Melissa M. Moon

Is Child Saving Dead? Public Support for Juvenile Rehabilitation

In recent years, the sustained criticism leveled at juvenile rehabilitation has raised the question of whether the public continues to endorse the correctional policy of saving youthful offenders. However, in a 1998 statewide survey of Tennessee residents, the respondents indicated that rehabilitation should be an integral goal of the juvenile correctional system. They also endorsed a range of community-based treatment interventions and favored early intervention programs over imprisonment as a response to crime. Taken together, these findings revealed that the publics belief in “child saving” remains firm, and that citizens do not support an exclusively punitive response to juvenile offenders.

Putting kids to death: Specifying public support for juvenile capital punishment

Using a statewide sample of 539 Tennessee residents, we explored the extent to which the public supports the death penalty for juveniles. The analysis revealed that a majority of respondents favored juvenile capital punishment, often for young offenders. The respondents, however, were less supportive of juvenile than of adult execution. Most important, as an alternative to juvenile capital punishment, nearly two-thirds of the sample favored life in prison without the possibility of parole (LWOP); four-fifths favored a life sentence with work and restitution requirements (LWOP+W/R). Notably, even among those who endorsed capital punishment for juveniles, a clear majority supported LWOP+W/R. Taken together, these findings reveal that although the public is willing to execute juveniles who commit first-degree murder, they prefer alternative sentencing options that avoid putting youths to death.

Public Support for Early Intervention Programs: Implications for a Progressive Policy Agenda

Since the early 1970s, criminologists have embraced the view that only broader social justice will reduce crime—a stance that has largely surrendered criminal justice policy to conservatives. Emerging research shows, however, that early intervention programs prevent crime and are cost effective. Based on a 1997 survey of Tennessee respondents, the article reports further that the public supports early intervention strongly and prefers it to incarceration as a strategy to reduce offending. Thus, the article contends that early intervention programs, which extend services to at-risk children and families, comprise an important progressive policy initiative that criminologists and policy makers should support.

Reclaim Ohio: A Politically Viable Alternative to Treating Youthful Felony Offenders

In recent decades, juvenile justice policy has become more conservative. The implementation of various “get tough” strategies has contributed to an increasing juvenile correctional population. Despite this nationwide trend, however, this movement is not completely dominant. This article examines the pilot phase of a new program, RECLAIM Ohio (or Reasoned and Equitable Community and Local Alternatives to the Incarceration of Minors), which seeks to reduce juvenile commitments to institutions and to increase the use of community-based alternatives. The results indicate some initial success in meeting these goals. The programs ability to address both liberal and conservative ideology may be the key to its long-term success.

It Takes a Village Public Willingness to Help Wayward Youths

Starting in the 1970s, the traditional rehabilitative philosophy of the juvenile court has come under attack, and there has been a sustained effort to subject delinquent youths to more punitive penalties. Despite such “get tough” policies, a competing body of research has developed suggesting that citizens continue to support “saving” wayward children. This study surveyed a random sample of Tennessee residents to determine whether they believed that rehabilitation should be an integral part of juvenile corrections and whether they would become personally involved in this child-saving effort. The results reveal continued support for juvenile rehabilitation and for early intervention programs. In addition, a sizeable minority of respondents was willing to volunteer to help troubled youths. These results suggest that the public recognizes a collective responsibility to intervene in the lives of delinquent and at-risk youths, thereby supporting Hillary Rodham Clintons belief that “it takes a village” to raise a child.

The Effectiveness of Acupuncture in an Outpatient Drug Treatment Program

For dccadcs, a variety of social and w orld issues hm c found their way uito the daily conversations of Amencans. The entire world kept a watchful eye during the time W hen there was a threat of global nuclear war. The &dquo;V’ar on Dmgs&dquo; campaign, launched by President Nixon also caught the attention of the American public. Blore recent, how ever, has been the &dquo;V’ar on Dngs&dquo; cnisadc. In the 1990’s, it is an eBerBday occurrence to either turn on the

How to Be a Successful Classroom Teacher

Taking a well-known set of guidelines for effectively rehabilitating criminal offenders, we present a unique twist on how to create an effective classroom environment. Based on our 30 years of collective experience, as well as the extant pedagogical research, we outline eight principles of effective classroom teaching. Being a successful college professor requires a range of skills and talents ranging from fostering an open classroom environment based on reinforcement to addressing the various characteristics and abilities students bring to the classroom to assessing appropriate learning outcomes. In essence, an effective classroom teacher must be a “jack of all trades.” Whether a first-time instructor in front of a classroom or a seasoned professor, these eight principles provide a simple framework to enhance the impact you have in the classroom and in the overall academic careers of your students.

Columbine Revisited: Myths and Realities About the Bullying–School Shootings Connection

ABSTRACT After the Columbine school shooting in 1999, concern about bullying crescendoed. A prominent belief emerged that bullying causes school shootings. However, many of the beliefs about bullying constitute myths—that is, empirically unverified assumptions. These beliefs ignore critical conceptual issues that attend to efforts to understand the bullying–school shootings connection. In so doing, they likely inhibit progress toward a more accurate understanding of the causes of school shootings and what can be done to prevent them. The authors present this argument and identify recommendations for research and policy.