Our study examined co-occurring substance use and major depressive disorders among justice-involved adolescents to inform behavioral health services planning within U.S. criminal justice systems. We used data from the 2015-2017 administrations of the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), an annual survey of non-institutionalized U.S.…

Adolescents becoming formally involved with a juvenile court because of school-related behavior and discipline problems is a phenomenon known as the school-to-prison pipeline. Adolescents with learning disabilities are disproportionately represented within this pipeline. A study was conducted to review the outcomes for a population of youthful…

The state of Connecticut detained 1,444 children and youth and committed approximately 270 to the Department of Children and Families for out of home placement in the 2007-2008 calendar year. A significant number of children and youth have special education needs that are often unidentified by home school districts. State and federal law mandate…

Objective: This study describes the development of an engagement scale for use with youth in residential treatment centers. Engagement includes attitude about treatment, bond with providers, and participation in treatment activities. Method: Interview data were collected at the midpoint in residence of 130 youth in two centers. Items were selected…

A discriminant function analysis identified eight statistically significant variables which differentiated adolescents placed in mental health or juvenile justice systems. In order of decreasing importance they are: ethnicity, gender, depression, previous mental health history, productivity, drug use, parental marital history, and parental…

Presents the results of a longitudinal experiment focused on the relative efficacy of varying treatments for juvenile offenders (N=213). All treatment conditions involving a specific intervention model located outside the formal juvenile justice system produced lower recidivism rates than the attention-placebo, treatment-as-usual control, or…

Adopting the perspectives of the philosophers Plato and Rawls, addresses the issues of juvenile offenders' rehabilitation and consent. Focuses on paternalistic intervention, autonomous decision-making ability, and moral immaturity. Discusses Plato's theme of rehabilitating offenders' sick souls, whether they agree or not, and Rawls more democratic…

Shows how a multimodal treatment approach that utilizes a broad range of behavioral, cognitive-behavioral, and psychological skills training methods can eliminate assaultive behavior among incarcerated juvenile offenders. The study found that those youths who received the multimodal treatment showed significant or at least considerably better…

Investigated effectiveness of expanded juvenile court services (job preparation, outdoor experiential, and family skill building components) program versus traditional probation supervision in reducing probationer offense activities of adolescent offenders (n=45). Found intervention failed to yield desired effects although experimental subjects…

The primary objective of Project About Face, a program of Youth Services, Inc., is to reduce the rate of recidivism among juvenile offenders assigned to the program by the Juvenile Court of Memphis/Shelby County, Tennessee. Another purpose is to establish a profile of the type of offender who would be most likely to benefit from the academic,…

Study explored the applicability of client participation in the supervision process with young probationers who are usually regarded as immature and lacking both the self confidence and the ability to make "right" decisions. Findings indicate that youth probationers can participate in the service if allowed to, and support the promotion…

Examined effectiveness of comprehensive contingency management program implemented in adjudicated male adolescent learning center. Measured offense behavior and student performance of an average of 45 male juveniles over 3-year period in residential and school settings. Found comprehensive contingency program increased student performance and…

Examined surveys, court records, and anecdotal information of former adjudicated delinquents (n=273) to determine effects of juvenile justice intervention on outcome; specifically, whether delinquent labeling initiated a self-fulfilling prophecy. Found no significant relationship between juvenile probation experience rating and adult recidivism.…

Examines recidivism among 792 graduates of Arkansas' only boot camp. Results indicate that the primary predictors of recidivism were the type of offenses (drugs vs. others), race, and infractions while in boot camp. However, none of the predictors accounted for more than minor proportions of the variance in recidivism. (RJM)

Compares the recidivism of 2,738 juveniles who were transferred to criminal court in Florida in 1987 to that of a matched sample retained in the juvenile system. By every measure of recidivism employed, including rates of reoffending, seriousness of reoffending, and time to failure, reoffending was greater among transfers than the matched…