Juvenile Justice Policy Research Articles

Forging Paths of Compassion

In the United States, Florida leads the nation in prosecuting minors, from direct file to reinforcing systems like the school-to-prison pipeline. While the Department of Juvenile Justice has made an active effort to move away from the punitive avenues to address juvenile delinquency, the local implementation framework outlined in Florida Statute 985 results in variability in utilization across jurisdictions, influencing the treatment and consequences faced by justice-involved youth. The study unveils the influence of congregation-based community organizations, particularly within the Direct Action Research Training network (DART), in advocating for the expansion of civil citation programs. Through comparative analysis and qualitative interviews, it demonstrates the effectiveness of congregational advocacy in shaping juvenile justice policies. The findings underscore the necessity of statewide standards to ensure consistency and address local challenges in implementation. Additionally, the study highlights the importance of further research into the impact of socio-demographic and contextual factors on program effectiveness and youth outcomes, providing valuable insights for policy development.

Gendered Realities: Reforming Juvenile Justice in India

For the past few decades, the juvenile justice system in India has shifted from a rehabilitative to a retributive paradigm, leading researchers to become increasingly interested in the gendered implications of paradigm change that may exacerbate problems of young offenders, especially females. The current article explores the question of how social attitudes, institutional prejudices, and intersectional identities affect the ways in which female offenders are perceived and treated in India. The framework for the current study includes theoretical concepts of rehabilitation, retribution, and feminist theory. The use of secondary analysis and the description of policy changes and historical context studies are included in the research. Employing a data-driven analysis based on a combination of case studies, quantitative data, and inter-state comparison, the research reveals that female offenders face systemicinstitutional and individual problems, including re-victimization, trauma, and inadequate access to quality rehabilitation services. This article argues for genderresponsive and intersectional juvenile justice policies and redirects attention to rehabilitation available results for future policy and research initiatives

Beyond recidivism: reconceptualizing success through relational health for trauma-exposed youth experiencing juvenile justice involvement.

Youth who have histories of trauma exposure face unique barriers and needs in navigating the juvenile justice system. Accordingly, reliance on recidivism as the primary "success" metric falls short for trauma-impacted youth and may actually prolong their justice involvement. Caregivers and juvenile justice professionals (i.e., judges, attorneys, detention and probation staff, case managers, and mental health clinicians) often struggle to identify and adequately address these challenges and pitfalls. This policy brief provides an overview of specialized considerations for traumatized youth with respect to common policies and practices, namely mandated placement, treatment, and timelines. Specific examples and actionable recommendations are provided to assist juvenile justice professionals and treatment providers with systemic efforts to more appropriately and effectively customize juvenile justice policies and programs for these extremely vulnerable youth.

Juvenile probation staff perceptions of engaging families in substance use services.

Study objectives were to (a) understand juvenile justice staff members' experiences with engaging families in youth substance use services and (b) identify staff-perceived barriers to family engagement across steps of substance use service provision. Lack of family involvement in juvenile justice system substance use (SU) services is a key barrier to successful treatment of justice-involved youth. From June through November 2015, 33 focus groups were conducted at juvenile justice system probation sites across seven states. There were 263 participants, which included juvenile justice probation and behavioral health staff. Strategies to engage families in services were highly variable across the 33 juvenile justice sites. Juvenile justice staff members identified barriers to family engagement in SU services including family discomfort, distrust of juvenile justice staff, lack of family service compliance, difficulties accessing SU services, lack of transportation, insurance and cost barriers, low perceived need for treatment, lack of SU education, and SU treatment stigma. Barriers to family engagement directly impact the success of SU service provision in juvenile justice settings. Implementation of strategies to engage families of justice-involved youth (e.g., providing tangible, informational, and emotional support to families, and involving families in juvenile justice policy and care decisions) are critical to improving SU outcomes among this vulnerable population.

The Review and Prospect for Evidence-Based Researches on Punitive Juvenile Justice Policy

The Review and Prospect for Evidence-Based Researches on Punitive Juvenile Justice Policy

Gendered Criminality and Punishment: Does Gender Influence Juvenile Offending and Punishment in Saudi Arabia?

In this paper, we examine the connection between gendered criminality and punishment in Saudi Arabia. Specifically, we examine how the presence of a criminal associate, type of criminal associate, prior criminality, type of court, and number of presiding judges affect what types of punishments are meted out to juvenile male and female offenders. Using a sample of 437 court cases drawn from several court systems, we found that males were more likely to commit substance use-related crimes, whereas females were more likely to commit the offenses of adultery and fornication. We also found that males were more likely than females to engage in kidnapping, a relatively violent crime. In addition, our findings reveal that juvenile males tended to commit crimes with both juvenile and adult associates, whereas juvenile females were more likely to have only adult criminal associates. Also, males were more likely than females to commit murder than substance use-related crimes if they had criminal associates. Lastly, male offenders whose cases were adjudicated by two or more judges were far more likely than male offenders whose cases were tried by a single judge to receive longer prison sentences. Interestingly, we did not find an association between punishment type and gender. The implications of our findings for the juvenile justice system, policy, and future research are discussed.

Predictive Bias in Juvenile Risk Assessment: Considering Race/Ethnicity and Sex

This study examines the joint effects of race/ethnicity and sex on the classification quality of the Positive Achievement Change Tool (PACT). We assess predictive parity, calibration, and error rate balance using a statewide sample of youth who completed probation from 2007 to 2014. Similar rates of predictive parity were observed across groups. Calibration was observed consistently across groups, but only when low risk youth were used as the reference category. Black and Hispanic boys revealed the highest base rates of re-arrest and inaccurate classification (i.e., scored low risk but were rearrested). Our findings highlight the difficulty in making conclusions about test bias, especially when base rates of recidivism are not equal across groups. Implications for juvenile justice policy and practice are discussed.

The historical analysis of childhood and juvenile delinquency: Implications of american social trend and thought

This paper provides a comprehensive historical analysis of policies, theories and approaches to juvenile delinquency. It also examines the deficits and advantages of the application of adult based criminological theory as a means of explaining, and irradiating juvenile crime. Additionally, the author explores the dynamics of the definition of childhood, the pervasiveness of the mistreatment of children, and how these ever-evolving conditions have impacted juvenile justice policy. Moreover, the paper dissects classical, positivist, and neo-classical criminological theories efforts to explain society's response to juvenile crime. In the conclusion, the author draws implications to contemporary approaches to the treatment of juvenile delinquency based in the positivist school of thought. Finally, the author discuss the significance of understanding the historical implications for policymakers and practitioners.

Healthy adolescent development and the juvenile justice system: Challenges and solutions

AbstractAdolescents are developmentally distinct from adults in ways that merit a tailored response to juvenile crime. Normative adolescent brain development is associated with increases in risk taking, which may include criminal behavior. Juvenile delinquency peaks during the adolescent years and declines in concert with psychosocial maturation. However, current U.S. approaches to juvenile justice are misaligned with youth's developmental needs and may undermine the very psychosocial development necessary for youth to transition out of crime and lead healthy adult lives. In this article, I discuss empirically supported and efficacious responses to juvenile crime in the United States, as well as opportunities for further developmental reform of the juvenile justice system. Developmentally appropriate responses to juvenile crime prioritize community‐based corrections and engage youth's social context in the rehabilitative process. The juvenile justice system shares the responsibility to prepare youth to live fulfilling, productive adult lives; that responsibility can be achieved by partnering with developmental scientists to inform juvenile justice practice and policy.

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), psychotropic medication prescription, and continued offending among youth with serious offending histories in juvenile justice residential placement

PurposeAdverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are linked to a multitude of deleterious outcomes including, but not limited to, persistent mental and physical health problems, increased justice system involvement, and chronic delinquency. Using a statewide multiyear sample of youth completing long-term juvenile justice residential placement, this study extends prior work by assessing the association between childhood aversity, the prescription of psychotropic medication, and continued delinquency. We additionally explore whether these associations vary across race/ethnicity and sex. MethodsBinary logistic regression and structural equation modeling are used to assess the relationship of cumulative ACEs with psychotropic medication prescription. Logistic regression models are used to assess which covariates, including cumulative ACEs and psychotropic medication, are associated with continued offending. Lastly, we examine the moderating effect of race/ethnicity and sex on the association between the prescription of psychotropic medication and continued delinquency. ResultsACE exposure increases mental health indicators, which then increase the likelihood of psychotropic medication prescription. ACEs increase reoffending; however, psychotropic medication prescription is unrelated to recidivism. The ACE effect and non-significance of psychotropic medication on recidivism was consistent across sex and race/ethnicity. ConclusionACEs are related to both psychotropic medication prescription during placement and subsequent recidivism, yielding juvenile justice policy implications.

Serving quarreling masters: Frontline workers and policy implementation under pressure

AbstractHow do frontline workers implement policy when it is politically contested and they face strong pressure from politicians and the media? Based on original data and a multi‐method analysis of juvenile justice policy and child protection policy in Switzerland, we show that political conflict can change policy implementation when frontline workers adapt their implementation practices in response to political and media pressure. We demonstrate that frontline workers seek to limit the influence of political pressure on policy implementation to safeguard their professional autonomy and reputation. However, we observe that they may also occasionally engage in what we call “blame‐avoiding policy implementation.” While formally complying with the policy mandate, frontline workers exploit their street‐level discretion to make policy implementation less scandal‐prone and blameworthy, thereby lowering the likelihood of blame attacks. The findings have important implications for our understanding of policy implementation and the functioning of bureaucracy in more conflictual times.

The Political Development of Schools as Cause and Solution to Delinquency

AbstractThis article offers a comprehensive history of the development of the federal role in education and juvenile justice policy from the 1950s to the 1970s. We argue that the issues of juvenile delinquency and education became linked during this period and policies that were enacted reflected the belief that education was a solution to delinquency. In the mid-twentieth century, a broader variety of approaches to antidelinquency, such as public job creation for youth, began to fall out of favor and education became elevated as the primary policy area for addressing delinquency outside the criminal justice system. Policy makers frequently justified federal involvement in education by arguing that schools were central to antidelinquency efforts. Drawing educational institutions into the fight against delinquency made schools susceptible to the punitive turn in crime policy. Ultimately, these developments have introduced punitive policies into schools and pushed antidelinquency efforts away from broader structural reforms.

소년원 임시퇴원제도의 정비를 위한 정책적·입법적 개선방안

In the Juvenile Act, there is a protective disposition for resocialization from an educational point of view that helps juvenile offenders grow into healthy adults. The reason why we are preparing a juvenile criminal justice policy separately from the criminal justice policy for adults is that we believe that juvenile offenders have a higher potential for education and improvement than adult offenders. It is necessary to help juvenile grow into healthy adults rather than stigmatizing them as criminals and punishing them even if they commit crimes. The Juvenile Reformatory provides education such as subject education, vocational competency development training, and certification exam so that juvenile in protection can be nurtured so that they can return to society as healthy juveniles. Among juveniles detained in Juvenile Reformatory, if it is recognized that the purpose of correction has been achieved because of good correctional grades, they are subject to ‘Release on Parole’ or ‘Release’ pursuant to Article 44 of ‘Act on the Treatment of Protected Juveniles’. Protective juveniles imposed with disposition No. 9 will be ‘Release on Parole’ from the Juvenile Reformatory with about one month remaining. Upon release on parole, the juvenile will be charged with probation for six months. Because of the situation in which they will receive probation for a period that is about six times the remaining period, juvenile in probation often think that release on parole is rather unfavorable treatment. In principle, it is reasonable that the probation imposed along with Release on Parole should be for the remainder of the confinement period. For the judgment of Release on Parole, it is necessary to make a specific evaluation using various currently developed recidivism risk assessment tools. If necessary, it is also necessary to actively review the development of a tool to evaluate the recidivism risk of children in protection.

Hostile, Quick-Tempered, and Exposed to Dangerous Environments: Exploring the Link Between Temperament and the Street Code Adherence

Although Elijah Anderson’s code of the street thesis has received a great deal of scholarly attention, fewer studies have examined the characteristics associated with its adoption. Existing evidence is supportive of Anderson’s initial observations, however, less is known about the association between personality and emotional characteristics and adopting street code norms. The current study assesses the role of DeLisi and Vaughn’s difficult temperament index in the adoption of the street code among a sample of juvenile justice-involved youth. Results indicated youth with more difficult temperaments, characterized by lower levels of effortful control and higher levels of negative emotionality, were more likely to report greater street code adherence. Implications for juvenile justice policy and future research are discussed.

소년사건에서의 이른바 역송(逆送)에 따른 절차의 존재방식 - 일본 ｢소년법｣ 제20조 제2항의 해석론을 참고로 하여 -

In Japan, the Family Court holds jurisdiction over all delinquent juveniles, which differs from juvenile justice system of Korea. However, there are many similarities to the Korean system, in regards to the principle of delinquency control and the characteristics of juvenile protection proceedings. In Japan, the ferocity of juvenile crimes has been seriously recognized, and there has been a discussion about the age of juveniles subject to the juvenile law. For Korea, which shares the problems of juvenile crime, it is useful to take a look at the reality of Japan''s juvenile justice system and the challenges it faces, in order to suggest the direction of future policy. In Korea, discussions about juvenile justice policy that expands the application of criminal punishment as a reaction to a series of heinous juvenile crimes or violent juvenile crimes has been supported by the public and the media. Examining the discussion in Japan regarding the method and procedure of the decision to referral (remitment) to a prosecutor (Article 20 of Japan’s Juvenile Act), and the methods of holding criminal trials of juveniles after a remitment-to-prosecutor, it can be seen that much valuable consideration has been constantly presented to carry out the fundamental ideal and basic framework concerning juvenile justice by ensuring appropriate procedures (‘due process’) for juveniles and promoting the healthy growth and development of juveniles. This point is considered to be significant in determining the direction of rational problem-solving in relation to the phenomenon of juvenile crime that we are facing in Korea.

Crossroads in juvenile justice: The impact of initial processing decision on youth 5 years after first arrest.

The current study advances past research by studying the impact of juvenile justice decision making with a geographically and ethnically diverse sample (N = 1,216) of adolescent boys (ages 13-17 years) for the 5 years following their first arrest. Importantly, all youth in the study were arrested for an eligible offense of moderate severity (e.g., assault, theft) to evaluate whether the initial decision to formally (i.e., sentenced before a judge) or informally (i.e., diverted to community service) process the youth led to differences in outcomes. The current study also advanced past research by using a statistical approach that controlled for a host of potential preexisting vulnerabilities that could influence both the processing decision and the youth's outcomes. Our findings indicated that youth who were formally processed during adolescence were more likely to be re-arrested, more likely to be incarcerated, engaged in more violence, reported a greater affiliation with delinquent peers, reported lower school enrollment, were less likely to graduate high school within 5 years, reported less ability to suppress aggression, and had lower perceptions of opportunities than informally processed youth. Importantly, these findings were not moderated by the age of the youth at his first arrest or his race and ethnicity. These results have important implications for juvenile justice policy by indicating that formally processing youth not only is costly, but it can reduce public safety and reduce the adolescent's later potential contributions to society.

Mea Culpa? The Role of Data Collection in Public Officials Acknowledging Policy Failure

AbstractState governments, often described as “laboratories of democracy,” design and implement many public policies, but this moniker also implies course correction when initial efforts fail. But how do states learn from failure? Existing hypotheses about policy learning and broad research capacity are insufficient. Using case studies of failed juvenile justice policies in Texas and Washington, I explore when failure acknowledgment occurs at all. I argue that a state’s bureaucratic capacity to gather data—distinct from its analytical capacity—is necessary for public officials to acknowledge failure, highlighting the impact of policy and institutional design on evidence-based policy making and policy corrections.

Evaluating RNR-Based Targeted Treatment and Intervention Dosage in the Context of Traumatic Exposure

Best practices in juvenile justice call for the individualized matching of services to assessed dynamic risk factors, with services delivered at sufficient dosage. However, prior work has largely ignored whether this recipe for recidivism reduction is as effective for adolescents with extensive traumatic exposure as it is for those without. The current study leverages a statewide sample of 1,666 juveniles released from residential placement (84.6% male, 59.8% Black, 11.9% Hispanic). We examine the associations of individual-level service matching and achieving dosage targets established by Lipsey’s Standardized Program Evaluation Protocol (SPEP) during residential placement with changes in dynamic risk during placement and recidivism post-release among juveniles with extensive adverse childhood experiences (ACE) exposure and those without. Results demonstrate heightened traumatic exposure is related to smaller reductions in dynamic risk and to an increased probability of reoffending, but that youth receiving matched services coupled with adequate dosage leads to greater treatment progress (dynamic risk reduction) and lower recidivism post-release for both low-ACE and high-ACE youth. Implications for juvenile justice practice and policy are discussed.

An Examination of the Relationship Between Media Exposure and Fear of Victimization: Implications of the Superpredator Narrative on Juvenile Justice Policies

AbstractThe media allow crime to infiltrate the public’s consciousness in every conceivable way, thereby playing a major role in shaping the public’s opinion and attitude toward crime and crime issues (Barak, 1995; Fields & Jerin, 1996; Kappeler & Potter, 2005). Reporters constantly talk about crime, and crime related stories dominate the headlines of local and national newspaper outlets (Dowler, 2003; Pizarro et al, 2007). Some of the most highly rated television programs are based on crime plots and people across social, political, and racial demographics are constantly engaged in crime dialogue generated from local or national news stories. When the focus of these mediums is on youth they become even more profound and contentious. The images portrayed conjure up stereotypes that lead to fear and inflammatory remarks that become entrenched into the national lexicon. The current study uses data from the National Opinion Survey of Crime and Justice to test the relationship between crime‐related media viewership and fear of victimization within a nationally representative adult sample. Approximately 42.67% of respondents reported regularly watching crime shows and about the same proportion (42.83%) believed their local media paid too much attention to violent crime. In addition to regular crime‐show viewership, confidence in the police, gender, and recent contact with the police were associated with fear of victimization. This article adds to an existing body of research through a largely unexplored area in the administration of justice. It does so within the context of the U.S. juvenile justice system.

Positive Childhood Experiences (PCE): Cumulative Resiliency in the Face of Adverse Childhood Experiences

The maltreatment-offending relationship has been well elucidated. Less examined are protective factors that effectively serve to mitigate offending among ACE-exposed youth. The current study examines whether cumulative positive childhood experiences (PCEs) are themselves associated with a reduction in recidivism among juvenile justice-involved adolescents, and the ability of cumulative PCE to moderate the ACE-recidivism relationship. Results demonstrate, among over 28,000 juvenile offenders, high ACE scores were associated with increased reoffending, and high PCE scores were associated with decreased recidivism, as measured by both rearrest and reconviction. Further, among juveniles with four or more ACEs who have six or more PCEs, reconviction was 23% lower and rearrest 22% lower when compared to those youth with four or more ACEs and less than six PCEs, controlling for a host of demographic and criminal history measures. Findings indicate that among youth with high PCE scores the positive association between ACEs and recidivism is no longer significant. Implications for juvenile justice practice and policy are discussed.