Justice for All: Trauma and the Need for Safety and Fairness Within Juvenile Justice Facilities

Many adolescents in the juvenile justice system have been exposed to trauma, which has been linked with negative outcomes that may lead to ineffective adjustment while incarcerated. Trauma may decrease a youth’s feelings of fairness and safety, which may increase misconduct. The present study examined the relationship between post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, perceptions of fairness and safety, and rates of institutional misconduct in a subsample of youth ( n = 386) who participated in the Pathways to Desistance study. A serial multiple mediation model found that PTSD symptoms were not significantly associated with perceptions of fairness, safety, or institutional misconduct. Relationships were found between perceptions of fairness and safety, and between perceptions of safety and institutional misconduct. Results also indicated differences in perceptions of fairness and safety based on gender, age, and ethnicity. Perceptions of fairness and safety may be an avenue for intervention to improve adjustment within the juvenile justice system.

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Longitudinal Patterns of Secure Institutional Placement Among Serious Adolescent Offenders

Criminal Justice and Behavior ◽

10.1177/0093854818762545 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 45 (6) ◽

pp. 762-782 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

JoAnn S. Lee ◽

Faye S. Taxman ◽

Edward P. Mulvey ◽

Carol A. Schubert

Keyword(s):

Juvenile Justice ◽

Justice System ◽

Juvenile Justice System ◽

Adolescent Offenders ◽

Longitudinal Patterns ◽

Trajectory Modeling ◽

Institutional Placement ◽

Extralegal Factors ◽

Calendar Data ◽

Pathways To Desistance

This study identifies longitudinal patterns of institutional placement to understand experiences in the juvenile justice system. We used monthly calendar data from the Pathways to Desistance study ( N = 1,354), which focuses on understanding how serious adolescent offenders desist from antisocial activity. Youth between 14 and 18 years of age were followed for 7 years. We used group-based trajectory modeling to identify longitudinal patterns of institutional placement. We also examined bivariate and multivariate associations between our identified groups and demographic, legal, and extralegal factors. We chose the 4-group solution, which reflected a pattern of steady time in the community (33.3%), and three patterns of youth spending varying (22.5%), declining (24.4%), and steady high (18.8%) time in placement. Significant differences between groups suggest that youth from the most disadvantaged contexts and those who were most likely to have trouble in school and live in disorganized neighborhoods spent the most time in placement.

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Influence of Race in the Deep End of the Juvenile Justice System

Youth Violence and Juvenile Justice ◽

10.1177/1541204020958465 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 154120402095846

Author(s):

Ashlin Oglesby-Neal ◽

Bryce Peterson

Keyword(s):

Length Of Stay ◽

Juvenile Justice ◽

Racial Disparities ◽

Justice System ◽

Juvenile Justice System ◽

Hispanic Youth ◽

Community Programs ◽

Racial Inequalities ◽

Institutional Misconduct ◽

Lengths Of Stay

Racial inequalities pervade U.S. justice systems and are the focus of a growing body of research. However, there are fewer studies on racial disparities in juvenile justice settings, particularly on decisions points at the “deep end” of the system after youth have been adjudicated delinquent. The current study examines racial disparities in length of stay, institutional misconduct, and community program placement for youth admitted to the Virginia juvenile justice system from 2012–2017. We find that black youth have significantly longer lengths of stay and more serious institutional misconduct than white youth. Controlling for legal and extralegal factors eliminates the disparity for length of stay, but it remains significant for serious institutional misconduct. In recent years, youth of all races are placed into community programs rather than traditional correctional centers at similar rates. Disparities for Hispanic youth and other races are difficult to distinguish because few are admitted to the system.

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