U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government, Department of Justice.

NCJRS Virtual Library

The Virtual Library houses over 235,000 criminal justice resources, including all known OJP works.
Click here to search the NCJRS Virtual Library

Community Hostels: An Alternative to Rehabilitating Young Offenders

NCJ Number
148318
Journal
Journal of Offender Rehabilitation Volume: 20 Issue: 3-4 Dated: (1994) Pages: 37-60
Author(s)
Y Wozner; B Arad-Davidson
Date Published
1994
Length
24 pages
Annotation
This article describes the use of a community hostel (CH) as an alternative way for rehabilitating juvenile offenders outside the family environment in Israel and notes its success in juvenile rehabilitation.
Abstract
The first CH, fictitiously named Brosh, was opened in a town of 50,000 in southern Israel. It provides shelter only for residents of the local community. Its methods must meet four criteria: usefulness, reasonableness from a social point of view, political acceptability in cost, and humanitarianism. Brosh has five positions staffed by 11 people, one position for each 3.2 residents. The youths, all males, are 14.5 to 16.5 years old and have been sentenced by the juvenile court. They are not retarded and have no severe emotional disturbances. Brosh is a type of therapeutic community in which each staff member has both a specific job and intervention roles. The main intervention strategy is a social-behavioristic approach. Participation, motivation, and attention form three elements of an enhancing feedback loop. Most of the intervention effort are based on group activity. In addition, each resident's individual condition receives attention. The staff has established good relationships with employers and educators in the community. The hostel maintains close links with the residents' families. Followup data on 43 graduates reveals that more than 80 percent have no criminal record up to 3 years after discharge, more than 60 percent are employed or serve in the army, and more than 70 percent have good relationships with their family. Extending the CH experience to four additional towns will help determine how much influence the director's personality exerts on the whole framework. Tables and 15 references (Author abstract modified)