Meta-Analysis of Scared Meta-Analysis of Scared Straight and other Juvenile Straight and other Juvenile Awareness Programs For Awareness Programs For

Preventing Juvenile Preventing Juvenile Delinquency Delinquency

By: Anthony Petrosino, Carolyn Turpin-Petrosino, and John By: Anthony Petrosino, Carolyn Turpin-Petrosino, and John Buehler.Buehler.

Presented by: Mike FormichellaPresented by: Mike FormichellaJune 2004 June 2004

Radford University Radford University

What are Scared Straight What are Scared Straight Programs? Programs?

New Jersey (1970’s)New Jersey (1970’s) Documentary (1979)Documentary (1979) 16 out of 17 remained law abiding for 16 out of 17 remained law abiding for

3 months 3 months Replicated in more than 30 Replicated in more than 30

jurisdictions nationwide. jurisdictions nationwide. Goal is deterrence Goal is deterrence

Finckenauer 1982Finckenauer 1982 Conducted a randomized controlled Conducted a randomized controlled

trial of the New Jersey programtrial of the New Jersey program Found no effect on criminal behavior Found no effect on criminal behavior Found that participants are more Found that participants are more

likely to be arrested than those in a likely to be arrested than those in a control group control group

Yet belief in the program continued Yet belief in the program continued

““Panacea Phenomenon”Panacea Phenomenon” Phrase coined by Phrase coined by

Finckenauer Finckenauer ““process by which process by which

policy makers, policy makers, practitioners, media practitioners, media reporters, and others reporters, and others some-times latch onto some-times latch onto quick short-term, and quick short-term, and inexpensive cures to inexpensive cures to solve difficult social solve difficult social problems. problems.

Goal of this Meta-Analysis Goal of this Meta-Analysis Assess the effects Assess the effects

of Scared straight of Scared straight and other and other deterrence deterrence programs aimed at programs aimed at Juvenile Juvenile delinquents and delinquents and predelinquents. predelinquents.

Do they work?Do they work?

Selection Criteria Selection Criteria Must be randomized or quasi-Must be randomized or quasi-

randomizedrandomized Must have controlled trials or a true Must have controlled trials or a true

control group control group Must include only juveniles who are Must include only juveniles who are

delinquents or predelinquents delinquents or predelinquents Intervention must include a prison visit Intervention must include a prison visit

as main component as main component

Selection Criteria ContinuedSelection Criteria Continued Focused on crime Focused on crime

measuresmeasures At least one At least one

outcome measure outcome measure

Search Strategy Search Strategy Tried to identify Tried to identify

published and published and unpublished studiesunpublished studies

Bias towards Bias towards significance significance

Searched databases Searched databases in different fields to in different fields to minimize discipline minimize discipline biasbias

Search Strategy Continued Search Strategy Continued Guided by Petrosino’s initial review of field Guided by Petrosino’s initial review of field

trials in crime reduction trials in crime reduction Found initial 300 studies Found initial 300 studies

Handsearch of journals Handsearch of journals Bibliography search of previous studies Bibliography search of previous studies 6 Electronic databases6 Electronic databases 18 bibliographic databases 18 bibliographic databases Mail Campaign Mail Campaign Solicitations in association newsletters Solicitations in association newsletters

More Search Strategy More Search Strategy Search was further augmented by Search was further augmented by

searches designed to find relevant searches designed to find relevant articles published after Petrosoino’s articles published after Petrosoino’s reviewreview Electronic databases Electronic databases Bibliography search of more recent Bibliography search of more recent

systematic or traditional reviewssystematic or traditional reviews E-mail correspondence with selected E-mail correspondence with selected

researchers researchers

Even More Search StrategyEven More Search Strategy More specific search More specific search

of 14 different of 14 different electronic databases electronic databases

Conducted searches Conducted searches on the World Wide on the World Wide Web through Hotbot, Web through Hotbot, Altavista, and later Altavista, and later with Google. with Google.

Methodology Methodology Over 500 studies were identified Over 500 studies were identified 9 were found to meet the admission 9 were found to meet the admission

criteria criteria Major problem was randomization Major problem was randomization

Data Analysis Data Analysis Organized Organized

information into information into four indexes four indexes Prevalence rates Prevalence rates Average incidence Average incidence

rates rates Offence severity Offence severity

ratesrates latencylatency

Data Analysis ContinuedData Analysis Continued The only measure The only measure

which was which was consistently reported consistently reported in all 9 studies was in all 9 studies was prevalence.prevalence.

Due to this measures Due to this measures dichotomous nature dichotomous nature Odds Ratios were Odds Ratios were used used

DataData

KK NN Odds Odds RatioRatio

95% CI95% CILowerLower

95% CI 95% CI UpperUpper

99 794794 1.721.72 1.131.13 2.622.62

Results Results Juveniles who Juveniles who

participate in prison participate in prison oriented deterrence oriented deterrence programs are programs are almost twice as almost twice as likely (1.75/1) to re-likely (1.75/1) to re-offend than those in offend than those in the control groupthe control group

Discussion Discussion Not only are these interventions Not only are these interventions

unsuccessful, they also do harm. unsuccessful, they also do harm. In spite of results like these, In spite of results like these,

programs persist nationwide.programs persist nationwide. Programs may benefit the prison Programs may benefit the prison

populationpopulation May be effective as part of a May be effective as part of a

multicomponent package multicomponent package

Limitations Limitations Sample of studies Sample of studies

too specific too specific