The authors of this study compared juvenile offenders' mental health and criminal histories. They found that young people with drug use disorders ran the risk of gradually intensifying their offenses. The authors make the case that young people should receive substance abuse treatment as soon as they come into touch with the juvenile justice system in order to avoid the escalation of their propensity for crime.
This paper is related to the dissertation subject of keeping juvenile offenders from recidivating and ending up in adult sentencing. It outlines some measures to stop recurrence, including treatment for substance use disorder.
King, S., Barr, R. & Woolard, J. (2015). Cost-effective juvenile justice reform: lessons from the just beginning “Baby Elmo” teen parenting program. North Carolina Law Review, 93, 1381.
In this article King, Barr and Woolard (2015), discuss the rise of mass incarceration and the effects it has had on individuals, families and communities. The article then proposes a way of preventing recidivism through the use of teen parenting program that was created to be used by incarcerated teen parents. The program – ‘Baby Elmo’ – is created to provide child visitation intervention and parental instruction with the aim of creating a bond between incarcerated teen fathers and their children which is bound to continue after release from detention. This program is two way; it decreases the likelihood of recidivism for the teen father and helps in looking after the wellbeing of the child.
This article is relates with the dissertation topic by offering a practical example of how to prevent recidivism. Recidivism is without a doubt related to family relationships and improving those relationships prepares the teens on their reentry into the family after incarceration.
Kovacevic, R., Suljagic, S., Ljuca, D. & Edin, M. (2014). Recidivism after treatment in a disciplinary center for juveniles. Journal of Special Education and Rehabilitation 15(3-4), 43-58.
In this article, the authors report on a study conducted on 131 juvenile offenders in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The research measured four areas of psychosocial functioning; personality and behaviour of the juveniles, peer relationships and spare time, family factors and school factors. They compared the differences between recidivists and non-recidivists. They findings indicated that risk factors are pronounced in recidivists in all the four areas observed, with a large percentage of risk being observed in family functioning and spare time activities.
Such finding are important for the dissertation topic since they indicate areas that should be concentrated on to prevent recidivism of juveniles from entering adult sentencing.
Wilderman, C. & Western, B. (2010). Incarceration in fragile families. The future of Children, 20(2), 157-177.
The authors in this article demonstrate how the issues of incarceration is transferred intergenerationally and the effects it has on families. Children of incarcerated parents live with reduced family resources, their health is compromised and they live in poor conditions. As such, mass imprisonment increases the likelihood of children being involved in crime. This article recommends policy reforms including reconsidering enhancement of sentences for repeat offenders to deal with the situation of mass incarceration. Also, they recommend a reform of social policies to improve the wellbeing of fragile families.
This article is a pointer to an important issue in regards to preventing recidivism in juvenile offenders, that is, the families they come from. It also proposes important public policy and judicial system reforms.
Kubont, K. F. (2011). Preventing recidivism in Marquette County, michigan: What works (Order No. 1496721). Available from ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global. (883993174).
In this dissertation, Kubont (2011) discusses diversion programs used in Marquette County to prevent recidivism among juveniles. These programs, which the author qualifies to be effective, involves the victim’s community which helps in reducing the burden from the court system as well as eradicating the stigma that juvenile offenders face. The dissertation further highlights some of the offences that Marquette County juvenile offenders commit, including substance abuse, and evaluates how the programs impact on the reoffending rates among the youths.
Although this dissertation looks at how the court system can be reformed to prevent recidivism, Kubont (2011) brings in another perspective of taking the burden off the court system. The dissertation will benefit from Kubont’s study, to explore different perspectives.
Nissenbaum, B. (2006). The history and future of juvenile recidivism (Order No. 3222095). Available from ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global. (304907576)
The author in this dissertation discusses the history of recidivism and the dire effects of juvenile recidivism including financial costs, strained families. The paper discusses the need to have a juvenile court system that is particularly keen on dealing with recidivism. She argues that identification of troubled youths at an early stage in order to deal with their tendencies to commit criminal offences. Further, the paper proposes a theoretical model which integrates latest research on assessing, treating and providing aftercare services for youths who have been in the American juvenile system.
This dissertation will benefit from this paper since it provides a research-based model that indicates how assessment, treatment and aftercare services can be provided for juvenile offenders in a way the prevents recidivism.
Henning, K. (2013). Criminalizing normal adolescent behaviour in communities of color: the role of prosecutors in juvenile justice reform. Cornell Law Review, 98(2), 282-462.
This article discusses the issue of racial disparity in the American juvenile system. The underrepresentation and implicit bias in regards to adolescent culpability in criminal offences are a contributing factor to mass incarcerations, especially among populations of color. The article argues that contemporary narratives depict Hispanic and Black youths as dangerous. Consequently, prosecutors reject these youth disproportionately which later contribute to recidivism among the offenders. She calls prosecutors to action since they have the obligation and opportunity of dealing with this issue
The discussions in this article are congruent to the topic of dissertation where the court system has a role to play in preventing recidivism.
Harris, W. P., Lockwood, B., Mengers, L. & Stoodley, B. H. Measuring recidivism in juvenile corrections, Journal of Juvenile Justice, 1(1).
In this article, the authors argue that juvenile justice especially in regards to recidivism is usually hindered by inconsistent measurements and lack of standard definitions. As such, they says the juvenile corrects need to come up with evidence-based programs and develop knowledge on best practices. The article presents standards developed by the Council of Juvenile Correctional Administrators and the Correctional chief officers, and describes how they were developed and the rationale behind their development.
Weatherburn, D., McGrath, A & Bartels, L. Three dogmas of juvenile justice. University of New South Wales Law Journal, 35(3), 779-809.
In this article, the authors discuss the three assumptions, which they describe as dogmas that affect the Australian juvenile justice. First there is a widespread assumption that juveniles getting in contact with the court increases their risk of reoffending. The second dogma is the assumption that restorative justice is more effective that it’s traditional counterpart. The last assumption is that juvenile offending is self-limiting and transient. The authors further discuss the implications of these assumptions on the juvenile justice policy.
Carcach, C. (1999). Recidivism and the juvenile offender, Paper presented at the Children and Crime: Victims and Offenders Conference convened by the Australian Institute of Criminology and held in Brisbane, 17-18 June 1999. Retrieved from http://www.aic.gov.au/media_library/conferences/children/carcach.pdf
Carcach (1999) highlights the importance of understanding the factors behind juvenile reoffending in order to come up with policies that would break the recidivism cycle. Also, the paper highlights the importance of assessing the offending pattern of juvenile offences. This will help in accurately predicting juvenile offending and coming up with measure of preventing it.
References
Carcach, C. (1999). Recidivism and the juvenile offender, Paper presented at the Children and Crime: Victims and Offenders Conference convened by the Australian Institute of Criminology and held in Brisbane, 17-18 June 1999. Retrieved from http://www.aic.gov.au/media_library/conferences/children/carcach.pdf
Harris, W. P., Lockwood, B., Mengers, L. & Stoodley, B. H. Measuring recidivism in juvenile corrections, Journal of Juvenile Justice, 1(1).
Henning, K. (2013). Criminalizing normal adolescent behaviour in communities of color: the role of prosecutors in juvenile justice reform. Cornell Law Review, 98(2), 282-462.
Hoeve, M., McReynolds, L., Wasserman, G. A. & McMillan, C. (2013). The influence of health disorders in the severity of reoffending in juveniles. Criminal Justice and Behaviour, 40(3), 289-301.
King, S., Barr, R. & Woolard, J. (2015). Cost-effective juvenile justice reform: lessons from the just beginning “Baby Elmo” teen parenting program. North Carolina Law Review, 93, 1381.
Kovacevic, R., Suljagic, S., Ljuca, D. & Edin, M. (2014). Recidivism after treatment in a disciplinary center for juveniles. Journal of Special Education and Rehabilitation 15(3-4), 43-58.
Kubont, K. F. (2011). Preventing recidivism in Marquette County, michigan: What works (Order No. 1496721). Available from ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global. (883993174).
Nissenbaum, B. (2006). The history and future of juvenile recidivism (Order No. 3222095). Available from ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global. (304907576)
Weatherburn, D., McGrath, A & Bartels, L. Three dogmas of juvenile justice. University of New South Wales Law Journal, 35(3), 779-809.
Wilderman, C. & Western, B. (2010). Incarceration in fragile families. The future of Children, 20(2), 157-177.
