Juvenile Detention Research Articles

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD): Forensic Issues

ADHD has long been recognised as disproportionately present in both juvenile and adult prison populations. This is so for a number of reasons, including the potential for persons with ADHD to be disinhibited, impulsive, impaired in executive functioning and chaotic in their lifestyle. A major challenge exists, though, to assist courts to understand better how ADHD may have played a role in criminal offending and thus to be relevant to evaluations of criminal culpability or even responsibility. Another issue that arises for expert assessment is how ADHD may make the experience of custodial detention especially burdensome and be relevant in this respect also for sentencing. This article considers the overall forensic context of ADHD in criminal litigation and reviews a selection of illustrative decisions from Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom to identify principles on the basis of which courts can make nuanced decisions that are suitably informed by expert mental health evidence about the forensic ramifications of ADHD.

Most of them care about us, but not everyone does! Creating a positive living group climate in German youth prison − A longitudinal study

This study represents the first longitudinal data of living group climate in a Germany youth detention centre in terms of the support from staff, opportunities for growth, repression and group atmosphere among inmates. Participants were male adolescents (N = 709) living in supervised living groups. They completed the German version of the PGCI at 8 different moments over a period of 5 years, from 2014 to 2019. Four separate piecewise multilevel regression analyses revealed a significant increase of support. Repression decreased significantly during the first three measurement waves, and subsequently showed a slight but significant increase, while neither growth nor group atmosphere significantly changed. The present results are novel in their character as they explicitly add to the limited body of knowledge on longitudinal changes in living group climate in youth detention facilities.

The Effect of Empathy Training on Bullying Behavior in Juvenile Prisoners: A Quasi Experiment.

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of empathy training on bullying behavior in juvenile prisoners at the Bandung City Special Development Institute for Children. This study used a quantitative method with a quasi-experimental design with pre and post-test with control group. The sampling technique used purposive sampling and obtained a sample of 100 respondents (50 intervention group and 50 control group). Empathy training was conducted for 3 months as many as 4 sessions consisting of education, role play, watching movies, and reflection. Data collection used the Indonesian version of the Olweus Bully/Victim Questionnaire. Univariate analysis used mean, min-max, and standard deviation values. Bivariate analysis used Wilcoxon test and Mann-Whitney test. The results showed that in the intervention group, most respondents had high bullying behavior before the intervention (70%) and had low bullying behavior after the intervention (64%). In the control group, most respondents showed a high level of bullying behavior (80%) at pre-test and had high level of bullying behavior (78%) at post-test. The results of the Wilcoxon test showed ap value of <0.001, indicating that there was a significant effect on reducing bullying behavior in prisoners in LPKA Bandung City after being given empathy training. The results of the Mann-Whitney test showed a value of p<0.001 which means that there is a difference in the level of bullying behavior between the control and intervention groups. Empathy training is a recommendation for community nurses in Bandung City Special Development Institute for Children to implement community-based nursing interventions in preventing bullying in children and adolescents, especially adolescents in prison.

Does the Timing and Length of Incarceration Matter for Long-Term Economic and Health Outcomes? Analysis of Male Arrestees Drawn From a Nationally Representative Sample

Research has consistently documented that incarceration is associated with numerous negative outcomes later in life. Much of this research has focused only on adults who were incarcerated and either excluded juveniles or examined them separately. Moreover, findings from the majority of these studies are often based on simple binary measures of incarceration without examining the length of time each person was incarcerated. The current study sought to address these shortcomings in the literature by examining whether incarceration length as a juvenile and as an adult are associated with adulthood economic disadvantage, health, suicidal ideation, and depression. To do so, males from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health) who had been arrested were examined. The analysis revealed that juvenile incarceration length was associated with health and suicidal ideation whereas adult incarceration length was associated with economic disadvantage, suicidal ideation, and depression. The results of this study underscore that the timing and length of incarceration matters for life outcomes.

“When Is a School Not a School?” Dr. Carrie Weaver Smith, Child Prisons, and the Limits of Reform in Progressive Era Texas

This archival study explores the life and work of Dr. Carrie Weaver Smith (1885–1942), a Progressive Era social worker and prison warden. Specifically, I explore the first phase of her career as a House Physician at the Virginia K. Johnson Home in Dallas, Texas (1911–1915) and as the first Superintendent of the Texas State Training School for Girls in Gainesville, Texas (1916–1925). Using archival research, I detail three conflicts that defined Dr. Smith’s superintendency: her fight to reclassify a youth prison as a school, her challenges to a Ku Klux Klan-dominated legislature, and her refusal to cede authority to a State Board of Control. Together, these conflicts led the Board to terminate Dr. Smith’s position, an outcome that would replay twice more before she retired from prisonwork. I argue that when most reformers made significant concessions, compromising their visions to maintain state funding and political allyship, Dr. Smith stood out for her record of refusal. And yet, like other reformers, she left Texas with the capacity to imprison more women and girls than ever before.

Differentiating crossover youth: Examining psychological characteristics in a multicultural Australian youth justice cohort

The association between childhood maltreatment and juvenile offending has been well-established, with a significant proportion of justice-involved young people being found to have child protection service histories. However, it is unclear what psychological factors contribute to this complex relationship. This study aimed to compare levels of impulsivity, impulsive aggression, psychopathology, and a sensitivity to anger, as well as gender and ethnocultural background, across justice-involved youth with and without a child protection history. The study sample comprised 215 young people detained in juvenile detention centers across two sites in Victoria, Australia between July 2011 and June 2012. Measures of impulsivity, impulsive aggression, internalizing and externalizing behaviors, and sensitivity to anger were administered and compared amongst those who had previously been the subject of a child protection order and those without such histories. Results of logistic regression analyses indicated that impulsivity and impulsive aggression were independently associated with having a child protection history in justice-involved youth. Ethnocultural background was also significantly associated with having a child protection history. Implications for clinical practice and future research are discussed.

Correction: Improving Programming in Juvenile Detention: The Impact of Project Safe Neighborhoods Youth Outreach Forums

Correction: Improving Programming in Juvenile Detention: The Impact of Project Safe Neighborhoods Youth Outreach Forums

Restorative Justiceand Protection of Children's Rights in the Criminal Legal Process

Protection for children who are in conflict with the law in the juvenile criminal justice process, from investigation, prosecution, court, to juvenile correctional facilities, has not been able to provide protection that provides a sense of justice for children. In fact, children's rights are often ignored. In the case of children, children can be perpetrators, victims, or witnesses, so serious protection and treatment is needed to prevent wider and detrimental impacts on them. Handling of children's cases must be carried out by officials who understand children's problems. Law Number 11 of 2012 concerning the Juvenile Criminal Justice System marks progress in protecting children in conflict with the law, by changing the paradigm in handling these cases. The process of resolving children's cases is not only limited to the judiciary, but can also be carried out outside the judiciary through diversion with a restorative justice approach. This approach involves all relevant parties, including perpetrators, victims, witnesses and other parties, to jointly find solutions in the best interests of the child.

Learning from Within: Life-Affirming Practices and Third Spaces Created by and for Incarcerated Youth

Grounded in a Black feminist approach (Collins, 2022; Evans-Winters, 2019), in this article, I weave together the personal and professional to share what I have learned as a Black Latina educator, researcher, and abolitionist who for the past twelve years has worked in carceral spaces alongside numerous men, women, youth, and gender expansive people. I bridge what I have learned from theories of the flesh (Madison, 1993; Moraga & Anzaldúa 2021) to what I have learned as a researcher who works with incarcerated youth and use it as a lens to better understand and study youth confinement. Drawing on data from a three-year critical ethnographic study focused on teaching, learning, and identity development in a juvenile detention center, this article explores young people’s experiences living and learning while confined. Using three distinct vignettes, this article touches on the lives of Black and Mexican heritage youth who at the time were detained in a juvenile detention center and the life-affirming practices and spaces they created in response to their dehumanization. Although youth were in a state of unfreedom (Gilmore, 2008), many refused their dehumanization and developed life-affirming strategies and third spaces for themselves and others.

Race differences in the impact of juvenile detention on likelihood of young adult incarceration of males aging out of care

Youth involved in the child welfare system are more likely to be involved in the juvenile justice system, and juvenile justice involvement is linked to increased likelihood of subsequent incarceration. For these reasons, overrepresentation of Black youth in the child welfare system contributes to racial disparities in incarceration rates. It is, therefore, important to study youth transitioning out of foster care to examine how their young adult outcomes differ by race. Employing the National Youth in Transition Database (NYTD), this study compared the incarceration experiences of non-Hispanic White and Black males aging out of foster care. Specifically, this study examined the impact of juvenile detention on the likelihood of incarceration ages 19 to 21and factors that mediated this relationship. Notably, 33.5% of White males and 30.7% of Black males in the sample experienced juvenile detention. Findings indicate that juvenile detention disproportionately impacts Black males who age out of foster care compared to their White counterparts. The direct effect of juvenile detention on reported incarceration between age 19–21 for Black males in the sample was OR = 2.31 compared to OR = 1.91 for White males. Reported incarceration between age 17–19 significantly mediated the relationship between juvenile confinement and incarceration age 19–21 for both Black and White males in the sample, although this effect was substantially stronger for Black males. Research and policy implications are discussed.

A systematic review of systems-level strategies to reduce disproportionate minority contact in juvenile justice systems

The continued existence of racial and ethnic disparities in the juvenile justice system is of critical importance. The purpose of this systematic literature review is to determine how effectively systems-level interventions have reduced disproportionate minority contact in the juvenile justice system. Eleven identified studies assessed the effectiveness of systems-level interventions and met the inclusion criteria for this review. Implementing a risk assessment tool was the most common strategy in the literature. Although several articles described strategies that decreased juvenile detention and other negative outcomes overall, few strategies were associated with reducing disproportionate minority contact. Local attempts to influence how decisions are made seem to work, but jurisdictions must focus these efforts specifically on disproportionality to combat the intractable issue of disparities in juvenile justice system outcomes.

RELAPSE PENYALAHGUNAAN DADAH DALAM KALANGAN BEKAS BANDUAN DIBAWAH PENGAWASAN PDRM [RELAPSE OF DRUG ABUSE AMONG EX -PRISONERS UNDER PDRM SUPERVISION

Drug relapse behavior among ex-convicts is driven and influenced by many factors. The main purpose of this study is to identify the main factors that lead to drug relapse behavior among ex-prisoners and also the effectiveness of punishment given to ex-helpers to prevent them from engaging in drug relapse behavior. Through this study, there are five main factors that are the focus of the study such as peer factors, family factors, the effect of punishment, the effectiveness of rehabilitation programs and also community education. The implementation of this study is using a quantitative approach where group interviews and individual interviews are used as the main method to collect data and information from the study respondents who consist of 8 inmates in three prisons in Kedah, namely Yan Prison, Sik Prison and Kuala Kedah Prison. All the respondents of this study are Indian juvenile prisoners aged in their 20s and ex-prisoners who are still under the supervision of the PDRM.

Determinants of STI Risk Behaviors as a Function of Alcohol use and Incarceration History Among Male Adolescent Offenders

Aims: The purpose of this analysis was to identify bivariate correlates of history of prior incarceration, and self-reported risky sexual practices among a sample of adolescent male detainees. Methods: The current analyses included 139 male adolescent offenders enrolled in an AOD/HIV prevention intervention conducted in a juvenile detention facility in a major Southeastern city in the USA. Significance tests were conducted using univariate logistic regressions to examine the independent associations of prior arrest history, and self-reported risky behaviors prior to this recent incarceration. Results: Adolescents who identified as having a prior arrest history were more likely to report they had willingly had sex with a prostitute (OR = 2.78, 95% CI = 1.29–5.95), used alcohol or other drugs to get a desired effect (OR = 3.39, 95% CI = 1.18–9.68), had tattoos (OR = 4.18, 95% CI = 1.78–9.78) and were addicted to AODs (OR = 2.51, 95% CI = 0.77–8.16). Conclusion: Findings suggest that risk practices that increase risk for STIs among adolescent male offenders, maybe a function of incarceration history.

Psychosocial stressors of adolescents with E-cigarette, or vaping, product-use associated lung injury: A qualitative study

Background and objectivesAdolescent electronic cigarette (EC) use has reached epidemic rates and has been linked to numerous mental health and psychosocial stressors (PS). There is limited qualitative data on PS for adolescents with e-cigarette, or vaping, product-use associated lung injury (EVALI), a severe complication of EC use. MethodsAll patients hospitalized at Children’s Medical Center in Dallas, Texas from 2018 to 2022 and met CDC case definitions for EVALI were included in the analysis. PS were extracted from the electronic health record and analyzed for recurring themes using the HEADSS assessment as a framework. Results were summarized using descriptive statistics, and representative quotations were selected to highlight each theme. ResultsForty-three adolescents (mean age 16.3 years; 62.8 % male; 39.5 % Non-Hispanic White, 60.5 % Hispanic) were included in the analysis, and 40 (93 %) reported PS. The most common themes were family (51 %; “restraining order issued against 28-year-old brother”), polysubstance use (77 %; “experimenting with…ecstasy, LSD, CCC, misusing Adderall”), and mental health (63 %; “has been suicidal since he was ‘a toddler’”). Less commonly, patients reported PS related to peers (28 %; “spending the entire day at the cemetery where his best friend was buried”), school (49 %; “attending his second alternative school”), and the legal system (19 %; “placed in juvenile detention, released, and will be on probation”). ConclusionsAdolescents with EVALI had PS that were chronic, severe, and involving multiple domains. These findings emphasize the importance of psychosocial screening in adolescents and coordinating interdisciplinary care with mental health and social services.

INTEGRATING FORENSIC MENTAL HEALTH IN LEGAL PROCESSES

The special report titled "Integrating Forensic Mental Health in Legal Processes" focuses on an event held on December 15, 2023, at Sheikh Zayed Medical College in Rahim Yar Khan. This collaborative event, organized by Justice Project Pakistan (JPP), the Pakistan Psychiatric Society (Punjab Chapter), and the departments of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, highlighted the crucial intersection of mental health and criminal justice in Pakistan. The report discusses the situation of the death penalty and capital punishment in Pakistan, emphasizing the challenges faced by juvenile prisoners and those with mental health issues. It also features the screening of three documentaries depicting the struggles of individuals affected by the criminal justice system, emphasizing the need for a more compassionate and equitable legal system. The event included an interactive Q&amp;A session with diverse stakeholders and concluded with an acknowledgment of JPP's contributions towards advocating justice reform. The report suggests enhancing the diversity of perspectives, focusing on actionable outcomes, and involving policymakers more directly in future events to strengthen their impact.

Defying the ODDs: How Indiana Schools Should Implement Multisystemic Therapy to Reduce the Rate of Juvenile Incarceration for Children with Oppositional Defiant Disorder

Under Indiana Code Section 20-35-4-1.5, schools have a duty to educate students with a disability. 1 However, due to ineffective disciplinary measures in schools, students with debilitating behavioral health disorders are not receiving the education they are due. This Note will explore why Indiana should adopt legislation like New York’s ‘Timothy’s Law’ to allow for insurance coverage of Multisystemic Therapy to be implemented in schools as an alternative to other disciplinary actions for students diagnosed with disruptive behavioral disorders, and in particular, Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD). Specifically, this Note will begin with a hypothetical scenario of a young child diagnosed with ODD who did not receive proper treatment of his disorder. This Note will then outline what ODD is, its history, and discuss how it is currently treated. Next, this Note will outline how schools are affected by Oppositional Defiant Disorder and how this directly contributes to juvenile incarceration rates. This Note will then propose a solution to juvenile incarceration rates of children with ODD by proposing that schools implement multisystemic therapy programs, modeled after a Californian logic model. During this proposal, this Note will discuss what Multisystemic Therapy is and how it would look in a school setting. This Note will further outline the cost of implementing the program and analyze how Indiana legislation currently has passed some legislation that can off-set the cost of the program. Finally, this Note will recommend further legislative changes like New York’s “Timothy Law” that will allow for insurance coverage of the therapy.

Teaching basic personal finance to justice‐involved youth

AbstractJustice‐involved youth (JIY) display skills deficits in a variety of domains, but particularly in life skills such as health habits, obtaining a job, and maintaining finances. These skills are particularly important for JIY, who often come from historically disenfranchised communities. This population encounters many challenges as they transition from juvenile correctional facilities to their respective communities. To have the greatest impact, these skills should likely be taught prior to the transition. Thus, the purpose of this study was to teach basic personal finance skills to adolescent males in a juvenile residential treatment facility, using an information packet with rehearsal and feedback. The intervention was specifically chosen to be minimally invasive due to the challenges presented by the COVID‐19 pandemic relating to providing services to JIY. Data were analyzed visually using nonconcurrent multiple baseline designs. The results of the study showed the intervention was moderately effective at teaching basic financial skills relating to budgeting, banking, and credit to four participants.

Dating Violence Experiences Among Sex-Trafficking Youths in Juvenile Detention

Juvenile justice involvement is a risk factor for sex trafficking, as is teen dating violence (TDV). However, little is known about how TDV victimization correlates with sex-trafficking victimization among girls in juvenile detention. This study was conducted with 111 detained female minors from two Arizona juvenile detention centers. All female detainees were screened for sex-trafficking risk factors by a clinical staff member and completed a series of surveys about their life experiences and a dating violence history survey. Nearly half of the participants, 42.3% ( n = 47), reported having experienced sex trafficking. Girls in juvenile detention who reported sex-trafficking victimization were significantly more likely to report higher scores on the TDV scale.

Teaching human rights-based social work in Australia – drawing from practice experiences in diverse environments

ABSTRACT This reflective piece considers the author’s formative professional experiences including working in the criminal justice system in Central Australia, and conducting humanitarian monitoring of immigration detention centers across Australia, both environments where the human rights of those impacted were constrained through the domestic legal frameworks. By utilizing these experiences to illustrate the strength of embracing a human rights-based approach within social work in Australia, the author emphasizes that this approach is broader than the construct of domestic legality alone. Having recently completed her doctoral thesis exploring the lived experiences of youth detention in New South Wales, the author describes how she frames her emerging social work teaching practice through using her professional background, incorporating case studies, and facilitating discussions in a dynamic, flipped classroom. The author emphasizes in her teaching that social workers are positioned as human rights-focused practitioners, noting that the law, not infrequently, contravenes basic human rights standards, or is not enforced with an overarching human rights-based ethos or approach. Ethical and reflective human rights-focused social work practice in Australia is vital within this country marred by deepening inequalities and the on-going destructive processes of colonization.

Supporting musical affordances for desistance and resistance in youth justice settings

ABSTRACT As criminological perspectives of youth justice shift from rehabilitative ideals to desistance frameworks whereby young people assume a central role in their own identity-development and relationships with others, child-centred approaches that afford youth with agency and voice have been seen as increasingly important. However, noting that desistance is not only a process of identity (re)construction but a relational one in which individuals establish a sense of belonging, who young people engage with have a significant impact on their desistance journeys. The research reported in this article examined how musicians conceptualise their aims and practices in youth detention centres in relation to the desistance journeys of incarcerated youth in Australia. Findings illustrate music’s affordances for desistance as spaces of asylum for young people, providing respite from carceral pains, opportunities for agential creativity and enjoyment, but also political and disruptive potentials to resist the inequities and injustices of the status quo and create alternative futures.