This thesis is an examination of various juvenile post adjudication dispositional programs within the juvenile justice system and their effectiveness in reducing recidivism. By using a meta-analysis the goal is to determine which program or program model has concrete evidence to prove the effectiveness in reducing recidivism among the juvenile offender population. This thesis examines the juvenile justice system from a historical perspective to understand different trends that have occurred throughout the history of the juvenile justice system. The thesis then analyzes current programs utilized today for juvenile offenders, and the effects on recidivism. Each scholarly article is analyzed by describing the program model, the method used by each author for testing, and the results of each study. The specific goal was to determine which method of juvenile rehabilitation was more successful: the institutionalization of juveniles or the community programming of juveniles.
