Alternative Placements for Juvenile Offenders: Results from the Evaluation of the Nokomis Challenge Program

The Nokomis Challenge Program, an innovative correctional program for low- and medium-risk delinquents, was implemented by the Michigan Department of Social Services (DSS) in 1989. The program combines three months of residence and outdoor challenge programming with nine months of intensive community-based aftercare. It was designed as an alternative to residential placements that average 14-16 months. An evaluation of the Nokomis Program conducted using a quasi-experimental study of 192 juvenile offenders showed significant cost savings, compared to traditional residential placement, over a 24-month period, but few differences in outcomes. Youths in both groups made positive gains in social adjustment during residential programs, which disappeared by the end of the follow-up period. Despite community aftercare, Nokomis youths failed more quickly upon release to the community. The results suggest that to derive benefit from short-term alternative placements, the intensive aftercare component must be strengthened to help prevent youth from relapsing.