Youth Recidivism Research Articles

SAVRY Predictive Validity of Mississippi Justice-Involved Youth Recidivism: A Latent Variable Approach

SAVRY Predictive Validity of Mississippi Justice-Involved Youth Recidivism: A Latent Variable Approach

Psychopathy Scores Predict Recidivism in High-risk Youth: A Five-year Follow-up Study

Psychopathic traits have been associated with rearrest in adolescents involved in the criminal legal system. Much of the prior work has focused on White samples, short follow-up windows, and relatively low-risk youth. The current study aimed to evaluate the utility of the Hare Psychopathy Checklist: Youth Version (PCL:YV) for predicting general and violent felony recidivism in a large sample of high-risk, predominantly Hispanic/Latino, male adolescents (n = 254) with a five-year follow-up period. Results indicated higher PCL:YV scores and lower full-scale estimated IQ scores were significantly associated with a shorter time to felony and violent felony rearrest. These effects generalized to Hispanic/Latino adolescents (n = 193)—a group that faces disproportionate risk of being detained or committed to juvenile correctional facilities in the U.S. These results suggest that expert-rated measures of psychopathic traits and IQ are reliable predictors of subsequent felony and violent felony rearrest among high-risk male adolescents.

A mixed methods evaluation of family-driven care implementation in juvenile justice agencies in Georgia

Background Improving family engagement in juvenile justice (JJ) system behavioral health services is a high priority for JJ systems, reform organizations, and family advocacy groups across the United States. Family-driven care (FDC) is a family engagement framework used by youth-serving systems to elevate family voice and decision-making power at all levels of the organization. Key domains of a family-driven system of care include: 1) identifying and involving families in all processes, 2) informing families with accurate, understandable, and transparent information, 3) collaborating with families to make decisions and plan treatments, 4) responding to family diversity and inclusion, 5) partnering with families to make organizational decisions and policy changes, 6) providing opportunities for family peer support, 7) providing logistical support to help families overcome barriers to participation, and 8) addressing family health and functioning. FDC enhances family participation, empowerment, and decision-making power in youth services; ultimately, improving youth and family behavioral health outcomes, enhancing family-child connectedness, and reducing youth recidivism in the JJ setting.MethodsWe evaluated staff-perceived adoption of the eight domains of FDC across detention and community services agencies in the state of Georgia. We collected mixed methods data involving surveys and in-depth qualitative interviews with JJ system administrators, staff, and practitioners between November 2021- July 2022. In total, 140 individuals from 61 unique JJ agencies participated in surveys; and 16 JJ key informants participated in qualitative interviews.ResultsFDC domains with the highest perceived adoption across agencies included identifying and involving families, informing families, collaborative decision-making and treatment planning, and family diversity and inclusion. Other domains that had mixed or lower perceived adoption included involving families in organizational feedback and policy making, family peer support, logistical support, and family health and functioning. Adoption of FDC domains differed across staff and organizational characteristics.ConclusionsFindings from this mixed methods assessment will inform strategic planning for the scale-up of FDC strategies across JJ agencies in the state, and serve as a template for assessing strengths and weaknesses in the application of family engagement practices in systems nationally.

Youth recidivism: youth self-report matters.

"Recidivism" is used ubiquitously in juvenile justice research and typically describes repeat legal contact; however, researchers, policymakers, and clinicians operationalize it in various ways. Despite assuming each measure is a proxy for continued delinquent behavior leading to further legal contact, few have examined the association between youth delinquent behavior and self-reported and official records of legal contact. Furthermore, systemic bias against ethnoracial and gender minoritized youth often results in more harsh treatment by the legal system, which could influence recidivism measurement. Latent variable modeling of legal contact is understudied; thus, it is important to examine the feasibility of measuring this construct as a latent variable, including measurement invariance by gender. Among 401 youth ages 12-18 years at first ever court contact, we examined three metrics of legal contact over a 2-year follow-up period: youth-report of arrest, caregiver-report of their adolescent's arrest, and official records of the number of new court charges. We examined between-group differences on each metric based on gender and ethnoracial identity. We then measured: (1) the association between youths' self-reported delinquency and each metric, (2) gender-specific associations between self-reported delinquency and each metric, and (3) gender-based measurement invariance for a latent recidivism variable using confirmatory factor analysis. Youth were consistent reporters of their own delinquent behavior and prospective legal contact measured by arrests. There were no between-group differences based on gender or ethnoracial identity for any legal contact measures. Delinquency and all legal contact variables were positively intercorrelated for the overall sample and the male subsample. For females, delinquency was not associated with caregiver-reported youth arrest or number of new charges. The latent legal contact variable had unique factor structures for male and female subsamples, suggesting no measurement invariance. Youth-reported delinquency at first ever legal contact was most strongly associated with youth-reported arrest during a 2-year follow-up period, followed by caregiver-reported arrest, and the number of new charges. Unique latent variable factor structures for male and female subsamples suggests the inter-relation between legal contact variables is gender-specific. Stakeholders should consider prioritizing youth-reported delinquency since it is most strongly related to prospective youth-reported arrest.

Prosocial attributes relate to lower recidivism in justice-involved youth: preliminary evidence using a novel measure of prosocial functioning

PurposeThough prosocial attributes are linked to positive outcomes among justice-involved adolescents and are a mainstay of numerous interventions, few measures have been specifically designed to evaluate prosocial functioning within this population. Although multiple instruments measuring aspects of prosocial behavior exist, these instruments were not designed to measure prosocial behaviors among youth in juvenile justice settings. This study aims to provide a preliminary validation of a new measure of prosocial attributes (the Prosocial Status Inventory – PSI), which was designed to comprehensively evaluate in greater depth the prosocial functioning of urban, justice-involved youth.Design/methodology/approachYouth (n = 51) were recruited as part of a larger study and were participants in a community-based mentoring program in a large, urban county in the Southern USA. Youth completed the PSI at baseline prior to their participation in the community-based mentoring program. The authors obtained follow-up data on recidivism from the county juvenile justice department.FindingsPSI scores were positively related to a lower rate of recidivism and a decrease in offending frequency over a 12-month follow-up period.Originality/valueThe current findings complement previous work, suggesting that prosocial attributes are measurable and related to important outcomes among justice-involved youth and support the utility of strengths-based treatment approaches. Moreover, it provides preliminary evidence of the utility of a new self-report measure to assess these traits within a juvenile justice population.

Racial/ethnic disparities of the pact in predicting recidivism and court dispositions for justice-involved youth.

Responding to the concern about racial/ethnic disparities (R/ED) in the use of risk assessment instruments (RAIs) in justice systems, previous research has overwhelmingly tested the extent to which RAI scores consistently predict recidivism across race and ethnicity (predictive bias). However, little is known about R/ED in the association between RAI measures and court dispositions (disparate application) for justice-involved youths. This study investigated predictive bias and disparate application of three risk measures-criminal history, social history, and the overall risk level-produced by the Positive Achievement Change Tool (PACT) for White, Black, and Hispanic justice-involved youths. Given the mixed evidence in existing research for predictive bias and lack of evidence for disparate application, we did not make any specific hypothesis but conducted exploratory analyses. From a clinical perspective, however, we anticipated little or no evidence to support predictive bias and disparate application of the PACT among White, Black, and Hispanic youths in the jurisdiction we examined. The sample consisted of 5,578 youths (11.4% White, 43.9% Black, and 44.7% Hispanic) who completed the PACT while in the Harris County Juvenile Probation Department, Texas. The outcome variables included recidivism (general and violent reoffending) and court dispositions (deferred adjudication, probation without placement, and probation with placement). We ran a series of moderating binary logistic regression models and moderating ordinal logistic regression models to evaluate predictive bias and disparate application. Race and ethnicity influenced how the criminal history score related to violent recidivism: This compromised the validity of the score as a predictor of recidivism. Moreover, evidence showed that the overall risk of reoffending was associated with harsher sanctioning decisions for Black and Hispanic youths than for White youths. Ensuring that RAI results are consistently interpreted and used in informing decisions is as important as ensuring that RAI scores function equally well in predicting recidivism regardless of race and ethnicity. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

A systematic review and meta-analysis on adverse childhood experiences: Prevalence in youth offenders and their effects on youth recidivism

BackgroundAdverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have been found to be more prevalent among youth involved with the criminal justice system compared to their counterparts in the general population. The present study aims to systematically review the existing empirical studies to provide a comprehensive understanding of the prevalence of ACEs among youth offenders aged between 10 and 19 years, and the effects of both cumulative ACEs and individual ACE items on youth recidivism. MethodA systematic review approach was employed. Narrative synthesis and meta-analysis were performed to synthesise the data in 31 included studies. ResultsThe pooled prevalence of cumulative ACEs was 39.4 %. The pooled prevalence of individual ACEs ranged between 13.7 % to 51.4 %. Cumulative ACEs and neglect were positively associated with youth recidivism, with OR = 1.966, 95%CI [1.582, 2.444] and OR = 1.328, 95%CI [1.078, 1.637], respectively. Physical and sexual abuse were not significantly associated with youth recidivism. Regarding the mechanisms underlying the relationship between ACEs and recidivism; moderators included gender, positive childhood experiences, strong social bonds, and empathy. Mediators included child welfare placement, emotional and behavioural problems, drug use, mental health problems, and negative emotionality. ConclusionDeveloping programs to youth offenders aiming to address the impact of cumulative and individual ACE exposure, strengthen the protective factors and weaken the risk factors would be useful to reduce youth recidivism.

Technology integration: a promising way to mitigate recidivism of youth in juvenile justice

Justice-involved youth have a high risk of reoffending after release, indicating the need for evidence-based reentry programming. This paper presents the results of a two-year post-release non-randomized comparison study. The study examined the impact of enhanced transition programming, delivered through Reentry Intervention and Support for Engagement by Integrating Technology (RISE-IT), on recidivism by comparing two groups, youth who received enhanced vs. traditional transition services in a secure care facility. Enhanced services included: enhanced reception, assessment & classification, transition planning, vocational preparation, merging two worlds curriculum, and 30-day aftercare support. Results indicate that youth who received enhanced services through RISE-IT had significantly lower rates of recidivism. Limitations and implications for practice, as well as future research, are discussed.

Psychiatric and Substance-Related Problems Predict Recidivism for First-Time Justice-Involved Youth.

Justice-involved youth with clinically significant co-occurring psychiatric and substance-related problems are at increased risk for recidivism. Less is known about how psychiatric symptoms (i.e., internalizing and externalizing) and substance-related problems (i.e., alcohol and cannabis) interact to predict recidivism, especially at first court contact. Among 361 first-time justice-involved youth aged 12 to 18, we used nested multivariate negative binomial regression models to examine the association between psychiatric symptoms, substance-related problems and 24-month recidivism while accounting for demographic and legal covariates. Clinically significant externalizing symptoms and alcohol-related problems predicted recidivism. Moderation analyses revealed that alcohol-related problems drove recidivism for youth without clinically significant psychiatric symptoms and externalizing symptoms predicted recidivism, regardless of alcohol-related problems. After accounting for other predictors, Latinx, Black non-Latinx, and multiracial non-Latinx youth were more likely to recidivate at follow-up than White non-Latinx youth. Systematic screening, referral, and linkage to treatment for psychiatric and substance-related problems are needed to reduce recidivism risk among first-time justice-involved youth. Differences in recidivism rates by race/ethnicity not attributable to behavioral health needs suggest it is imperative to concurrently deploy large-scale structural interventions designed to combat systemic racial bias and overrepresentation of ethnoracial minoritized youth within the juvenile justice system.

Sociodemographic Factors Contributing to Youth Recidivism; A Case Study of District Swabi

Recidivism refers to the tendency of a person who has been released from prison to re-offend and return to prison. It is often measured by the percentage of individuals who are re-arrested, re- convicted, or re-incarcerated within a certain period of time after their release from prison. This study aims to identify the predictors of criminal recidivism in District Swabi. Data pertaining Ex-inmates' data was collected through interviews. Social stigma, unemployment, lack of reintegration, personal distress, violent prisoner, drug abuse, and lack of educational facilities were found to have effects on criminal recidivism, as the respondents revealed based on their experiences, and it is also revealed that such predictors if experienced, can lead to further reoffending. Various strategies have been proposed to address recidivism, including providing education and job training programs for prisoners.

A propensity score matched pair outcome evaluation of a parenting program for dually involved youth

ABSTRACT The Family First Prevention and Services Act (FFPSA) has created a major policy shift in how services are delivered in the US child welfare system. There is now an increased emphasis and incentive for states to focus on preventing children from entering the foster care system and the juvenile justice system. In addition, the FFPSA has created rigorous standards for evidence around these prevention services. We analyzed juvenile justice outcome data for the Family First parenting program for youth who started Families First between 2007 and2012. Youth in the program were matched to a comparison sample of court-supervised youth in the same time period using a propensity score-matched pair design. We found that youth enrolled in Families First had significantly fewer misdemeanor and felony charges than youth in the comparison group 12 months after the start (54% less) and end of the program (55% less). There were mixed findings for reductions in status and technical offenses. Our results suggest that the Families First model can be an effective intervention strategy for reducing recidivism in youth that are involved in both the child welfare and juvenile justice systems.

Protecting Against Adversity: The Role of Positive Childhood Experiences in Youth Recidivism

An abundance of research has established Adverse Childhood Experiences’ (ACEs’) contributions to deviant behavior. Recently, studies have demonstrated the importance of Positive Childhood Experiences (PCEs). Yet, the PCE establishment as a predictive scale is needed. In a multistate, robust sample (N = 254,874) of justice-involved youth, we examined PCE scale effects and ACE-PCE combinations on recidivism using mixed effects logistic regression while adjusting for the impact of state. Presence of PCEs was associated with lower reoffending likelihood, and ACEs were related to increased recidivism odds. Further, PCEs demonstrated a protective impact on ACEs. A ceiling effect on the ACE-PCE composite score was also identified, where an increase in scale items presented a curvilinear recidivism association. Findings provide an examination of PCE influence across multiple youth populations and their ability to counteract ACE effects. Policy implications discuss the utility of PCEs as case management goals and intermediate outcomes.

Reciprocal associations between housing instability and youth criminal legal involvement: a scoping review

BackgroundYouth experiencing homelessness have disproportionate contact with the criminal legal system. This system contact represents a critical inflection point for enhancing risk or opportunities for stabilization; however, the policy and scholarly traditions examining the criminal legal system have not traditionally incorporated housing or other social determinants as a central focus of intervention.MethodsWe conducted a scoping review using PRISMA-ScR guidelines to examine how the research literature is currently addressing housing within the context of youth involvement in the legal system. Databases searched included PubMed, Web of Science, and Academic Search Complete. Google Scholar was used to identify papers not indexed in the academic databases of interest. Database searches were conducted between September and December 2019 and articles were restricted to those published in English between the year 2000 and 2019. Key study components extracted included demographic information regarding each sample, type of article, study methodology, direction of effects of interest, outcome measures and primary findings, as well as theoretical frameworks engaged by the authors.ResultsThe search results returned 2154 titles for review. After screening all 2154 titles, 75 met eligibility for inclusion. reviews were conducted for all 75 papers. 36 abstracts met eligibility criteria and underwent full-text review. Ultimately, 29 articles satisfied eligibility criteria and were included in this scoping review.ConclusionsPublications are primarily focused on the social epidemiology of risk factors and behaviors determining youth justice contact, but relatively less so on studies of interventions targeting youth delinquency, crime reduction, or recidivism that included housing support. The lack of continuity in theorizing from epidemiology to applied science in this area represents a gap in the literature that is likely reducing the effectiveness of interventions to interrupt patterns of legal system contact for youth. Integrating a public health framework that emphasizes the upstream social determinants leading to contact with the youth justice system would represent a paradigm shift for the field that would have beneficial effects on long term health outcomes for youth.

Peer, substance use, and race-related factors associated with recidivism among first-time justice-involved youth.

Peer deviancy and substance-related consequences are dynamic criminogenic needs associated with increased risk of recidivism for justice-involved youth. Most prior research in this area, however, is based on samples of primarily male youth charged with delinquent offenses. Because identification of dynamic criminogenic needs is essential to delinquency risk reduction efforts, the purpose of this study was to examine the role of peer deviancy and substance-related consequences in a sample of youth at first contact with the juvenile justice system, with relatively equal representation of males and females and youth charged with delinquent and status offenses. We hypothesized that higher levels of peer deviancy and more severe alcohol- and cannabis-related consequences would predict recidivism. We also hypothesized that Black and brown youth would be more likely to recidivate than non-Latinx White participants. First-time justice-involved youth (N = 401) aged 12-18 and their caregivers reported independent variables at baseline (demographic, legal, psychiatric, and peer factors). Official records of recidivism (i.e., number of new charges 2 years later) was the dependent variable for nested multivariate negative binomial regression models. Peer deviancy reported by caregivers, but not by youth, predicted recidivism 2 years later. Consequences related to alcohol, but not cannabis, increased recidivism risk. Finally, participants who were younger, male, charged with a delinquent offense, and Black, multiracial, and/or Latinx were more likely to recidivate than non-Latinx White participants after controlling for covariates. Results highlight the influence of institutionalized racism on later court involvement for youth of color at first court contact, regardless of individual risk. Deviant peers and consequences of alcohol are salient intervention targets for this population. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

REDESIGNING JUVENILE PROBATION TO ALIGN WITH BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AND POSITIVE DEVELOPMENT PRINCIPLEs: A Quasi-Experimental study.

Science advisory boards and policy organizations have called for adolescent brain science to be incorporated into juvenile probation operations. To achieve this, Opportunity-Based Probation (OBP), a probation model that integrates knowledge of adolescent development and behavior change principles, was developed in collaboration with a local juvenile probation department. The current study compares outcomes (recidivism and probation violations) for youth in the OBP condition versus probation as usual. Inverse probability weighting (IPW) and coarsened exact matching (CEM) were used to estimate causal effects of OBP's average treatment effect (ATE). Results indicated clear effects of OBP on reducing criminal legal referrals, but no significant effects were observed for probation violations. Overall, results provide promising recidivism-reduction effects in support of developmentally grounded redesigns of juvenile probation.

Corrigendum to “The Utility of SAPROF-YV Ratings for Predicting Recidivism in Male Youth under Community Supervision in Singapore”

Corrigendum to “The Utility of SAPROF-YV Ratings for Predicting Recidivism in Male Youth under Community Supervision in Singapore”

Beyond Prediction: Moderating Effects of Risk Factors, Demographic Variables and Type of Offense on Youth Recidivism in Spain

ABSTRACT In contrast to a large number of predictive analyses, most studies on recidivism do not include the moderating role variables exert on the probability of future recidivism. The present study was conducted to assess the influence of risk and protective factors, demographic variables, and the type of offense on recidivism. In addition, the moderating effect of demographic variables and the type of offense on the relationship between risk/protective factors and youth reoffending was also assessed. The Youth Level of Service of Case Management Inventory was administered to 210 Spanish minor offenders, aged between 14.00 and 18.07 years. Their subsequent charges were coded for 24 months. The sum-up of risk factors and younger age were the two variables that significantly contributed to predicting future recidivism. Meanwhile, gender and the type of crime were the variables that moderated the relationship between risk factors and recidivism. Priority prevention strategies should be aimed at reducing the impact of risk factors, especially among young boys committing violent offenses, as these are exacerbating characteristics.

비행청소년의 가정요인이 재범에 미치는 영향 연구 - 소년원 임시퇴원생을 중심으로 -

Over the past few years, teenagers who commit terrible and staggering misconduct have been increasing, and urges for countermeasures against delinquent youth are intensifying as well. Therefore, this study particularly focuses on family factor as a recidivism factor for delinquent youth based on long field experience. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to propose an effective way to prevent recidivism by reinforcing family relations and domestic functions based on the research analysis of delinquent youth domestic factors and its correlation with recidivism. Based on previous studies, demographic factors, risk factors, delinquency factors, and family factors were set as influencing factors affecting recidivism of delinquent youth and used as independent variables. As a result of investigating whether or not delinquent juveniles, which are the dependent variable of this study, re-offense, more than half of the total 163 (86) (52.8%) were identified as re-offending during the probation period. As a result of logistic regression analysis, it can be understood that the research model used in this study is statistically significant and constitutes an appropriate model (total model F=66.330*). Finally, based on the results of this study, five policy suggestions such as restoring family relations through coordination of the juvenile education curriculum and miniaturization of facilities, revitalizing various programs to reinforce family functions, development of a recidivism prevention program that reflects the specificity of male and female delinquent youth, special measures for delinquent youth with emotional wounds such as self-harm experience and family criminal history, and continuing linkages with delinquent youth and community resources, are presented in order to prevent delinquent youth’s recidivism.

The Contribution of Static and Dynamic Factors to Recidivism Prediction for Black and White Youth Offenders

Scholars have presented concerns about potential for racial bias in risk assessments as a result of the inclusion of static factors, such as criminal history in risk assessments. The purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which static factors add incremental validity to the dynamic factors in criminogenic risk assessments. This study examined the Youth Level of Service/Case Management Inventory (YLS/CMI) in a sample of 1,270 youth offenders from a medium-sized Midwestern county between June 2004 and November 2013. Logistic regression was used to determine the predictive validity of the YLS/CMI and the individual contribution of static and dynamic domains of the assessment. Results indicated that the static domain differentially predicted recidivism for Black and White youth. In particular, the static domain was a significant predictor of recidivism for White youth, but this was not the case for Black youth. The dynamic domain significantly predicted recidivism for both Black and White offenders, and static risk factors improved prediction of recidivism for White youth, but not for Black youth.

The Prediction of Youth Recidivism in a Spanish Roma Population by the Youth Level of Service/Case Management Inventory (YLS/CMI).

Despite the increasing interest in the accuracy of youth risk assessment tools, the amount of research with ethnic minorities remains relatively modest. For this reason, the main goal of this study was to assess the predictive validity and disparate impact of the Youth Level of Service/Case Management Inventory (YLS/CMI) in a Spanish ethnic minority. The participants consisted of 88 Roma youth offenders and 135 non-Roma youth offenders, aged between 14 and 17 years old. Their risk of recidivism was assessed by means of the YLS/CMI Inventory and their recidivism rate was obtained from the Juvenile Justice Department. Results showed that the Inventory presented slightly lower predictive validity for the Roma group. Moreover, Roma juveniles presented higher risk scores and lower strength scores than non-Roma juveniles. These results supported the idea that professionals must therefore be aware of these cultural differences in predictive validity and the existent potentiality for disparate impact.