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FORUM on Corrections Research
The Adult Criminal Careers of Training School Boys
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The Research Branch has recently assisted Dr. John Hundleby and Leo Keating of the University of Guelph
in conducting an extensive follow-up of the adult criminal careers of young boys who had been placed
within the Ontario Training School System in the early 1970s. In an 18-year follow-up of approximately 180 boys now in their thirties, it was found that a large number had subsequently served time in provincial or federal institutions. While one fourth had served time in federal institutions, a considerably larger number (about 80%) had received provincial sentences. Of those ex-training school boys who ended up serving time in the federal system, roughly 59% served at least two terms, 27% three terms, and 23% served more than four terms. Overall, 5% of these boys who were studied are currently serving terms in Correctional Service of Canada institutions. When first entering the federal system, most of these ex-training school boys were single; they had been convicted for non-violent offences (e.g., break and enter 38.6%, theft 6.8%), and had served sentences of less than three years. The majority (64%) were subsequently released on mandatory supervision. The table shows a stable, mostly non-violent pattern among repeat offenders in this group. For those who recidivated and returned for a second (and up to a fifth) term, a consistent proportion of about one third were returned for violent offences. As expected, the majority (73%) of those boys who ended up in the federal system were initially admitted in Ontario. Remarkably, 23% entered federal institutions for the first time in the Prairie provinces. It would appear that many of the boys headed west after leaving training school. Although this research shows links between early exposure to training school and later involvement in crime, important information can still be gained from studying the cases of those who had no subsequent contact with the criminal justice system. "It is expected that further analyses of follow-up data on these ex-training school boys will provide some conclusive inferences regarding these differences," Hundleby says. Table 1
Hundleby, J.D., Keating, L. and Hooper, C.L. (1990) A Follow-up of Ontario Training School Boys. Paper presented to symposium given at the Ontario Psychological Association, February 16, 1990. |
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