If we took the best ideas from across the world to Maryland, our state would be the best place for children and families in America. But this isn’t happening.
For example, Missouri has developed the best model for rehabilitating delinquent youth. Youth are served in small, regional facilities; families are involved from the beginning. Recidivism is 8 percent; compared with 38 percent in Maryland.
Yet, recently, when we looked at Maryland’s newest juvenile facility, we found that it wasn’t using any of the elements that have made the Missouri model so successful.
Why are we so resistant to using best practices even those pioneered in our own state?
Given the state’s dire financial situation, perhaps there will be renewed enthusiasm for research-based strategies that produce better results with the same resources.
This includes not only the Missouri practice model but also: bonuses to attract good principals to challenging schools; Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports for disruptive students; tutoring and summer school; Multi-Systemic Therapy and Family Team Decision Making for families in crisis; performance-based contracting for group homes; and prenatal care.
Mr. Joseph makes a very good point. The US is blessed with a free society where research can be published and others can benefit from reading the results. This is true for research in science as well as social issues. So let’s all benefit from the social research by using those methods for improving the raising of our childran that have been found to actually work. It takes an entire state, not just a village, to raise a child.
I want to echo Matthew Joseph’s call for Maryland to invest in youth programs and policies with research evidence of success. Missouri’s approach to the rehabilitation of delinquent youth is an excellent example and would save resources as well as enhance the safey and welfare of youth. Elected officials and those who run the DJS should explain why they are not adopting successful models like Missouri’s.
Daniel Webster
Assoc. Director of Research
Center for the Prevention of Youth Violence *
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
* Affiliation is provided for identification only. Views are mine and do not necessarily reflect those of the Center or of Johns Hopkins.