Book Review: Disproportionate Confinement of African-American Juvenile Delinquents

DOI10.1177/0734016805284506
Published date01 September 2005
AuthorShaun L. Gabbidon
Date01 September 2005
Subject MatterArticles
several bodies of literature and clinical experience and synthesized them into a practical and
useful treatment program to help people heal and recover from SUD and PTSD.
Najavits honed the program into its current format by pilot testing it with various groups of
people in a variety of treatment settings. She obtained feedback from those who participated
in the program as well as clinicians who facilitated the sessions. The feedback was used to
revise the program to maximize its utility. For example, the case management domain was
added after observing that many of the participants needed additional services and had diffi-
culty accessing them. Outcome evaluations were also conducted and showed the program to
be effective atreducing symptoms and improving functioning among participants who com-
pleted the minimal number of sessions.
It should be noted that the program is in its early stages of development. The outcome eval-
uations were conducted with small samples and no control groups. Additional research is
needed with larger and more diverse samples in randomized controlled clinical trials to pro-
vide evidence for the program being effective. Currently, research to establish effectiveness
and efficacy arebeing developed and conducted. A Web site address is provided so that read-
ers can follow the ongoing research and obtain additional information on how to use the
manual.
In sum, the manual is well organized, easy to use, and relevant to the treatment needs of
individuals with comorbid PTSD and SUD. It is an innovative, flexible, and practical pro-
gram that is adaptable to a variety of treatment settings. Although this manual is particularly
useful for clinicians, I highly recommend it as a resource for students and researchers who
seek to gain a better understanding of the treatment needs of individuals who have concomi-
tant SUD and PTSD as well.
Shelly A. Wiechelt
University at Buffalo, State University of New York
Disproportionate Confinement of African-American Juvenile Delinquents, by John K.
Mooradian. New York: LFB Scholarly Publishing, 2003. pp. vii, 203.
DOI: 10.1177/0734016805284506
Taking on the issue of African American confinement in juvenile institutions, John K.
Mooradian seeks to investigate the following three questions:
1. What personal, family, and environmental characteristics describe African-American male
delinquents who experience out-of-home placements? 2. What are the observed associations of
personal, family, and environmental variables for African-American male delinquents who
experience out-of-home placements? [and] 3. Which set of variables best explain out-of-home
placements for African-American male delinquents? (p. 5)
After laying out the focus of the book in the introduction, the second chapter delineates the
problem of the disproportionate confinement of African Americans. This is accomplished by
reviewing past and present literature on the subject and also introducing readers to the
Afrocentric perspective and to the special circumstances of African American youth.
Book Reviews 253

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