 |
||||||||||||||||
 |
 |
 |
||||||||||||||
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
 |
 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Voices from the Maine Youth Center Who We Are and Who We Are Becoming Adolescent Girls' Health Issues |
Listening
to Girls: Amended
Final Report Mainely
Girls TABLE OF CONTENTS Mission Statement and Project Team Mission Statement Mainely Girls, a non-profit organization, was developed from a personal research project on girls' developmental issues begun by Mary Orear eight years ago. After five years of pursuing this interest while teaching full-time at the middle and high school levels, Ms. Orear formed Mainely Girls in the summer of 1996 as a full-time effort to galvanize communities to identify and address girls' unmet needs. In addition to working with and for girls in local communities, Mainely Girls assumes a public education role on behalf of girls in schools, legislative bodies, and businesses. At the moment we are concluding work on a two-year survey of Maine girls in grades seven and eleven. Project Team Ms. Orear has had twenty-three years of teaching experience at the elementary, middle and high school level. She founded WITH Girls (Women's Initiate to Help Girls) in Camden, Maine nine years ago and has continued as committee chair while serving as organizer of their annual girls' conferences and film festivals. In July of 1996 she left teaching to establish Mainely Girls, a non-profit organization dedicated to working with women in local communities to identify and address girls' unmet needs. As executive director Mary helps provide educational opportunities for young people, parents, teachers and other community members who wish to focus on girls and young women in our society. She earned a B.A. from the University of Washington, an M.A. from the Bread Loaf School of English at Middlebury, Vermont, and has completed a three year women's leadership training program, "The Practice of Female Authority." Ms Orear received a Maine Women's Fund Award in 1995. Ms. O'Connor brings to this work over fifteen years of working with youth in education and human service settings. In 1997 she was a Vista volunteer with the Maine Children's Cabinet where she was involved with the Children's Policy Committee. She has an M.S.W. in Social Work Administration from the University of California at Berkeley where she collaborated on a research project investigating the inequity of the sentencing of female prostitutes in San Francisco. She has worked with both AFDC families and teenagers in foster care in Maine. She has also been involved in designing the Jump Start Programs in Lincoln County and is currently training to work with youth on probation in Knox County. Overview This was a six month research project conducted from July 1 - December 31, 1999. It was funded by the Maine Juvenile Justice Advisory Group to provide data for the development of a three year plan for juvenile justice in Maine. The focus of this research is to provide gender equity in services provided to girls at the Maine Youth Center. The project consisted of five phases. (I) The first phase was reviewing existing research around incarcerated girls both at the Maine Youth Center and nationally, and then designing our interview instruments. (See Appendix for Bibliography) (II) The second phase was meeting with the Maine Youth Center staff to introduce the project and solicit their cooperation. (III) The third phase was interviewing girls at the Maine Youth Center and in Aftercare, (girls who had completed their sentences and were still on probation). (IV) The fourth phase was analyzing data and developing a list of recommendations. (V) The fifth phase was holding a focus group with girls interviewed at the MYC about our findings and talking with several adults at the MYC about our findings. Background In 1976 the Stevens School for girls in Hallowell was closed and the incarcerated girls in Maine were moved to the boys' facility in South Portland, which was renamed the Maine Youth Center. Throughout the ensuing years, the population of girls to boys has remained very small; there were on September 1st twelve girls to one hundred ninety boys. Considering that the girls were brought into an all male facility, and constitute such small numbers, (around 6%), the issue arises as to whether gender equity exists for girls at the Maine Youth Center. The most recent research on girls' development indicates that many of adolescent girls' developmental needs are quite different from boys. In light of this, "gender equity" is used in this study as meeting the specific needs of girls, rather than having equal access to the same programs etc. as boys.
The Surveys' Goals The purpose of the surveys is to gather information from the girls themselves about the behaviors and circumstances that result in the incarceration of Maine girls. This, in turn, leads us to an understanding of their service needs. Survey Design and Methodology Two groups of girls were invited to participate: girls currently in residence at the MYC and girls in Aftercare who had been in the MYC at some time during 1999. We met with all committed girls at the MYC in September, 1999 to present our project and invite them to volunteer their participation. Girls who agreed signed an informed consent document, as did their parents or guardians. Girls in Aftercare were contacted by their Juvenile Community Corrections Officers and invited to participate. Those who chose to also signed informed consent documents. There were no Juvenile Community Corrections Officers in the northern part of the state, so no referrals came from that area. The girls who were living at the MYC were interviewed there; girls in Aftercare were interviewed in their homes, group homes, or foster homes. During the two hour interview sessions, each girl first completed a written survey called "Who We Are and Who We Are Becoming," a Mainely Girls survey funded by The Lillian Berliawsky Charitable Trust and The Bingham Foundation. During this time the interviewer remained in the room to answer questions or offer encouragement. The survey was written in 1997 by four women who have extensive experience working with adolescent girls. Similar surveys produced by Women's Funds in Colorado and Minnesota were referenced. Upon completion, the first draft received input from adolescent health care workers, domestic abuse counselors, psychologists, etc. After several revisions, the survey was piloted with 30 high school and middle school girls in the midcoast area. Further changes were made before the survey was sent out to schools where it was taken by 500 7th and 11th grade girls throughout the state. The girls answered 95 questions in several categories including family demographics, the social, emotional and educational aspects of girls' lives, and future plans. Responses were "fill in the blank" or "multiple choice." In the Profile some comparisons are made between data received from the survey of the 500 and our 17 girls. After the written survey was completed, the remaining 90 minutes involved a taped conversation with each girl. We named the interview instrument, "Listening to Girls: Voices from the Maine Youth Center." The questions used in the taped conversation were developed after a review of existing literature on girls and women in American justice systems, including research already done on girls incarcerated in Maine. (See Appendix for Bibliography). Questions about seven different subject areas were grouped on seven separate cards. To make this feel less like a clinical evaluation and more like an informal conversation, we presented each girl with the rainbow of brightly colored cards and invited her to lead our conversation, discussing anything on the cards she wished. When we had discussed as much as she could or wanted to about questions on one card, we moved onto the next. The subject areas included the girl's family life and early history; her strengths, talents and accomplishments; what led to her going to the Maine Youth Center; mental and physical health issues, and risk behaviors; relationships; and future hopes and plans. At the end of the interview, each girl was invited to comment on the survey as a whole and to share any other thoughts she wished to. The interviews were set up in an informal, comfortable and confidential space, either at the Maine Youth Center or at the girl's Aftercare placement (her family's home, her foster home, or her group home). The intent was for us to develop a relationship with each girl, however brief-- for each girl to feel we were taking time to listen to her share as much of her whole story as she was willing to, so that we could get to know/see her as a whole person - see who she was, not just what she had done wrong. All girls completed the interviews. Afterward each girl was given a $25 honorarium which was deposited to her canteen account, if she were at the MYC, or a check was sent to her if she were in Aftercare. On December 28th we met for 2 hours with a group of 9 girls we had interviewed at the MYC. Each was presented with a draft of this report, and we discussed the Executive Summary, the Recommendations for girls currently in the MYC, and parts of the Profile. Their collective comments have helped shape our report. Several MYC adults were also shown the draft and asked for their feedback, which was incorporated in the final report, submitted December 30, 1999.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY "You've got to have something to eat "The Youth Center is what it is, and it's been this way for years and years and years and years.... My formative years were spent right here. Those are years that girls use to find themselves, and be themselves, and put pieces together on who they want to be. All of who I am, everything that I am, has been made up from the abusive home life I had and my being here.... "What could have made my time here better and more productive? It could have been better if there were more supportive people working here, and it could have been better if there was more to do while I was here. Nicer people. Some of the people who work here aren't very nice. That's all there is to it. That's why I kinda laugh and stuff when they talk about how they're going to build this new building and give us all new programs. That's not what's wrong with the Maine Youth Center; that's not what is eating away at the Maine Youth Center. Lack of programs. It's lack of people who really care that they're working here. And so it makes me laugh when they talk about how they're gonna do this and do that because it doesn't matter. They're still going to have the same people working here who make it miserable. "There are some really great people working here! In cottage staff. There's one working here right now who's great - she's great! She's nice - she cares. She makes us follow the rules but she knows its boring here. And she knows that there's nothing for us to do, and when we're idle, we get in trouble. So she does stuff with us. She bakes us cookies. She's out there baking us pumpkin bread right now. She does little things that just make it better to be here. She's nice. She's not a mean person. So there are nice people here that balance out the bad people. "That's what kind of made me sad is I was sitting here a few months ago and I was thinking, 'You know, I spent a long time in here and I didn't do anything with it. I mean by now I could be speaking a foreign language and know how to play the cello and do all this stuff...you know." A Young Woman at the Maine Youth Center 1999 When we talk about rehabilitation, we're talking about the spirit. There is little at the MYC that can touch a girl's spirit...much less provide the nourishment that it didn't receive when growing up, or help it heal from wounds it has experienced, or strengthen it for its next journey out into the world. What do the girls who end up at the MYC need? They need to feel safe, because only when they feel physically and psychologically safe will they have the emotional energy and space to do the rehabilitative work they are at the MYC to do. Unfortunately, the very fact that such a small number of girls are being held in the same facility with 20 times the number of boys creates certain problems, which are not being addressed. For instance, girls are exposed to a lot of sexual behavior by boys in the classroom i.e., open masturbation, ejaculation on the walls, sexual conversation among the boys, which the girls over-hear, etc. Some teachers appear not to notice or ignore the boys' inappropriate behaviors. The girls are forced to share classrooms with "rapists," as the girls call them, and their only form of protection is to choose to sit away from these boys. We were struck that girls' seemed to accept these conditions as "normal." They need to heal and become whole and strong - emotionally, physically and intellectually. And they need to grow into womanhood, being nurtured into their adult selves so that when they leave the MYC, they will have their dreams and goals and make positive choices to attain them. What have we done for these girls during the last 10 years? You decide. Many of the same recommendations made for girls in a 1991 Maine report were cited again in a 1997 report. And here we are, still putting them on our list at the end of 1999. A decade has elapsed without most of these important and necessary changes being implemented. In fact, in many significant ways, the girls at the MYC are worse off today than they were 10 years ago. At least in the early 90's they had two cottages: Cottage 8 was for hold for courts, new admissions, girls experiencing difficulty adjusting, girls with emotional or psychiatric disorders, and girls serving county jail sentences of 30 days of less. These girls could be separated from the girls who had adjusted well to the MYC and who were working hard to earn their way out. In 1991 "only" having 2 cottages for the girls was considered a hardship. Today the girls are all together in one cottage, to no one's benefit. Conversely, boys hold for courts are not housed at the MYC and thus have no contact with the committed boys at any time. Another problem with having this one cottage for girls is that their ICU is within the cottage. Both the girls' day room activities and their sleep time are often interrupted by the screams and shouted obscenities coming from the ICU area. This is upsetting and as many of the girls experienced domestic violence in their homes, these outbursts can re traumatize them. In addition, we know that girls are highly relational and require close personal relationships in order to grow and thrive. The constant coming and going of the hold for court girls prevents the incarcerated girls from forming a close and cohesive group. A strong group identity would enable girls to support each other in making the necessary personal changes. The support of close, personal group members would allow girls to earn their credits more quickly, proceed more rapidly through the MYC program, and return to their families and their communities. Another extremely disturbing fact is that as long ago as 1991, one of the girls' cottages, Cottage 8, was located right next to Cottage 9 which is for male violent sexual offenders. Despite a recommendation in the 1997 report that this be remedied immediately, (many of the MYC girls have been sexually molested and so are particularly upset by the proximity of this particular cottage), the girls and their one and only cottage were not moved until August of 1999 - and that came about only because building construction made the move necessary. However, when the girls finally were moved into their present cottage in August of 1999, they had to spend a week cleaning the walls and floor of feces, urine, and cum - which the departing boys had left. Staff used their own money to purchase extra cleaning supplies for the girls to use. No one seemed to question why the departing boys were not made to leave the cottage clean for the new tenants. No one that we heard of advocated for these girls, nor voiced a concern about such demeaning treatment. Such neglect of girls' needs to feel safe and respected is really abuse. As early as 1991 the report noted that the infirmary at the MYC served both boys and girls. In the infirmary, the girls had one bed partitioned off for them, and girls had to walk by the boys' beds to get to the toilet they had to share. As a result of such limited space and such difficult conditions, sick girls often returned to the cottage rather than staying at the infirmary, thus infecting others with germs. We can report that at the end of 1999 nothing has changed, and there is no separate infirmary for girls, as was recommended 9 years ago, and girls continue to remain at the cottage when they are sick or injured. We can only hope that the new facility will address this issue in a way that will meet girls' medical needs and not make them feel like second class citizens. Girls are also concerned that the procedure required to receive health care causes a delay of sometimes as much as 48 hours. The girls characterized nurses as making arbitrary decisions about whether to see the girls based on the nurses' moods. Perhaps in 1991 we had less reason to be concerned about girls being HIV positive. Today, however, with women being the most rapidly growing population of those testing positive to HIV and AIDS, it is particularly alarming to hear a young woman at the MYC explain that six months ago, upon first being admitted to the MYC, she requested to be tested for HIV, and she still hasn't been tested. It is even more alarming then to hear another girl complain that everyone in the girls' cottage must share the same electric shaver. As stated in the 1991 report, and as we found in 1999, a high percentage of the girls at the MYC are victims of verbal, emotional, physical, and sexual abuse. Most have a history of drug and alcohol involvement. Almost all struggle with depression. Many come from families with a history of criminal behavior. Counseling needs for these girls are extensive and extremely serious; unfortunately, what is offered is minimal and often mediocre in terms of quantity and quality, and sometimes nothing is offered. Many of the girls we interviewed had requested counseling and had already waited 2 or 3 months, and were still waiting to be assigned someone. We were amazed that the girls didn't even know the difference between a psychiatrist, a psychologist, a counselor, and a mentor - in some cases thinking that a mentor was a counselor and could be used as a therapist. Though several of the girls are extremely disturbed, not one girl mentioned meeting with a psychiatrist on a regular basis. We wonder whether the psychiatrist, the psychologists and counselors employed at the MYC have a specialty in adolescent mental health needs. The girls' needs should be met through a wide variety of counseling offerings: group counseling, arts therapies, team building adventures, and female group process work, to name only a few. The little that is offered lacks variety and creativity in approach. In one case, a girl spent her teen years at the MYC without ever having been given a psychological evaluation as a basis for treatment, despite problems indicated by the nature of her crime. Six months before her release date, she received a psychological evaluation which diagnosed her with psychological personality problems that she had, of course, never been treated for. Such negligence is unpardonable. The lack of psychiatric and psychological services provided for these girls mocks the claim that the MYC is making a serious rehabilitative effort where deeply disturbed girls are concerned. How do you meet the MYC girls' needs? You have to know that girls need nourishment for their spirit. You have to recognize and provide for their sense of whimsy and lightheartedness and laughter, for color and music and movement, for their creative urges. These are deep needs in even the most difficult, especially the most difficult, girls. The MYC is the least girl-friendly environment I've ever been in. The institutional, poorly lit, uncarpeted cottage with its metal tables resembles an ill-kept schoolroom from the early 50's. It totally ignores the girls' need to create a home-like environment. Little effort is made to reach girls or heal girls through the creative arts, which have proven to be so effective. The sterile room is nearly devoid of art and craft supplies, interesting reading material including newspapers and magazines, musical instruments, and computers, yet girls must spend almost all of their out-of-school hours sitting in this room, at these tables. Girls who are "on the desk" because of infractions must sit at these tables for 55 minutes of every hour, without communicating with anyone. Their activities are limited to reading and writing. The resulting boredom and depression must frequently reach the level of despair for many of these girls. Little wonder that many girls said that they create peer conflict just to relieve the monotony. Hundred of hours, thousands of hours of wasted time - no growth, no development, no rehabilitation...just punishment. And wasting some of the most important hours, days and years of these girls lives. We are responsible for incarcerating these girls; we must also accept the responsibility to do our very best for them. Is the MYC doing anything right where girls are concerned? Yes, it is. Clearly there is an effective system in place, a system well understood and respected by the girls, which enables girls who follow the rules to earn credits and thus be released from the MYC sooner rather than later. By controlling their own behavior, girls show they have the knowledge, self-control, attitude and skills necessary to be released. This system employs group meetings where other girls and adults discuss an individual girl's behavior. A girl is offered praise, or suggestions or encouragement for improvement, during these very open and honest exchanges. The girls expressed that they find "group" helpful, think it benefits them, and wish it were offered on a regularly scheduled basis that they could count on. Girls also name certain cottage staff, correctional officers*, teachers, mentors, trackers and health care workers as being understanding, caring, supportive and really able to connect with the girls. (Unfortunately, the few named were cited as being the exception rather than the rule.)
PROFILE OF GIRLS IN THE MAINE YOUTH CENTER 1. Parents' Educational Background: The girls at the Maine Youth Center have mothers who have a significantly higher rate of only completing some high school and a significantly lower rate of college and post graduate degrees than the girls in the general population. Many of these girls are raised in homes where their same-sex parent models low educational attainment.
Prevention Services: Programs that encourage the mothers of young girls to return to school and complete their education. ________________________________________________________________________ 2. Family Marital Status: Most of the girls at the Maine Youth Center were born into a two parent family. By the time they got to the Center, only 3 of the 17 girls were still living with both parents. Prevention Services: Programs that address issues that are raised by girls who experience the death, separation, divorce or desertion of a parent. ______________________________________________________ 3. Identification with Relatives: The girls at the Maine Youth Center have strong emotional attachments to their mothers, their grandmothers and their sisters. 12 out of 17 said they love their mothers. 2 of the 16 indicated a lack of warmth or closeness with their mothers. Prevention Services: Programs which strengthen relationships between girls, their mothers, grandmothers, and sisters.
4. Family History With Youth Center, Jail, or Prison: Many girls at the Maine Youth Center were raised in families where incarceration was a norm. 12 girls (70%) reported they had relatives who had gone to MYC, jail, or prison: Prevention Services: Programs for girls who have relatives who have been incarcerated. ________________________________________________________________________ 5. Early Abuse: Many girls at the Maine Youth Center have been victims of abuse.
Prevention Services: Adequate funding to agencies which investigate child abuse and offer services to families where abuse is discovered. ______________________________________________________ 6. Homeless and Running Away: Many girls at the Maine Youth Center have a history of running away repeatedly or being kicked out of their homes. 5 or 29% reported that they had left or were kicked out of their homes:
12 girls or 70% said they have run away:
Prevention Services: A girls' runaway response system which would assess of the underlying needs of girls who run away, and address the problems.
7. School: Most girls at the Maine Youth Center reported not liking school, and not being academically successful. In addition, they did not feel socially comfortable and accepted, by staff, and in some cases, by peers. Half the girls said they had been chronically in trouble or truant in grade school. 13 of 17 had considered, or had already, dropped out of school.
Prevention Services: A training program for all school staff to help them to understand the developmental needs of girls, and to identify and address the needs of at risk girls. ________________________________________________________________________ 8. Racial Demographics: 11% of girls at the Maine Youth Center identified themselves as minorities. This is a larger representation than minorities comprise in the general state population. Prevention Services: A program to increase awareness of different risks minority girls face, and the discrimination against them inherent in our culture. ________________________________________________________________ 9. Socialization: Most girls at the Maine Youth Center are extroverts and seek a great amount of social interaction, often seeing themselves as leaders among their peers. Most of their social interaction is with peers, not with adults or adult-supervised peers. Most girls (88%) did not spend a lot of time alone and did not feel lonely before coming to MYC. 87% saw themselves as leaders. Only 6 girls were involved in any sort of adult supervised activity , all being sports. 12 listed negative or no group affiliations. Prevention Services: Programs which build on girls' needs as highly relational individuals. These programs should including leadership training, and healthy, adult role models.
10. Sexual Activity: Most girls at the Maine Youth Center have been sexually active, and their answers showed that they were receiving pressure from many sources to become sexually active.
Prevention Services: Training for girls in healthy teen female sexuality and the right to sexual autonomy. _______________________________________________________________________ 11. Pregnancies: The girls at the Maine Youth Center have a much higher rate of teen pregnancy than the general teen population - almost three times as high. The teen pregnancy rate in Maine is less than 11.8%. 12 girls reported no pregnancies. 5 girls reported that they have been pregnant. (29%)
None of the girls reported having had an abortion. Prevention Services: Training for girls in healthy teen female sexuality and the right to sexual autonomy. ________________________________________________________________________ 12. Sexual Orientation: 11% of girls at the Maine Youth Center self-identified as bi-sexual. This is a much larger representation than the 2% who self-identified as bi-sexual in the survey of the 500 girls distributed through Mainely Girls. Prevention Services: A program to increase awareness of different risks bi-sexual girls face, and the discrimination against them inherent in our culture.
13. Depression and Suicide: Most of the girls at the Maine Youth Center are depressed and have considered suicide or attempted it. 10 of 17 girls, 58%, report other family members with depression, 9 of whom are female. 6 of the 17 girls self-identified as being almost always depressed. (35%) 12 of the 17 girls are on medication for depression. Between 9 and 11 of the girls are receiving counseling for depression. Between 10 and 13 of the girls said they have been suicidal at some point.
Roughly 75% of the MYC girls said they have been suicidal at some point, compared to 38% of the 500 Maine girls who took a similar survey. Prevention Services: Programs which educate girls about depression, help them identify it, and provide them with opportunities to get the kinds of help they need. And, programs that educate professionals who work with girls about effective methods of intervention and treatment of depression in girls. ________________________________________________________________________ 14. Family Mental Illness: Only 3 girls at the Maine Youth Center reported diagnosed mental illness of at least one other family member, the fact that 6 didn't answer the question leads to the possibility that this was under-reported or that the girls are not clear about what constitutes mental illness. 6 of 17 didn't answer the question. 8 of 17 said there was no other diagnosed mental illness in the family. 3 of 17 said other family members had been diagnosed with mental illness. 2 of the 17 girls had fathers hospitalized for alcohol-related reasons. 1 girl believes her mother has an undiagnosed mental illness. Prevention Services: An understanding about how mental illness in a family effects the girls in that family, and educational programs for professionals that address the issues that arise in families with mental illness. _____________________________________________________ 15. Stress and Anger: All girls at the Maine Youth Center reported that stress and anger are significant problems in their lives, and nearly half of them see these as chronic problems. 9 girls said they feel stressed once in a while 7 girls said they almost always feel stressed 1 girl said she always feel stressed Violence: 76% of girls at the Maine Youth Center act out using violence.
13 or 76% said they had been violent
Prevention Services: Stress reduction and anger management classes for girls, as well assertiveness training on how to get their voices listened to. ______________________________________________________ 16. Risky Behaviors: A much greater percentage of girls at the Maine Youth Center are involved in risky behaviors than girls in the general population. Of the 9 girls who answered about their families, most reported that their families were involved in risky behaviors.
8 didn't answer if their family members engaged in risky behaviors 7 said immediate family members do engage in risky behaviors:
Prevention Services: Girls need to learn to value themselves and be encouraged to make healthy choices. In addition, a prevention model needs to be developed which recognizes and addresses the reasons why girls participate in specific risky behaviors, and provides gender-specific programs to help them stop.
17. The Maine Youth Center: Several girls at the Center said they couldn't stop themselves from their negative behaviors, and no one and nothing they came in contact with was effective in helping them stop. What was/is helpful for you at the MYC that you didn't/couldn't get on the outside?
Prevention Services: In order to keep girls from being incarcerated,
there would have to be the development of local programming which provides
similar restraints on girls' behavior, such as incarceration provides.
(Dates indicate years in which other reports made the same recommendations. ) HOLD FOR COURT GIRLS 1. It is imperative that the Hold for Court girls be held separately from the committed girls. 2. Every effort should be made to expedite the judicial process so hold for court girls are not held for many months on end without final case dispositions being made.
HEALTH RELATED NEEDS 1. A separate infirmary should be provided for girls. (1991) 2. Girls should have complete physicals when arriving at the MYC. 3. Girls should receive anonymous HIV testing upon entering the MYC if they request it, and at any other time when they express the need for testing. 4. The girls should have easily available, 24 hour access to medical care at the Maine Youth Center. (1991) 5. The girls should receive dental check ups and follow-up care twice a year and all necessary orthodontic services, including braces. 6. Girls at the MYC should be given a diet which meets both caloric and other nutritional guidelines for girls their age and which features a wider variety of menus and increases the amount of fresh fruits and vegetables currently being made available to them. (1991) 7. We recommend that a required exercise program be implemented for girls including :
8. We recommend that the girls be given clothing in which they can participate in exercise comfortably, even in very hot weather, i.e. dark t-shirts to wear when playing basketball.
COUNSELING NEEDS 1. An Intensive Care Unit for girls must be established apart from the cottage. 2. A psychiatrist specializing in adolescent behavior should examine every girl at the time of her commitment to the MYC, and if she is diagnosed with mental illness, the psychiatrist should over-see her ongoing treatment regimen, including medication and counseling. (1991) 3. A psychiatrist should oversee a comprehensive program to treat depression in MYC girls; the program would include elements of diet, exercise, and counseling. 4. A variety of counseling offers should be available to girls: group counseling, arts therapies, team building adventures and female group process work, to name only a few. 5. The MYC should provide girls with ample counseling around their sexual, physical, verbal and emotional abuse issues and provide family counseling, as needed, to address domestic abuse, substance abuse in the family, unhealthy family dynamics and family secrets. (1991; 1997) 6. Girls should be given comprehensive substance abuse counseling which fits their needs. The current 8 weeks of group counseling, with individual counseling continuing in some cases, is insufficient. (1991; 1997) 7. Girls at the Maine Youth Center should be provided with on-going, whole group counseling on female sexuality and homophobia. This would include sex education, birth control information, and the facts about STD's, especially HIV/AIDS. (1998) 8. Girls should be given anger management training that is relevant to them, and should be permitted to practice the anger management skills and techniques they are taught. (1997) 9. Girls should be given counseling regarding their criminal behaviors, including their motivation for their original behaviors, their risk of re-offending, and ways to deal with the triggers that lead them into criminal actions. (1997) 10. The requirement that girls must participate regularly in written "reflections" should be reviewed, as many girls do not see the benefit of doing this exercise repeatedly, as often as three times a week. (Girls see the "open channel" and "cottage issues" aspects of reflections useful; they think the repetitive writing about short and long term goals is a waste of time.)
RIGHTS and PROCESS 1. Girls must be informed and kept informed of their rights at the MYC, the process they must go through to get help when they need it, and encouraged to speak up for themselves when their needs are not met.
RELIGIOUS OBSERVANCES 1. Girls should be allowed to attend all religious services offered at the MYC.
GENDER SPECIFIC ENRICHMENT OPPORTUNITIES 1. A program should be developed which provides girls who have earned the privilege access to community events, such as sporting events, cultural events and workshops on topics of interest.
2. A program should be developed which brings speakers and events to the girls at the MYC. 3. Girls at the MYC should be provided with arts, crafts and musical instruments, books, magazines, newspapers etc. as appropriate for their interest level, ability level and needs. 4. The MYC should develop more activities for girls throughout the year, (such as horseback riding, sailing and hiking,) which would result in personal growth, self-confidence and team-building. 5. A part-time program development person should be hired to develop the programming mentioned above and organize the activities for the girls. 6. A girls' leadership program should be created which would involve the mentoring of girls by business women and community leaders who model successful personal and business skills.
VOCATIONAL AND EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES 1. The MYC should offer a strong college prep curriculum, including physics and chemistry labs, for girls planning to go to college and should offer girls guidance on how to research and apply to colleges and for financial aid. (1998) 2. The MYC should provide good vocational-technical work training programs for girls that help them recognize their individual, marketable strengths, learn how to develop them, and allow them to take the small steps that will become the stepping stones to advance them toward chosen careers. The MYC should provide guidance in how to locate vocational-technical schools and how to apply for admission and financial aid. (1991; 1997;1998) 3. For older girls who have been at the MYC for a long period of time there should be training in independent living skills, i.e.. how to find and rent an apartment; how to manage a checking and savings account; how to prepare and cook their own meals, etc. They MYC should also work with girls and their families around issues regarding their re-entrance into the community. (1991; 1998)
EDUCATION OF STAFF MEMBERS 1. Staff must be trained to recognize and protect girls from all inappropriate behavior on the part of boys. 2. All staff at the MYC who work with the girls in any capacity should receive on-going training in girls' developmental issues and gender specific issues for girls. (1991; 1997) 3. Based on a need stated by female administrators at the MYC, there should be a facilitated, ongoing women's support group that meets regularly, at least bi-weekly, to help female administrators and staff consolidate and make the female voice heard in the decision-making process at the MYC.
ON-GOING DATA COLLECTION 1. The data collection about girls who are committed to the MYC should be on-going, and the data should be reviewed at least biennially to ensure programs continue to serve the needs of these girls. (1998) CONCLUSION The very small number of girls incarcerated at any one time at the MYC can be viewed either as an incredible opportunity or an overwhelming burden. Regardless, institutions legally mandated to provide services to these girls must provide a safe, nurturing environment as well as programming which enables these girls to develop to their fullest potential. Our data demonstrates that most of these girls see themselves as leaders, are interested in following academic pursuits, and want to work--many in the professions. In addition, all but one of these girls plan to marry and have children. Whether these girls grow up to continue to drain resources from our society or to put resources back into our society depends on how we respond to their needs today. Our chief fear is that this report, like others written in 1991, 1997, and 1998, will be shelved rather than acted upon. On December 29th we obtained a copy of the February 1999 report produced by Loughran and Associates the Board of Visitors of the MYC and the Commissioner of the Maine Department of Corrections. We noted that many of our observations and recommendations were made by Loughran and Associates earlier this year, and that the Department of Corrections has a written plan to address Loughran's Recommendations, which includes budget recommendations. We hope to see this trend of responsiveness on the part of the Department of Corrections continue, especially for those needs specific to Maine Youth Center girls, and that all of our recommendations will be taken under immediate and serious consideration and will lead to action on behalf of Maine girls.
The Profile of Girls Incarcerated at MYC 1999 The Summary of Interviews and Survey Results
The following summary is based on data gathered from a written survey and 90 minute interviews given individually to girls between September and November, 1999. Total Sample: 17 ( 11 girls at the MYC & 6 girls in Aftercare) Total population of committed girls at the MYC on September 1, 1999 = 12
To distinguish which data is from which source, the following system is used:
I. BACKGROUND--THE EARLY YEARS Questions asked about girls' lives prior to coming to the Maine Youth Center (MYC).
Place Of Birth, Residence, Race/Ethnicity, And Current Age. 12 (71%) of the mothers and 9 (53%) of the fathers are from Maine.
13 of the 17 girls were born in Maine:
5 of the 17 girls have lived a large portion of their lives (7 to 13 years) out of Maine.
Despite the fact that 12 of the 17 girls lived in the Southern, more urban area of the state, 9 of the 17 girls lived in rural areas.*
15 girls identified themselves as Caucasian, one as Native American/Caucasian and one as Native American/Black.
The girls ranged in age from 14 to 20, with the following break-down:
Observations: A large group of girls at the MYC are from rural Maine. A noteworthy number of girls who are at the MYC spent a large portion of their lives living out of state. Over 50% of the girls moved more than 3 times, prior to going to the MYC; these girls have experienced some disruption due to moving. 2 of 17 girls (11.7%) identified themselves as minorities, which is a high percentage when compared to the racial makeup of the general Maine population. 14 of the 17 girls were under the age of 18.
Early Family Life
Observations: These girls were born into intact, two-parent families, implying a strong attachment to their birth families and extended family nearby.
Only 3 of 17 girls (18%) ended up with an intact, two parent family.
Observations: 12 of the 17 or almost 65% of the girls experienced the loss of a father before coming to the MYC. 14 of 17 girls, almost 82%, experienced the loss of a parent through desertion, divorce or death. Most of this loss occurred when the girls were of elementary school age. National statistics show that a large number of incarcerated young people have experienced the death of a parent. In this case we hypothesize that the absence of the parent affects the girl as a death might. This may be a significant variable.
Religious Background 7 of 14 girls or 50% of respondents to the question about religious background said they were involved in church or religion on a weekly, or almost weekly basis when children.
School Girls described their early educational experience in the following ways:
+ -
Half the girls stated the grade they were in when they changed academically from a good to a failing student. 5th, 6th, and 8th grades were mentioned the most. Observations: Most of the girls have had some academic success, and several have excelled. Only two felt that they have never done well. An academic decline occurred for many when they reached middle school, indicating that they have had solid elementary educations but may need remedial work beginning at the 6th or 7th grade level.
Early Social Life 12 of the 17 girls (70%) reported that they had some or many friends during childhood. (30%) said they had no real friends. No one reported being a loner. Observations: The girls have strong relational needs and meet them through friendships with others. The girls are not self-reporting as loners. Several girls volunteered that during their 6th grade year, they changed the kind of friends they had. Their new friends were involved in activities that were somewhat risky.
Early Behavior at School 8 of 14 (56%) who responded to this question, reported they were always in trouble. 6 out of 14 (43%) said they never got into trouble or were generally pretty good.
Of the 12 girls who answered a question on truancy:
Observations: Clearly girls who are chronically in trouble are at greater risk for being committed to the MYC, but interestingly, a large percentage (43%) of girls who are at the MYC did not considered themselves trouble makers in school. At least 1/3 of the girls interviewed had refused to fulfill their obligation to attend school regularly before coming to the MYC.
Who Was Important In Your Early Years 18 of the 23 girls or (78%) identified family members as being important to them in their early years, with 10 of the girls mentioning parents. Observations: Family relationships were important to these girls in their early years.
Early Security and Love 8 out of 14 girls (57%) said they felt very secure when growing up. 9 out of 13 girls (69%) said their needs were usually met. 11 out of 15 girls (73%)said they were always taken care of. 1 stated she was taken care of most of the time.
3 out of 14 girls said they rarely felt loved valued and safe. 3 our of 13 girls said they rarely or never had their needs paid attention to or met. 3 out of 15 girls said they were only sometimes, or never taken care of. An average of 3 out of 14 girls, (21%) reported being neglected.
Observations: 57% of the girls said they felt very secure; 69% of said their needs were usually met; and 73% said they were always taken care of. That is, almost 3/4 of these girls report they were not neglected and over half report that they felt very secure. Most of these girls do not appear to be in the high-risk group of neglected children.
Early Abuse 7 out of 17 (41%)) reported verbal abuse ...........3 didn't answer 13 out of 17 (76%) reported verbal abuse ..........4 didn't answer
verbal abuse .......35%*
7 out of 17 (41%) reported emotional abuse.......... 3 didn't answer 5 out of 17 (29%) reported physical abuse............ 3 didn't answer 8 out of 17 (47%) reported physical abuse ...........9 said no
physical abuse 24%
1 out of 17 (6%) reported sexual abuse ..............7 didn't answer 4 out of 17 (24%) reported sexual abuse ..........13 said no
sexual abuse 24%
*Some of these questions were asked two ways in the written survey, and both answer percentages are given here. A father was named twice as abuser; mothers were named three times; step-father once. Twice girls indicated verbal abuse by non-family members.
Girls also cited other areas where they have been victims:
Observations: The differences in answers for the same question is both confusing and interesting. We believe written answers to be more accurate, and girls under-reported when talking to us.
Early Abuse of Other Family Members 4 out of 9 (over 44%) reported verbal abuse............... 8 didn't answer 4 out of 9 (over 44%) reported emo. abuse ................8 didn't answer 4 out of 10 (40%) reported physical abuse .................7 didn't answer 1 out of 7 (12%) reported sexual abuse ...................10 didn't answer
Observations: Only 41% to 58% of the girls taking this survey answered these questions about other family members being abused. This low rate of response may be due to the keeping of family secrets, to denial, or to lack of awareness of the abuse.
The Death Of Someone Close To You 1 out of 15 reported the death of a parent. There were no sibling deaths reported. 8 out of 15 reported the death of one or more relatives. 2 out of 15 reported the death of one or more friends.
Seven girls specifically mentioned grandmothers or great-grandmothers, and one uncle and two cousins were mentioned. Most deaths were due to illness, with one drug overdose. All the friends' were caused by accidents: car, drug overdose, drowning or alcohol abuse.
Observations: Nationwide, an inordinately high number of incarcerated youth have experienced the death of a parent. This was not the case with the girls we interviewed.
Have You Or Your Family Ever Been Homeless?
1 (5.8%) girl was homeless in terms of her family not having a place to live.
Observations: 2/3 of the girls have remained living in their homes. 1/3 have, for various reasons, left their homes, and two were quite young when they left.
II. CURRENTLY In an effort to understand what the girls see as their strengths, we asked them to state the most important things we should know about them, positive things about themselves, and things they were proud of doing in the last year.
Girls' Sources of Pride • Some girls prided themselves in being loyal and caring people,
• Others mentioned making efforts to improve their social interactions with others, i.e. working hard on relationships with parents or boyfriends,
• Their intellectual abilities, • Their academic successes,
• Starting school again, • Working hard in school, sometimes even if they don't like the program.
Hobbies or Activities Girls Are Passionate About Several mentioned volunteer work.
. Successes At The Maine Youth Center
Six girls mentioned ethical strengths, such as:
Groups Girls Identified With Girls gave 22 answers:
Observations: 10 of the 22 mentioned identifying with a positive group. 6 mentioned negative group identification. 6 identified no one or gave no response. As 12 listed negative or no group affiliations, we are concerned that there will be an absence of support or negative support given to many of these girls when they leave the MYC. 8 didn't respond to the question asking how much these groups impact your life. This implies that the girls are unaware of the degree to which they are influenced by their group associations, and the importance of having positive group support once they leave the MYC.
Leaders or Followers
Observations: 62% of the respondents considered themselves always as leaders. Only 7% considered themselves followers and never leaders. The majority of these girls, over 87%, see themselves as influential leaders, though not always leading for good. The challenge here is to work with girls to channel their leadership abilities in positive directions that will result in benefits to themselves and their communities.
III. HERE AT THE MAINE YOUTH CENTER
Family History With A Youth Center, Jail Or Prison.
Observations: Many of the girls have negative adult role models among their family members. Nearly 1/3 have a parent who has been incarcerated.
Friends' History With A Youth Center, Jail Or Prison.
Observations: *This number reflects friends girls had prior to coming to the MYC as well as friends made at the MYC while the girls were themselves incarcerated.
How Do You Feel About Being At The MYC?
Observations: Though one would look at these numbers and immediately draw a negative conclusion, this question seemed to allow girls to vent an immediate, surface response. However, the answers to the following question belied the numbers given above.
Benefits of Being At The Maine Youth Center Girls' Positive Candid Comments About the MYC
Observations: 10 of 17 girls had something positive to say. The answers show that some of the girls perceive the MYC as providing help that they need, and the time they spend there forces them to stop their negative behaviors and find positive alternatives. Academics at the MYC: 12 girls think of themselves as smart; 2 don't; 1 was undecided.
Favorite class/subject:
Least favorite class/subject:
Are you good at math?
Are you good at science?
Are you good with computers?
How would you rate your reading ability?
13 said they have thought of dropping out of school.
Sexual harassment at school (not at the MYC school) was only experienced by 3 girls, and they took action to end it. Girls' Candid Comments About Academics at the MYC:
Boredom Girls' Candid Comments On Boredom At The MYC:
Nutrition and Exercise Girls' Candid Comments on Their Nutrition and Exercise at the MYC:
Clothing Girls' Candid Comments on Clothing at the MYC:
Special Activities Girls' Candid Comments on Special Activities at the MYC
Hold for Court Girls Girls' Candid Comments on the Hold for Court Girls at the MYC:
Number of Times at the MYC
Observations: There is a 12% recidivism rate, based on our sample. Cause for Arrest
In 7 of those 17 cases, 41%, the girls were originally sentenced to probation for committing a misdemeanor. They then violated the conditions for their probation, so they were committed to the MYC. Motivation
Observations: We were struck that so many girls shied away from considering this question during our conversations, and we wonder what that indicated. Some of the girls who did respond gave answers that revealed some reflection, insight and assumption of responsibility. We were most disturbed by the girl who honestly answered that after much reflection, and though she still had a sincere desire to know, that she still didn't know why she had committed her felony; she had spent considerable time at the MYC. Accomplices
IV. IN THE MOMENT
Observations: The answers to A, B and C suggest that these girls tend not to be involved with adult organized, out of school, constructive group activities.
Religious Beliefs Belief in God or a Higher Power
10 out of 17, 58%, said they believe in a God or higher power. Describing personal spirituality:
Responding on the written survey to the question, "Are you a member of or do you attend church regularly?" 3 girls said yes, and 14 said no. Girls' Candid Comments About Church Services At The MYC: 13 out of 15 said yes, they had worked for pay.
Salaries ranged from $0.63 - $10 per hour, with the average being $4.86 per hour. Observations: Over 88% have already worked for pay. These girls appear to be workers, not girls who want as adults to live off welfare or expect others to financially support them. Though there was little enthusiasm expressed for the jobs they did, the girls seemed pleased to report that they had worked for pay. In response to a later question about future plans, the girls reported their worst fears as having no money to support themselves adequately, and no ability to earn that money.
Work at Home When answering who typically did the work around their homes, 47% said housework was shared among adults and children in their home. 29% said Mom or Dad did it. Observations: This data supports the girls' earlier responses indicating that mosES
Responding on the written survey to the question, "Are you a member of or do you attend church regularly?" 3 girls said yes, and 14 said no. Girls' Candid Comments About Church Services At The MYC: Observations: These girls involve themselves in religious services at the MYC for a variety of reasons.
Work for Pay Have you ever had any kind of a job that you got paid for?
13 out of 15 said yes, they had worked for pay.
Salaries ranged from $0.63 - $10 per hour, with the average being $4.86 per hour. Observations: Over 88% have already worked for pay. These girls appear to be workers, not girls who want as adults to live off welfare or expect others to financially support them. Though there was little enthusiasm expressed for the jobs they did, the girls seemed pleased to report that they had worked for pay. In response to a later question about future plans, the girls reported their worst fears as having no money to support themselves adequately, and no ability to earn that money.
Work at Home When answering who typically did the work around their homes, 47% said housework was shared among adults and children in their home. 29% said Mom or Dad did it. Observations: This data supports the girls' earlier responses indicating that mosEXECUT~1.DOCڝ0DITTEXTdosa.XECUT~1DOCREPORT~1.DOC0DITTEXTdosaĵrEPORT~1DOCROUGH.DOC0DITTEXTdosaOUGH DOCTITLEP~1.DOC0DITTEXTdosa ITLEP~1DOCMYC Final reptE] 0DIWDBNMSWDrMYCFINALREAnnSAMQUI~11 "1\&2\&EPTEXTdosa#|ANN Erin's Zip!XPH@ܵ&?Erin's ZiQuickTime Folder`/ 4@mʥ O:QUICKT~1 Resume ErinDESKa TEXTdosaRESUME~1 1UpdatersFOLDER"p&m&TEXTdosa@`aUPDATERS 0 ZOEY FACES` / ҈@ĵ 滵 BO:ZOEYFA~1 !OPENFOL.DER`L `@TEXTdosaA`y!OPENFOLDERL Erin's Zip!E@#BpTEXTdosa`:NVH _Apple.ComGQ> 4 girls said they felt safe at home .
When asked directly, 14 girls said they feel physically safe in school, and 14 girls said they feels safe to be who they really are while in school.
Observations: The girls didn't seem to relate to the question, seeming to consider their safety as immaterial. Others felt safe because they knew how to defend themselves.
Running Away from Home Have you ever run away? Of the 12 (70%) who answered yes to running away:
Observations: 11 of these girls have repeatedly run away.
Responding to Difficulty How do you respond to a problem, serious disagreement or crisis?
Observations: The girls showed a high level of self-awareness when answering this question, leading us to think that girls might be working on conflict resolution issues at the MYC.
Family Stability What's going on in your family right now?
Observations: Previous points made by girls in these conversations have underscored the importance of family to these girls. The 5 girls (29%) whose families were not very stable are at higher risk, both in the MYC and when they get out.
School Status What's going on in school right now?
VI. WOMANHOOD Sexual Development Questions around sexual maturation.
Observations: Answers showed that most girls took their sexual maturation in stride.
Love
Sex Regarding sexual intercourse:
2 haven't had sex. 15 girls have been sexually active. 88% of the MYC girls have been sexually active
All the girls had their first sexual experiences between the ages of 11 and 16; 12 out of 15 had their first sexual experience between the ages of 12 and 14.
8 girls' 1st experience was with partners within 2 yrs of their age. 7 girls' 1st experience was with partners 3-6 yrs. older.
8 girls have not felt pressured to have sex. 7 girls have felt pressured.
6 girls said they were ok with the age they 1st had sex. 9 girls said they wished they had waited until they were older.
14 girls felt they had had enough information on pregnancy prevention, STD's etc. to know what they were doing when they first had sex. 2 said they didn't have enough information, or only a little.
Observations: Most of the girls at the MYC have been sexually active from their middle school years. Many first had their first sexual experience with boys/men much older than themselves, many have felt pressured to have sex, and many wish they had waited until they were older. They believe they have enough information to protect themselves from unwanted pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases, though two stressed there was no sex education at the MYC.
Rape or Sexual Abuse Only 1 girl answered that she had been sexually molested or raped. The other 16 did not answer the question. Observation: Based on statistics both of the general population, and those of incarcerated female youths, and some of the data we reported earlier, this appears to be under-reported. In addition, there was extremely high avoidance of this question altogether. (During the focus group girls agreed that there were many more MYC girls who had been raped.)
Pregnancy Regarding pregnancies:
(3 pregnancies ended in miscarriages, 1 brought about by a violent episode.) (2 girls had babies and were keeping them.)
Observations: This seems to be a very high rate of miscarriage.
Sexual Orientation 16 girls self-identified as heterosexual; 1 girl self-identified as bi-sexual.
Note: Several girls mentioned tension caused in the girls' cottage around girls who identify themselves as bi-sexual; one girl said there was no tension in the cottage around this issue. Girls' Candid Comments on Sexual Orientation at the MYC:
Observation: I heard girls express concern at one of their group meetings that girls are being stared at in the shower; this appears to be brought up frequently and never dealt with adequately to prevent the problem from reoccurring. Bi-sexuality is a concern for girls at the MYC. Homophobia needs to be addressed so that all girls can feel at ease in the cottage.
VII HEALTH
Medical Attention 15 girls said they are able to receive medical care when they need it. 3 girls said they are not able to, stating as reasons,
Birth Control 14 girls said they receive birth control assistance when needed; 3 girls indicated that either they don't believe in birth control, their mom is against it, or they are at the MYC. (Does this imply a lack of need or a lack of availability of contraceptives for girls at the MYC?)* **We were told that the MYC policy is that if girls have been taking birth control shots before coming to the MYC, they will continue to receive them while at the Center. They are also allowed to continue taking the pill, if they request it, though many girls were unaware of this.
Dental Care 14 girls said they receive dental care when needed. 1 girl said she only avails herself of it sometimes because, "I hate the MYC dentist/hygienist" 2 girls said they don't receive the dental care they need because:
Girls' Candid Comments About the Medical Attention at the MYC:
Depression Marking as many phrases as apply to them,:
This was 1 response (18%) of MYC girls vs. the 50% of the 500 girls who said they usually see the bright side of things.
This was 44% of the MYC girls Vs the 28% of the 500 girls who said that things easily got them down.
15 of 17 girls (88%) identified themselves as having been depressed sometimes in their lives. (In the written survey, 100% said they have experienced depression at least once in a while and/or all the time.) 9 of the 17 girls experienced depression at least some of the time, almost all, or all of the time. (In the written survey, 6 marked that they are almost always depressed. ) That means 35% of the MYC girls feel that way Vs 10% of the 500 girls who took the same survey. 11 girls answered that they were depressed at least once in a while. Causes for depression were listed as:
Suicide 10 of the 17 girls said they have felt suicidal at some point.
6 of these 10 girls have been hospitalized for suicide attempts in Jackson Brooke Institute, Devereau, Portsmouth Pavilion, Seton and Thayer. 76% of the MYC girls said they have been suicidal at some point. 38% of the 500 Maine girls said they, too, have been suicidal.
Medication and Counseling 12 of the 17 girls are on medication for depression. (9 of the 11 girls at the MYC are on medication for depression.) 9 of 17 girls said they got counseling for depression and/ or suicidal thoughts or attempts. 11 of the 17 girls are receiving counseling for depression. 6 girls said they are not able to receive or are not receiving counseling, citing the following reasons:
Counseling Girls' Candid Comments about Counseling at the MYC:
Observations: Depression has been/is a major, on-going problem in the lives of girls who are at the MYC. Again, the primary cause of the depression centers on relationship issues. If the MYC is trying to rehabilitate girls, not just punish them, then the girls should be receiving as much counseling as they need from the best psychiatrists and psychologists in the area. What is being offered them appears to be inadequate to meet the girls' considerable needs in the areas of drug and alcohol abuse, personal abuse, anger management, family as well as severe depression.
Family Depression
Observations: Depression appears to run in many of these girls' families, especially with the female members.
Family Members' Mental Illnesses.
Observations: 6 of the 17 girls have family members with some form of mental illness other than depression.
Stress - Anger - Violence 9 girls said they feel stressed once in a while. 7 girls said they almost always feel stressed. 1 girl said she always feels stressed. (When asked what causes the stress, 4 girls said school, 2 arguments with family; and 2 "people." 3 girls didn't answer whether they get angry frequently. 4 girls said no, they didn't. 10 girls said yes, they did.
Girls listed 24 ways they deal with stress and anger.
Girls' Candid Comments:
Observations: Stress and anger are big problems for these girls, and often result in acting out physically and verbally. Though they know and sometimes use constructive behaviors to deal with stress and anger, at other times they are destructive to themselves and others. Anger management classes do not seem to be providing girls with realistic options for controlling their anger, giving the behavioral guidelines they must follow.
Risky Behavior What do you consider to be risky behaviors?
11 or 68% said they do risky behaviors
% of girls who reported participating in the following risky behaviors:
% of girls who know one or more girls involved in risky-behaviors:
% of girls knowing one of more girls who are victims of abuse:
33% reported domestic violence being a problem in their homes
parents: alcohol, drugs, smoking
Observations: What the girls name as risky behaviors are being done in the homes by some parents. It seems noteworthy that 8 girls chose not to answer the question.
VIII. YOUR FUTURE The socio-economic background of these girls is as follows:
Note: Across the board, MYC girls' mothers had notably less education than the mothers of 500 Maine girls who took the same survey. Fathers of MYC girls had similar educations to fathers of the 500 girls, except far fewer MYC fathers graduated from college or received post graduate degrees.
13 mothers had jobs, 3 did not, and 1 girl didn't know. Mother's jobs included body shop owner, musician, switchboard operator, food services (3), construction, and nursing home worker.
9 fathers had jobs, 2 did not, 2 are retired, and 4 girls didn't answer. Fathers' jobs included transportation, college worker, maintenance man (3), drywaller, musician, and manager.
1 girl felt her family had more than enough financially. 13 girls felt her family had enough. 2 girls felt their families didn't have enough financially. 1 girl didn't answer.
The life that would make them happy right now:
What is preventing you from having the good life you want?
What is your vision of a good future for yourself?
11 girls listed professions they wanted to train for.
The girls considered family life:
What are your future plans?
Observations: The girls understand the concept of goals and have set some goals for their futures which they view as realistic and attainable. They expressed optimism and hope about their futures during our conversations, and they don't appear to be focusing on unrealistic fantasies. Most plan to work; many plan to marry and have children. Because so many of these girls come from troubled families which they felt the need to leave, many will need education and guidance on how to build strong families of their own.
What is your "worst case" scenario for your future?
What could get in the way of you having the kind of life you want?
Who supports your dreams for the future?
16 of 17 have 1 or more adults who listens to and supports them. 27 of these were family members; only 4 were not. Observations: The girls are very clear about how they don't want to end up. Some of this they already have experienced first hand and know they want to avoid in the future. The largest number of responses focused on lack of economic viability, suggesting that one way to really help these girls while they are at the MYC is to provide them with the education, skills and training that would allow them to go back out into the world and create a financially stable environment for themselves. 21 family members were mentioned as supporting the girls' dreams for the future Vs 8 non-family - again stressing the importance of the family in these girls' lives.
Responses to Participating in this Survey and Interview Girls' Candid Comments:
APPENDIX BIBLIOGRAPHY Female Offenders - An Afterthought: Report Of The Task Force On Female Offenders Jan. 1991 REPORTS TO THE JUSTICE FOR GIRLS TASK FORCE: 1. Assessing Juvenile Justice in Maine: Perceptions of Girls in the System 1997 2. Girls In Maine: A Sociodemographic Profile Of Juveniles In And Outside Of The Juvenile Justice System 1997 3. Assessing Juvenile Justice In Maine: Perceptions Of Justice System Personnel 1997 4. Programs That Work: A Review Of Promising Practices In Female Juvenile Justice 1997 Justice For Girls Task Force: Findings And Recommendations For Correcting Gender Imbalances In Maine's Juvenile Justice System - Final Report February 1998 Risk, Resiliency, and Resistance: Current Research on Adolescent Girls Ms. Foundation for Women 1991 Raising Competent Girls: An Exploratory Study Of Diversity In Girls' Views Of Liking One's Self Center For Research On Women 1995 Report From the Front Lines: The Impact of Violence on Poor Women Now Legal Defense and Education Fund 1996 March 1995: Reframing the Needs of Women in Prison: A Relational and Diversity Perspective-Women in Prison Pilot Project: The Stone Center for Developmental Services and Studies of Wellesley College Chesney-Lind, Meda. Girls, Delinquency, and Juvenile Justice. Belmont, Ca.: Wadsworth Publishing Company, 1998. Chesney-Lind, Meda. The Female Offender: Girls, Women, and Crime. Thousand Oaks, Ca.: Sage Publications, Inc. 1997. Herman, First Lady Mary J., Project Director with Women's Health Equity Campaign, Maine Department of Human Services, Bureau of Health, Division of Community and Family Health, Maine Department of Mental Health, Mental Retardation and Substance Abuse Services. Women's Health: A Maine Profile. Augusta, Maine: Medical Care Development, Inc. 1998. Rimm, Dr. Sylvia. See Jane Win: The Rimm Report on How 1,000 Girls Became Successful Women. New York, New York. Crown Publishers. 1999 Watterson, Kathryn. Women in Prison: Inside the Concrete Womb (Revised Edition). Boston, Mass: Northeast University Press. 1997 Female Offenders - An Afterthought Report Of The Task Force On Female Offenders January 1991 |
|
|