Safety at a girls secure juvenile justice facility

Abstract

Purpose

Serious juvenile delinquency is a significant and costly problem in the society. However, custodial environments often exacerbate current problems and promote recidivism. Girls’ delinquency, in particular, may call for trauma-informed approaches within organizations that serve the most serious offenders. The purpose of this paper is to explore whether implementation of a trauma-informed intervention that aims to change the therapeutic stand of the organization, the Sanctuary Model®, corresponded with improved indicators of physical and psychological safety of staff and youth at a female secure juvenile justice facility.

Design/methodology/approach

This study utilizes quantitative administrative and performance-based standards (PbS) data routinely collected at the facility.

Findings

Findings suggest that the facility was a safer place for both residents and staff after implementation of the model. Its safety indicators also compare favorably to those of the juvenile justice correctional field in general.

Research limitations/implications

This study was constrained by a number of limitations, including lack of some desirable detail on the PbS measures and on a comparable field group of girls’ facilities. It is also hard to assess the impact of other concurrent changes in the facility. Future research that addresses these issues would be useful in further determining the utility of the model.

Originality/value

This study is the first to examine the impact of a structured trauma-informed organizational change intervention based on therapeutic communities principles, namely the Sanctuary Model, on staff and youth in a secure juvenile justice facility. Findings may be of value to practitioners, administrators, policy makers, and researchers in the corrections field.

Citation

Elwyn, L.J., Esaki, N. and Smith, C.A. (2015), "Safety at a girls secure juvenile justice facility", Therapeutic Communities: The International Journal of Therapeutic Communities, Vol. 36 No. 4, pp. 209-218. https://doi.org/10.1108/TC-11-2014-0038