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)
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