Project Making a Group and Individual Difference (MAGIC)

The goal of Project MAGIC is to help juvenile offenders leave the criminal justice system.

Each MAGIC group consists of 10 to 12 teens that are entry level, less serious offenders. These groups meet two or three times weekly for two months. During these meetings, teens are taught social and interpersonal skills related to positive communication, problem solving, conflict resolution, decision making, self-responsibility, aspiration building, and goal setting. Information about community leadership and career development is also available to teens and their families. Parents also participate in the program by enhancing their parenting skills through self-paced lessons.

The goal of Project MAGIC is to help juvenile offenders leave the criminal justice system.

Thirty-two juvenile offenders completed the program from January 1996 to May 1997. Both before and after the program, all participants completed the Locus of Control scale, a scale that measures an individual's perception of connection between actions and outcomes. On the pre-test the average score was 14.2 while on the post-test the average score was 11.5 (lower scores are more desirable).

In addition, each parent was asked to report on his/her child's behavior before the program and again after. On the pre-test, parents gave an average rating of 60% and this rating improved to 76% after the program.