Book Review: Marcy K. Rowland Family-Based Reintegration: Effective Interventions for Juveniles on Parole El Paso, TX: LFB Scholarly Publishing, 2009. 169 pp. $60. ISBN 978-1-59332-371-4

• Author: Erika Gebo
• DOI: 10.1177/0734016810385298
• Published date: 01 June 2011
• Date: 01 June 2011
• Subject Matter: Articles

Luckmann, among others, with the same (if not an even stronger) connection to symbolic interac-

tionism that Kuhn proposes.

Whatever my particular disagreements with the model of socialization that Kuhn presents in

Social Control and Human Nature, they neither amount to fatal flaws nor do they diminish my

respect for her wider efforts at reconnecting criminology and philosophy. As for other substantive

matters, I would have preferred to see Kuhn use more authoritative editions of the works of Hobbes,

Locke, Rousseau, and some of the other philosophers upon whom she relies. This would add ‘‘heft’’

to the legitimacy of her explications, as would the support of some respected secondary sources in

political and social philosophy. The book also has a number of editorial shortcomings. The most sig-

nificant of these is a fairly persistent stylistic infelicity and awkwardness typical of a hastily revised

doctoral dissertation. If Kuhn aspires to see the book enter into wider circulation—and it deserves to

do so—the next edition will definitely need to be more polished and readable. Many readers will also

want to see a more refined index, as the current one omits some of the most important concepts

discussed in the book, foremost among them symbolic interactionism and pragmatism.

Viewed overall, Social Control and Human Nature is ambitious in the scope and depth of its anal-

ysis. While Kuhn does not always attain the level of rigor and polish for which she strives, the book

merits serious attention as an example of the kind of innovative interdisciplinary scholarship that is

much needed in criminology. The book would make a useful supplemental text in upper division

undergraduate courses on criminological theory, as well as in graduate seminars, and in any venue

should spark conversations on how to reconnect criminology with its deeper intellectual roots.

Marcy K. Rowland

Family-Based Reintegration: Effective Interventions for Juveniles on Parole

El Paso, TX: LFB Scholarly Publishing, 2009. 169 pp. $60. ISBN 978-1-59332-371-4

Reviewed by: Erika Gebo, Suffolk University, Boston, MA, USA

DOI: 10.1177/0734016810385298

Author Marcy K. Rowland presents a solid case for effective juvenile aftercare that addresses the

needs of both youths and their families in an evidence-based approach. Her book is a process and

outcome evaluation of one such approach, Functional Family Parole (FFP), which is based on the

principles of the model program, Functional Family Therapy (FFT). FFP was implemented through-

out the state of Washington in 2002. Her study is the first evaluation of the effectiveness of this inter-

vention for juveniles released from institutions in that state. She argues that FFP can be an effective

intervention if implemented with fidelity and if the appropriate youth are matched to the program.

Family-Based Reintegration is organized as a traditional research study. There are five chapters

in the book. The first chapter identifies the scope of the problem, using recent statistics about the

number of juveniles in the justice system and the lack of success for many interventions for juveniles

returning from resident or institutional placements. She provides specific data for the state of

Washington, where her study took place. She then discusses the need for family-based treatments

and the success of FFT as a method of reducing recidivism in juveniles. FFP is presented as an exten-

sion of FFT to address the needs of youth leaving juvenile justice facilities.

Chapter 2 is primarily a literature review for the study. Tenets from social control, social learning,

and strain theories are discussed as they relate to FFP. Juvenile parole and aftercare effectiveness are

presented next. Support for the use of FFT as a model program is identified, but only adherence to

the program model is discussed. Other key elements of evidence-ba sed programming, such as

dosage and delivery, are not mentioned. The use of FFP as a derivative of a model program is

228 Criminal Justice Review 36(2)