Juvenile Probation Research Articles

What youth want: Youths’ perceptions of incentives in juvenile probation.

What youth want: Youths’ perceptions of incentives in juvenile probation.

Estimated effect of fee repeal on family financial stress and juvenile probation outcomes.

Estimated effect of fee repeal on family financial stress and juvenile probation outcomes.

Using Implementation Outcomes to Inform Implementation of Suicide Risk Screening with Juvenile Legal-Involved Youth: Considerations for Task-Shifting Suicide Screening to Juvenile Legal Staff

ABSTRACT Youth in the juvenile legal system (JLS) are at increased risk for suicidal thoughts and behaviors. Examine the acceptability, feasibility, and appropriateness of imbedding suicide screening and intervention in the JLS. The current study involved formative semi-structured interviews with key JLS stakeholders (n = 37) from two states, one in the Northeast and one in the Midwest, to determine whether suicide screening and intervention could be integrated into the role of juvenile probation officers. Stakeholders discussed perspectives on the acceptability (perceived JLS staff comfort with suicide screening and a brief intervention), feasibility (improving comfort of staff, youth, and families), and appropriateness (perceived impact on youth and families). Qualitative data suggested acceptability of suicide screening was mitigated by staff comfort and perceived support of available clinical resources. Feasibility of improving staff comfort to conduct suicide screening and a brief intervention revolved around logistical, training, and supervisory support. Barriers to the appropriateness of suicide screening and intervention with youth in the JLS suggest concerns about how youth’s distrust of the JLS and mental health stigma might impact engagement in suicide screening and intervention efforts. We conclude with implementation strategy considerations to enhance successful suicide screening and intervention by JLS staff.

S122 - Caregiver Recommendations for Contingency Management in Juvenile Probation

S122 - Caregiver Recommendations for Contingency Management in Juvenile Probation

소년 보호관찰에서의 트라우마 기반 케어 (Trauma-Informed Care: TIC) - 소년범을 위한 치료 및 재활 중심의 처우 방안 검토 -

소년 보호관찰에서의 트라우마 기반 케어 (Trauma-Informed Care: TIC) - 소년범을 위한 치료 및 재활 중심의 처우 방안 검토 -

Exploring the Link among adverse childhood experiences and commercial sexual exploitation

BackgroundYouth with involvement in commercial sexual exploitation (CSE) frequently have extensive adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), affecting their mental health outcomes. Expanding ACE research reveals the complex situations of marginalized youth, particularly those in CSE. ObjectiveTo examine ACEs’ frequency and severity in youth with and without CSE involvement, enhancing ACEs understanding. Participants and SettingMarginalized youth (n = 200) referred for trauma/psychological evaluations by the Department of Child Services or juvenile probation were divided into CSE-involved (n = 153) and non-CSE-involved (n = 47) groups. CSE-involved youth were subcategorized according to CSE duration: less than two months (n = 56) or two months or more (n = 97). MethodTrauma/psychological evaluations were used to code ACEs, evaluating their prevalence, diversity, and impact. Two evaluators coded the ACEs, with a third resolving any discrepancies. Differences in the occurrence and frequency of ACEs were compared based on the presence and duration of CSE involvement. FindingsParticipants encountered a broad spectrum of ACEs. Those involved in CSE had higher ACE frequencies, notably in family violence (IRR = 1.28, p = 0.02), sexual abuse (IRR = 1.251, p = 0.04), community violence (IRR = 1.469, p = 0.007), and personal ACEs (IRR = 1.224, p = 0.04). Findings revealed a heavier trauma load in CSE-involved youth, intensifying with longer involvement. ConclusionThese findings highlight the extent and diversity of ACEs among youth involved in CSE. Future research is needed to explore possible pathways through which ACEs might contribute to CSE involvement and the ways in which detailed assessment of youths’ histories can inform therapeutic programming.

Juvenile probation officers’ lived experiences of collaboration with clinical mental health counselors: An interpretive phenomenological analysis

Juvenile probation officers’ lived experiences of collaboration with clinical mental health counselors: An interpretive phenomenological analysis

Exploring the Impact of Rehabilitation and Custody Orientations on Workplace Experiences of Juvenile Probation and Detention Officers

Prior research has suggested that juvenile justice staff’s support for rehabilitation is important for the success of their juvenile clients. The purpose of this article was to assess how rehabilitation and punishment orientations impacted burnout, secondary trauma, job stress, and job satisfaction among juvenile probation and detention officers. Results indicated that having more of a rehabilitation orientation did not demonstrate direct effects on the workplace outcomes included in this study. However, staff who indicated more of a punishment orientation were less likely to report emotional exhaustion and personal accomplishment, as well as less job stress, but were more likely to report feelings of depersonalization.

Conditions of successful treatment referral practices with justice-involved youth: Qualitative insights from probation and service provider staff involved in JJ-TRIALS

IntroductionCompared to the general U.S. adolescent population, young people involved in the juvenile justice system are at greater risk of experiencing substance use (SU) issues. There are critical opportunities across the juvenile justice continuum, at points of interface with community-based treatment services, to screen and assess for SU issues, identify unmet treatment needs, and refer those in need to treatment. The treatment referral process is, however, complex, and contingent on a seamless nexus between juvenile justice operations and the wider treatment provider landscape. Given the lack of successful SU referrals among justice-involved youth and the variable referral rates across jurisdictions, this study's aim is to provide a qualitative, explanatory understanding of the conditions that together contribute to successful referring practices. MethodsThe study is based on an analysis of a qualitative dataset comprising focus group data with probation and community-based behavioral health treatment staff working in 31 sites in 6 different states as part of the clustered randomized trial of an organizational change intervention known as JJ-TRIALS (Juvenile Justice Translational Research on Interventions for Adolescents in the Legal System). The data contain respondents' narratives on the achievements, successes, and challenges with implementing the intervention. The data were analyzed through a combination of strategies to identify the conditions that both facilitate and impede referral processes between probation offices and community-based SU treatment providers. ResultsParticipants across sites discussed the positive impacts that the JJ-TRIALS intervention had on their improved ability to communicate, collaborate, and collect data. From the interviews, seven main conditions were observed to contribute to successful SU treatment referral practices: (1) communication (inter-organizational); (2) collaboration; (3) data-driven practices; (4) family engagement; (5) institutionalized policy and referral documentation; (6) efficient referral policies and procedures; and (7) suitable and accessible system of treatment providers. ConclusionFindings highlight the value of a holistic understanding of successful treatment referrals for justice-involved youth and help inform research and practice efforts to identify and measure the many dimensions of referral-making at the interface of juvenile probation and behavioral health services.

Sustainability of Evidence-Based Practices: Risk-Need-Responsivity in Probation 7 Years Later

This quasi-experimental, pre-post study investigated the sustainability of risk-needs assessment (RNA) and the risk-need-responsivity (RNR) practices in five juvenile probation offices across two states 7 years after rigorous implementation. The study evaluated adherence to practices and facilitators of sustainability via interviews with leadership ( N = 10) and probation officers ( N = 84) and a seventh-year cohort of youth propensity score matched to a cohort from the first year of implementation ( n = 730 per state cohort). Probation officers in both states reported relatively high adherence to RNR-based practices, and one state significantly improved adherence to its RNA administration policies and the risk principle. Adherence to the risk principle in placement and service referral decisions regressed in the other state. Essential ingredients for sustainment included maintaining staff training and monitoring, evolving RNR practices through the adoption of complementary evidence-based practices, and having court personnel who enable best practices.

Optimizing Juvenile Probation: A Concurrent Triangulation Study on Supervision Practices and Recidivism in Kenya

The primary objective of probation supervision is to ensure compliance with probation conditions, improve public safety, and rehabilitate and reintegrate offenders back into a pro-legal and social lifestyle. However, statistics in Kenya point to consistently high rates of recidivism in the past two decades. Despite this, limited information exists on the effect of juvenile supervision practices on recidivism in the country. This study aimed to evaluate the existing juvenile probation supervision practices and their outcomes in Nairobi County, Kenya. The study sampled 226 respondents comprising juvenile probationers and probation practitioners. Using a concurrent triangulation mixed-method approach, three probation supervision practices, namely, frequency and mode of supervision, supervision skills and workload, were examined. The outcomes for each of the three practices were varied, with frequency and mode of supervision having a reducing effect on recidivism but not significant. Supervision skills and probation officers’ workload significantly impacted recidivism. Collectively, the centrality of the existing probation supervision practices in curtailing juvenile reoffending behavior was evidenced. However, a number of challenges, including limited specialized training and mentorship in juvenile matters, resource constraints and overwhelming workloads, limited optimal outcomes. The study recommends consistent juvenile-focused training on supervision skills, clear guidelines to sustain manageable caseloads, and leveraging technology for administrative tasks and remote supervision.

A Study on the Intervention Method for Academic Emotion Regulation for Juvenile Probation

A Study on the Intervention Method for Academic Emotion Regulation for Juvenile Probation

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.

Great Expectations: The Importance of Procedural Justice and Parenting for Perceptions of Success Among Youth on Probation

Juvenile probation can be a critical inflection point. As such, researchers, policymakers, and practitioners are interested in enhancing youths’ success on probation, especially pertaining to reducing recidivism and promoting their success in education and employment. Informed by the risk–need–responsivity framework, the present study examined how theoretically derived familial/peer (e.g., social bonds, parental monitoring), societal/community (e.g., labeling theory), and individual-level (e.g., impulsivity, procedural justice) factors were associated with youths’ expectations for success on probation as well as more general life course outcomes. Within samples of youth starting probation ( N = 301) and 6 months into probation ( N = 253), we combined cross-sectional data from the jurisdiction’s risk/needs tool with a self-reported survey from youth. Youths’ perceptions of parental monitoring and procedural justice were consistently associated with their self-expectations for completing probation. However, for more general life course success, only perceptions of parental monitoring promoted self-expectations. Implications for theory, policy, and practice are discussed.

The impact of professional orientations on officers’ supervision behaviors in juvenile and adult community corrections: a multi-agency analysis

ABSTRACT Early scholarship on community corrections officers suggested that officers’ perceptions of their professional role influences how they carry out supervision. While some research has supported this contention, the studies examining the relationship have provided minimal attention to juvenile probation and parole, rarely considered actual as well as intended supervision behaviors, and analyzed samples with limited generalizability. The present study sought to fill this gap. Data were collected through the use of an online questionnaire from a sample of juvenile and adult probation and parole officers employed in seven different agencies in five states during spring 2015. The study found client type to be a significant predictor of both officer actual and intended behaviors, with juvenile PPOs preferring more frequent surveillance techniques and less frequent rewards for probationer progress toward goals. Professional orientation was also a significant predict of both types of behavior. Implications of these findings are discussed.

Juvenile probation officers and discretionary decision-making: the effects of legal, physical, and social factors

Although sentencing recommendations should be based on legal factors, research shows that some juvenile probation officers (JPOs) also consider extra-legal factors. Indeed, research shows that stereotypes about certain demographics (e.g., young Black males) increase the perception of dangerousness and, in turn, result in harsher sentencing recommendations. The purpose of the current study was to identify the legal (seriousness of offense, prior offenses, and record), physical (race, gender, and age), and social factors (socioeconomic status, completeness of the juvenile’s family/family arrangement, presence of co-offenders) that the JPO considered the most important when making their sentencing recommendations. Data for the study came from a sample of juvenile probation officers in nine states. Participants were asked questions about sanctioning, disposition, and sentencing. The findings show that while the majority of JPOs rated legal factors (e.g., seriousness of offense) as the most important when making sentencing recommendations, a substantial proportion of the sample rated physical factors (e.g., race) as the most important factor considered when making sentencing recommendations. Implications and future directions for research are discussed.

How probation practices vary across rural, suburban, and urban contexts

ABSTRACT Research on criminal justice in rural areas is historically infrequent in the United States, and even though it has become more frequent recently, there has been even less work focused on rural juvenile justice. The purpose of this article is to compare juvenile probation practices in rural counties to those in suburban and/or urban counties. Overall, the implementation of programmes and policies is primarily based on the needs of larger counties. This article presents findings from 16 in-depth interviews with juvenile probation officers throughout Pennsylvania. Various struggles were identified by probation officers in smaller counties, such as travel time to facilities and limited resources. In contrast, many probation officers in larger counties discussed the additional resources they have been able to offer to juveniles. These findings have implications for theory, juvenile probation officer practices, programmes and policies in rural communities, and highlight the need for future research in this area.

Work Ideologies of Juvenile Probation Officers: The Effects of Individual Characteristics

Probation is the oldest and most widely used community-based corrections program. Research on probation primarily focuses on the experiences of justice-involved juveniles and the supervision of juveniles in the probation system. Much less is understood about the impact probation officers' perceptions have on job performance and what factors influence those perceptions. The current study aimed to examine the relationship between individual characteristics (e.g., age, gender, race, level of education, tenure, political party affiliation, and jurisdiction) and juvenile probation officers' perceptions about their work ideology. Data for the study came from a sample of juvenile probation officers in nine states. Participants were asked questions about sanctioning, disposition, and role orientation. The study's findings show that few individual characteristics are significantly associated with attitudes/perceptions about work ideology. Probation officers’ race was the only predictor significantly associated with several outcomes. Implications and future directions for research are discussed.

Domains of the YLS: Do Some Matter More than Others?

Data were obtained in Pennsylvania to examine referrals to juvenile courts in the Commonwealth for the 2021-2022 school year that include any felony, misdemeanor or summary offenses that occurred on school property. This study looked at the referrals to see if any of the individual domains of the Youth Level of Service Case Management Inventory 2.0 (YLS/CMI) had more of an effect on how the case was disposed of, which was defined as dismissed or handled informally, or formally adjudicated, in juvenile court. The research found that while the overall YLS risk score influenced juvenile court outcomes, only five of the eight individual domains of the YLS had a significant effect on how a case was processed in juvenile court, which calls into question how closely juvenile probation officers are following the instrument in their practice.

The feasibility and utility of trauma screening for children involved in the juvenile justice system.

Childhood exposure to potentially traumatic events and adversity is highly prevalent and linked to adverse outcomes. Many children suffering from symptoms related to traumatic stress are not identified or do not receive appropriate trauma-focused treatment, including evidence-based treatments. Trauma screening is a promising strategy to improve identification, but many child-serving staff members have concerns about asking youth and caregivers about trauma. This study aimed to describe staff perceptions about the feasibility, utility, and potential for distress associated with trauma screening. Between 2014 and 2019, the Child Trauma Screen was used in 1,272 trauma screenings completed by juvenile probation officers or mental health clinicians as part of routine practice with youth in the juvenile justice system. Further, 1,190 caregiver reports about youth trauma were completed for youth in the juvenile justice system. Staff completed a brief postscreening survey about the feasibility and utility of the screening and the perceived level of child or caregiver distress. Across staff roles, trauma screening was deemed to be feasible and worthwhile to practice, with very few staff members reporting that children or caregivers appeared very uncomfortable as a result of screening, although some differences in feasibility and utility by staff role did occur. Trauma screening measures appear to be useful and practical in juvenile justice settings when appropriate support is provided, including when administered by nonclinical staff. Nonclinical staff may benefit from additional training, consultation, or support with trauma screening.