@article{ref1,
title="Well-Meaning Programs Can Have Harmful Effects! Lessons From Experiments of Programs Such As Scared Straight",
journal="Crime and delinquency",
year="2000",
author="Petrosino, A. and Turpin-Petrosino, Carolyn and Finckenauer, J. O.",
volume="46",
number="3",
pages="354-379",
abstract="Despite their importance in assessing the impact of policies, outcome evaluations--and in particular randomized experiments--are relatively rare. The rationalizations used to justify the absence of outcome evaluations include such assertions as &quot;we know our programs are working,&quot;&quot;they can't possibly harm anyone,&quot; and &quot;if they only help one kid they're worth it.&quot; Using preliminary results from a systematic review of nine randomized experiments of the Scared Straight, or prison visitation program, the authors show that a popular and well-meaning program can have harmful effects. They use these results to argue for more rigorous evaluations to test criminal justice interventions.<p />",
language="",
issn="0011-1287",
doi="10.1177/0011128700046003006",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0011128700046003006"
}