The primary task of this thesis is to explain the establishment of the 'correctional institution', the Ottery School of Industrues, in Cape Town in 1948 and the programmes of rehabilitation, correctional and vocational training and residential care that the institution developed in the period until 1968. This explanation is located in the wider context of debates about welfare and penal policy in South africa. The overall purpose is to show how modernist discourses in relation to social welfare, delinquency and education came to South Africa and was mediated through a racial lens unique to this country. In doing so the thesis uses a broad range of material and levels from the ethnographic to the documentary and historical. The work seeks to locate itself at the intersection of the fields of education, history, welfare, penalty and race in South Africa.

The main aim of the study was an examination of the dynamics of family systems on the lives of youth awaiting trial at the Excelsior Place of Safety that functions as a secure care programme. Secure care is a new concept in South Africa and serves as an alternative to the imprisonment of children awaiting trial. The study identifies the family as central in adolescent development and assumes that there are particular dynamics within family systems that may impact on the lives of youth resulting in deviancy and criminality. The study was based on the philosophy of secure care, Erikson's theory of Adolescent Development, Attachment theory, the Ecosystems and Ecological Strengths-Based Approaches. Twenty-five youth awaiting trial were interviewed at Excelsior. The study found that children who offend come from impoverished communities where the household income is less than the Poverty Datum Line (PDL.) High-risk youth come from women-headed households that lack male role models and have little or no source of income. In these instances where the family cannot provide for the youth's needs that the youth is prone to criminality to satisfy them. The study recommended strengthened intervention strategies to be utilised by all service providers in working with youth at risk and their families. It also recommends the strengthening of the secure care programme to address the needs of awaiting trial youth and to divert youth from the prison environment. The study further suggested that secure care centres that have trained personnel in adolescent development, should undertake more community outreach to also target children and youth in communities. / Thesis (M.Dev.Studies)-University of Natal, Durban, 2003.

The primary task of this thesis is to explain the establishment of the 'correctional institution', the Ottery School of Industrues, in Cape Town in 1948 and the programmes of rehabilitation, correctional and vocational training and residential care that the institution developed in the period until 1968. This explanation is located in the wider context of debates about welfare and penal policy in South africa. The overall purpose is to show how modernist discourses in relation to social welfare, delinquency and education came to South Africa and was mediated through a racial lens unique to this country. In doing so the thesis uses a broad range of material and levels from the ethnographic to the documentary and historical. The work seeks to locate itself at the intersection of the fields of education, history, welfare, penalty and race in South Africa.

Available literature reveals that most prevalently delinquency has been viewed from a modernist perspective. However, as cybernetic epistemology increased its stronghold within the field of psychology, explanations became increasingly systemic in nature. In this study a literature review is presented which articulates these approaches. This critique is followed by a comprehensive consideration of delinquency from a social constructionist stance as an alternative to modernist and early cybernetic perspectives. Examples are provided as to possible ways in which the label "delinquency" evolves within an interpersonal context, as well as the ways in which the meaning engendered is linked to broader cultural discourses. It has been acknowledged that this does not constitute the social constructionist perspective on delinquency, but represents some challenging ideas about how delinquency is co-created between people. Implications for therapy and research are also discussed. / Psychology / M.A. (Clinical Psychology)

Summaries in English and Afrikaans / In the following theoretical study the phenomenon of boot camps is described within a penological perspective, as it has originated and developed and is applied in the United States of America. The primary aim of this study is to obtain the Magister Artium degree. Secondly, it sheds light on an alternative method of dispensation of offenders, more specific juvenile offenders, in the criminal justice system. The investigation is intended to make a modest contribution to the content of penology. Knowledge and insight obtained can serve as guidelines for future research in respect of and application of boot camps in South Africa. The planning and functioning of boot camps is taken into account and the rationale behind boot camps as an effective institution of punishment is investigated. This was done against the background of the elements of punishment, over-population of prisons, cost-effectiveness, residivism and rehabilitation. The study is of importance for South African circumstances, because of the increasingly over-population of prisons and the negative effect of imprisonment, especially on juveniles. / In die hieropvolgende teoretiese studie word die verskynsel van boot camps soos wat dit in die Verenigde State van Amerika ontstaan en ontwikkel het en toegepas word, binne 'n penologiese perspektief beskryf. Die beskrywing het in die eerste plek ten doel om die graad Magister Artium te verwerf. Ten tweede werp dit Jig op 'n alternatiewe beskikkingsmetode vir oortreders, veral jeugoortreders, in die regsplegingstelsel. Die doel van die ondersoek is om 'n beskeie bydrae tot die vakinhoud van die penologie te lewer. Kennis en insig wat ingesamel is kan as rigtingwyser dien virtoekomstige navorsing met betrekking tot en toepassing van boot camps in Suid-Afrika. Die beplanning en funksionering van boot camps word in oenskou geneem en die rasionaal van boot camps as 'n effektiewe strafinrigting is ondersoek. Dit is gedoen teen die agtergrond van die elemente van straf, gevangenisoorbevolking, koste-effektiwiteit, residivisme en rehabilitasie. Die studie is van belang vir Suid-Afrikaanse omstandighede weens die toenemende oorbevolking in gevangenisse en nadelige uitwerking van gevangenisstraf op veral jeugoortreders. / Penology / M.A. (Penology)

The goal of this research study was to explore and describe the experiences of parents whose children have completed the diversion programme in order to make recommendations to probation officers, social workers and people who facilitate the diversion programmes. The study focused on the Youth Empowerment Scheme programme (YES Programme) because it is the diversion programme mostly used in the Eastern Cape. The aim of the programme is to divert young people in trouble with the law away from the criminal justice system and to rehabilitate the young offenders by providing them with essential life skills that can address the offenders’ real problems. In the study the researcher made use of a qualitative research approach in an attempt to explore the experiences of parents whose children have completed the YES programme. The permission of the gatekeeper was sought before the study commenced. The researcher used purposive sampling to recruit participants. Data was collected by means of semi-structured interviews. In analysing the data, the researcher used the steps for qualitative data analysis as stated in Creswell (2003:192). Three main themes along with sub-themes and categories were identified during the process of data analysis. The main findings that emanated from this study were: the seemingly upcoming culture of lack of respect for authority on the part of the youth of today. Another major finding of this study is that the traditional function of families, notably, socialisation of young people within the family structure is on the wane. The recommendations that emanated from this study are: that the YES programme needs to be adjusted to address the specific needs of children that are referred to the YES programme and those of their families and communities. Family life should be strengthened through community development programmes that seek to address family problems of any nature, namely, material, psycho-social, economic, to mention just a few. Community development programmes should address fragile families through community development approaches that are comprehensive and integrated.

Adolescent parolee revocations.

The purpose of this study is to determine the role of a military style counseling and vocational program in reducing recidivism.

The Home Run Program that operates in San Bernardino County was developed to address rehabilitation of high-risk youthful offenders using a Multi-disciplinary Team (MDT) approach to treatment. Despite the fact the program was developed to address recidivism among a delinquent population, recidivism continues to be an issue for participants. This study evaluated specific social and demographic factors and the bearing they had on successful rehabilitation outcome.

This paper will provide an examination of a Youth Accountability Board currently operating in San Bernardino County, California.