| This research examines the effects of voluntary participation in faith-based correctional programs on youthful offenders committed to the Gainesville Campus of the Texas Youth Commission (TYC). Youths may sign up to participate in voluntary programs that are not part of the standard or mandated curricula. Subjects who participated during a five-year period between 1999 and 2004 were compared to a control group matched on 54 variables using a cluster method. As defined by TYC, outcome measures included progress in resocialization, number and seriousness of disciplinary infractions while in the correctional facility and recidivism rates during a two-year follow-up period upon release. The study found no significant impact upon the rates of recidivism, but a positive impact upon the seriousness of offenses underlying rearrests.;Keywords. correctional program evaluation, correctional treatment programs, faith-based correctional programs, juvenile corrections, recidivism. |
