Juvenile Correctional Settings Research Articles

Challenging the status quo: gender norms in Croatian juvenile correctional settings.

Gender norms and issues related to gender are highly relevant when it comes to treatment of juveniles in correctional institutions, especially related to their risky behavior and personal characteristics (such as personality traits, intellectual capability, culture, ethnicity etc.). Furthermore, many juveniles in correctional institutions are exposed to violence and are also perpetrators of violent criminal acts. This paper will give an overview of national policies related to gender-sensitive treatment in Croatia as a background to research aimed to describe the reflection of gender issues and gender norms in practical work with juveniles in Croatian correctional institutions. The research is based on qualitative approach and includes focus groups with youth workers from various organizations who implemented programs for youth in correctional institutions. Preliminary results show that gender and gender norms are not specifically targeted in treatment programs within the institutions. The initiative to implement gender issues mainly comes from organizations from the civil sector through different workshops. Juveniles express relatively rigid gender norms that are supported by rigid organization of correctional institutions especially for males. This research shows the importance of clearer focus to gender-sensitive programing and gender sensitive treatment programs that will strongly be integrated in everyday practice of correctional institutions. The precondition for this is largely connected to deconstructing stereotypes about gender and gender norms both for youth and professionals working with them.

Improving adolescent sleep in long-term Juvenile correctional settings: case examples with clinical, research, and policy implications.

Poor sleep during adolescence is a public health concern that may be especially important to address among youth in juvenile correctional facilities, who tend to experience greater mental health challenges, substance use disorders, and traumatic stress exposure. However, evidence for addressing sleep in correctional settings is limited. Using de-identified composite clinical cases, this paper describes challenges and opportunities for addressing sleep disorders (i.e. insomnia) and promoting sleep health (i.e. improving duration, regularity, and behaviors) among adolescents in long-term juvenile correctional facilities. These clinical cases highlight common presenting problems and underscore the need for integrated sleep and mental health interventions as well as adaptations to enhance feasibility and efficacy of behavioral sleep treatment and sleep health promotion in juvenile correctional contexts. We conclude by summarizing clinical, research, and policy implications for addressing adolescent sleep problems and promoting sleep health and well-being in these contexts.

Restrictive Housing in Juvenile Correctional Settings.

The American Academy of Pediatrics has endorsed the following publication: National Commission on Correctional Health Care. Position Statement: Restrictive Housing in Juvenile Correctional Settings. Chicago, IL: National Commission on Correctional Health Care; 2021. Available at: https://www.ncchc.org/filebin/Positions/Restrictive-Housing-in-Juvenile-Correctional-Settings-2021.pdf.All statements of endorsement automatically expire 5 years after publication unless reaffirmed, revised, or retired at or before that time.

Restrictive Housing in Juvenile Correctional Settings.

Restrictive Housing in Juvenile Correctional Settings.

Psychology and public policy: A 50-year adventure.

This article provides an overview of my research on children, families, and the law over the past 50 years, while also providing the context for psychological research and action during this time period. The general framework requires using autobiographical information to understand my primary goal of contributing to a research base for intervention and policy change, especially within the juvenile justice system. Overall, my research and action endeavors have been related to prevention, children, and the legal system with changing foci over time: (a) changing juvenile correctional settings, (b) understanding and preventing child sexual abuse, (c) intervening with violent juveniles, (d) exploiting the myth of extreme recidivism rates among juvenile sex offenders, (e) understanding decision-making among youth in legal contexts, and (f) examining violence in teen dating relationships. The article concludes with a brief discussion of dissemination of research findings to policymakers. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Obesity Rates and Psychotropic Medication Use: Differences between a Juvenile Detained and Committed Populations in an Urban Setting

This study sought to investigate differences in body mass index (BMI) across adolescent groups taking different classes of psychotropic medications in juvenile correctional settings. Results indicate significant (p < 0.05) differences in BMI for committed adolescents (mean BMI Z score = 0.95) versus detained (mean BMI Z score = 0.75) youth. Juveniles taking antipsychotic medications are at increased risk for elevated BMI (Cohen’s d = 0.72). There is no relationship to psychotropic medication classes and BMI, suggesting type versus total number of medications explains this relationship. Clinical implications are discussed, with specific emphasis on populations who may be at increased risk for obesity.

Intensive Reading Instruction in Juvenile Correctional Settings

Despite 60 years of evidence linking juvenile illiteracy and delinquency, practitioners and policymakers have been painfully slow in the implementation of evidence-based reading interventions for incarcerated juveniles. We will present the Texas Juvenile Justice Tiered Instructional Model, an evidence-based reading program model created specifically for juvenile correction institutions. The Texas Juvenile Justice Tiered Instructional Model is based on the increasingly prominent tiered approach to allocating educational resources and includes four main components: (a) universal screening, (b) evidence-based instruction, (c) regular monitoring of student progress, and (d) increasingly intense instruction. We discuss adaptations made to each component to meet the unique needs of juvenile correction settings.

Implementing Chlamydia Screening Programs in Juvenile Correctional Settings: The California Experience

To present strategies, methods, and tools for implementing a chlamydia screening program across diverse county juvenile justice systems in California, and to present screening and treatment outcomes of this program. Requirements for juvenile hall participants in a chlamydia screening program were described as well as the administrative structure of program implementation. An assessment of screening using administrative data was conducted. Facilitators and barriers to implementation were identified through interviews with local program coordinators and/or institutional medical and correctional staff. Screening projects were implemented in January 2003 in 15 counties (18 juvenile halls) throughout the state. Among institutions with relevant data, the proportion of female detainees screened for chlamydia rose from 35% preprogram implementation to 66% in 2006. High screening levels with high case yields and treatment rates in the juvenile correctional setting can be accomplished and sustained, despite many barriers, if effective collaboration between public health and correctional entities is established.

Literacy and Delinquency: Current Status of Reading Interventions With Detained and Incarcerated Youth

This article presents the findings of a literature review of reading research investigations in juvenile corrections settings. Six studies met criteria for inclusion in the review and were examined for methodological rigor and the importance of the findings. Authors of two of the articles reviewed demonstrated adequate experimental control, and concluded that intensive, empirically validated research programs can improve reading outcomes for incarcerated youth. The remaining studies had methodological shortcomings that limited the interpretation and generalization of the findings. Recommendations for future research are provided and discussed.

Lessons Learned: Barriers and Solutions for Conducting Reading Investigations in Juvenile Corrections Settings

Few research studies have investigated the effectiveness of instructional strategies for students in juvenile corrections. The dearth of research on effective instruction for this population may be due in part to difficulties encountered in carrying out methodologically rigorous studies in these settings. This article reports barriers and challenges we experienced while conducting a multi-site intensive reading intervention study in juvenile corrections. We discuss the issues we encountered, including adequacy of collaboration with administrators, facility staff, and research staff; defining roles and responsibilities of research staff; sampling and attrition; securing appropriate instructional settings; and identifying instrumentation and materials. For each area, we discuss the outcomes and make recommendations for future research.

Detained and Committed Youth: Examining Differences in Achievement, Mental Health Needs, and Special Education Status

Abstract Currently, there is limited research about the relationship between academic, mental health needs, and special education status among populations of incarcerated youth. Additionally, little is known about differences between special education and general education students, or about differences between detained and committed populations. This article reports the results of an investigation of the academic achievement, mental health history, and special education status of 555 detained and incarcerated boys in one mid-Atlantic state. Descriptive data and results from a logistic regression analysis are reported. We found that mean standard scores of participants on standardized achievement tests were one standard deviation below the population mean. We also found high rates of participants with disabilities, and high rates of participants reporting prior therapy and prior use of psychotropic medication. In addition, we found that student academic and mental health characteristics obtained through an intake screening protocol were predictive of special education status, but not of placement in detention or commitment settings. Finally, we found that African American students had a significantly higher risk of being committed than Caucasian students. Implications for future research and practice are discussed. ********** Special education service delivery rates in juvenile corrections settings are as high as seven times the rates in public school settings (Quinn, Rutherford, Leone, Osher, & Poirier, 2005). In addition, detained and committed (1) youth experience higher rates of academic underperformance, school failure, and identification of mental health needs than their peers in the community (Cocozza, 1992; Cocozza & Skowyra, 2000; Foley, 2001: Krezmien & Mulcahy, 2008). Researchers have identified high rates of mental health needs among incarcerated youth (Caufmann, 2004; Teplin, Abram, McClelland, Dulcan, & Mericle, 2002; Wasserman, Ko, & McReynolds, 2004), but they have not examined the academic abilities of these youth in the context of mental health needs and special education status. Additionally, there is a dearth of research examining whether youth in detention facilities awaiting adjudication exhibit different characteristics from those placed in commitment facilities. Knowing more about the academic, mental health, and special education needs of youth in juvenile corrections facilities is critical to the planning, development, and delivery of effective special education and related services. Understanding differences between characteristics of youth in detention and commitment placements is also essential for allocation of resources for special education and related services to short-term and long-term facilities based upon documented needs. Recently, investigators have used diagnostic instruments to identify specific psychiatric disorders among delinquent populations (Atkins et al., 1999; Cauffman, 2002; Duclos et al., 1998; Garland, Hough, McCabe, Yeh, Wood, & Aarons, 2001; Randall, Henggeler, Pickrel, & Brondino, 1999; Teplin et al., 2004). None of the studies however, determined if youth were eligible for services as disabled students under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 (IDEA, 2004) nor have they examined the relationship between mental health needs and academic achievement. The absence of information about special education eligibility is problematic because disability status under the IDEIA directly affects students' access to mental health care and can provide a statutory entitlement to mental services for students in public schools and in juvenile corrections settings (20 U.S.C. 1401 et seq.). Current Knowledge about Detained and Committed Youth Several researchers have examined the mental health symptomology of juvenile detainees. Teplin and her colleagues (2002) used the Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children (DISC) with a sample of more than 1800 youth aged 10 to 18 in juvenile detention in Cook County, Illinois, and reported that approximately two thirds of the males met diagnostic criteria for one or more psychiatric disorders. …

Do minority and female offenders have distinct “criminal personalities”?: A critique of Yochelson‐Samenow's theory of criminality

Yochelson and Samenow's approach to treating and/or rehabilitating juvenile and adult offenders has become very popular with mental health and criminal justice practitioners, particularly for those working in juvenile or adult correctional settings. Their approach has evolved into the most publicized cognitive therapy for treating antisocial behavior. The conceptual and theoretical weaknesses of Yochelson and Samenow's work notwithstanding, the author focuses on the methodological weaknesses, giving special attention to their implications for practitioners working with incarcerated minority and female offenders. Several potential areas of research and practice for psychological criminology, mental health, and criminal justice are proposed.

Suicide Risk Assessment for Incarcerated Juveniles

This paper focuses on the assessment of suicide risk among incarcerated juveniles. A sample of 25 juvenile facility correctional staff identified behavioral, social and emotional cues that may signal serious psychological distress and a heightened suicide risk among incarcerated juveniles. These participants also rated the perceived importance of 21 suicide risk factors for predicting suicide risk among incarcerated juveniles. A brief suicide screening measure for incarcerated juveniles (The Juvenile Suicide Screen) is reviewed. The potential benefits and limitations of the use of the Juvenile Suicide Screen as part of a comprehensive suicide detection and prevention plan in juvenile correctional and detention center settings are discussed. The authors also discuss several clinical issues related to the assessment of suicide risk in these settings.

Educational Attainments of Young Male Offenders

Previous articleNext article No AccessEducational Attainments of Young Male OffendersGeorge E. HillGeorge E. Hill Search for more articles by this author PDFPDF PLUS Add to favoritesDownload CitationTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints Share onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail SectionsMoreDetailsFiguresReferencesCited by The Elementary School Journal Volume 36, Number 1Sep., 1935 Article DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1086/457277 Views: 1Total views on this site Citations: 8Citations are reported from Crossref PDF download Crossref reports the following articles citing this article: References, (Jan 2019): 453–702.https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-804417-9.16001-6Jacob L. Williams, Jade Wexler, Greg Roberts, Clint Carpenter Intensive Reading Instruction in Juvenile Correctional Settings, Exceptionality 19, no.44 (Oct 2011): 238–251.https://doi.org/10.1080/09362835.2011.614499David S. Katims, Zenong Yin, Jesse T. Zapata A Longitudinal Analysis of the Link Between Learning Disabilities and Juvenile Delinquency in Mexican American School-Age Youth, Juvenile and Family Court Journal 48, no.11 (Feb 1997): 23–34.https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1755-6988.1997.tb00762.xNorman E. Silberberg, Margaret C. Silberberg School Achievement and Delinquency, Review of Educational Research 41, no.11 (Jun 2016): 17–33.https://doi.org/10.3102/00346543041001017Dale B. Harris Suggestions for the School from Recent Literature on Juvenile Delinquency, Teachers College Record: The Voice of Scholarship in Education 49, no.99 (Apr 2022): 247–266.https://doi.org/10.1177/016146814804900913Glenn M. Kendall Chapter V: The Administration of Special Educational Services, Review of Educational Research 10, no.44 (Jun 2016): 355–362.https://doi.org/10.3102/00346543010004355 Chapter II: School Progress, Review of Educational Research 6, no.22 (Jul 2016): 164–168.https://doi.org/10.3102/00346543006002164 Chapter IX: Special Schools and Classes, Review of Educational Research 6, no.22 (Jul 2016): 226–234.https://doi.org/10.3102/00346543006002226