NCJ Number: 183344
Title: Well-Meaning Programs Can Have Harmful Effects! Lessons From Experiments of Programs Such as Scared Straight
Journal: Crime and Delinquency Volume:46 Issue:3 Dated:July 2000 Pages:354-379
Author(s): Anthony Petrosino; Carolyn Turpin-Petrosino; James O. Finckenauer
Date Published: July 2000
Page Count: 26
Document: PDF
Type: Program/Project Evaluation
Format: Article
Language: English
Country: United States of America
Annotation: Using preliminary results from a systematic review of nine
randomized experiments of the Scared Straight prison
visitation programs, this article shows that a popular and
well-meaning program can have harmful effects; results are used
to argue for more rigorous evaluations to test criminal justice
interventions.
Abstract: In the 1970's, a group of inmates serving life sentences at a New
Jersey prison conducted the Juvenile Awareness Program to deter
at-risk or delinquent children from a future life of crime. The
program, known as Scared Straight, brought youths to Rahway State
Prison to participate in a realistic and confrontational "rap"
session run by prisoners serving life sentences. As the inmates
led the rap sessions, they graphically depicted prison life,
including stories of rape and murder. The intention was that
youths would be so frightened by the prospect of spending time in
prison that they would avoid delinquent behavior. Although
rigorous evaluation is often resisted, the agencies and
institutions that facilitated the Scared Straight experiments
described in this article should be credited for subjecting these
programs to nine randomized experiments. On the other hand, only
nine experiments were conducted over the 33-year history of a
widely disseminated and internationally implemented program. Some
may interpret this as even more discouraging evidence that
rigorous evaluations are rare and the use of results from sound
research rarer still. The findings from the nine experiments
indicate that despite Scared Straight's good intentions, there is
little evidence to suggest that the program deters subsequent
juvenile crime and delinquency. In fact, the evidence strongly
suggests that it leads to more crime by program participants.
Given the possibility of harmful effects of interventions,
government has an ethical responsibility to rigorously evaluate,
on a continuing basis, the policies, practices, and programs it
implements. Appended tables, 6 notes, and 57 references
Main Term(s): Criminology
Index Term(s): Deterrence; Deterrence effectiveness; Effectiveness of crime prevention programs; Juvenile awareness programs; Juvenile delinquency prevention programs; Juvenile program evaluation; Research methods
To cite this abstract, use the following link: http://www.ncjrs.gov/App/publications/abstract.aspx?ID=183344
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