The outcomes of deinstitutionalization programs for criminals and the mentally ill have not matched expectations. Community alternatives have become extensions of the penal system. For the chronically mentally ill, granting the negative right of freedom from organized interference has often meant denial of the right to care and attention.…

Empirical data show that there are more negative consequences for youth offenders committed to institutional rather than community-based programs. However, public policy, governed by political factors rather than knowledge of the relative effectiveness of alternative programs, favors punishment and retribution over rehabilitation goals.…