understand that many of the kids I work with don't have someone sympathetic to listen to them or help them or frankly, to even treat them with kindness. If I'm helping a kid with research I tell them about things they need to know for "when they go to college". Despite the fact that more than 30% of current high schoolers in my school district drop out. I want my library to be a place where they can come and hear that they "can". They can succeed in school, no matter their history. They can read anything they want--even comic books! They don't even have to read, they can pick up an "I Spy" book if they would rather. No lexiles, no grade levels, no tests, just a place where they can read and learn whatever they want. I suppose all this doesn't have much to do with the article, but it sure got me thinking.