scholarly journals Drug-Related Deaths Among Young People Involved in The Criminal Justice System: A Whole-Population Multi-Sectoral Data Linkage Study

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jesse T Young ◽  
Holly Tibble ◽  
Rohan Borschmann ◽  
Stuart A Kinner
Keyword(s):  
Young People ◽  
Justice System ◽  
Illicit Drugs ◽  
Young Person ◽  
Linkage Study ◽  
Community Treatment ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Youth Justice ◽  
Formerly Incarcerated ◽  
System A

IntroductionDrug-related death is substantially higher in formerly incarcerated adults compared to the general population. Despite this, remarkably little is known about the epidemiology of drug-related death among justice-involved adolescents. A richer understanding of drug-related mortality in justice-involved young people is essential for the development of effective, evidence-based interventions for this vulnerable group. Objectives and ApproachIn a whole-population cohort of justice-involved young people in Queensland, Australia, we aimed to: 1) calculate the rate of drug-related death overall, and separately by intent and drug category; and 2) estimate the probability, and identify the predictors of, drug-related death. We probabilistically linked Youth Justice Queensland and National Death Index (NDI) records for every young person who came into contact with the youth justice system in Queensland between 1 January 1993 and 31 December 2014 (N=48,963). The NDI provided death data until 31 December 2017. Crude mortality rates (CMR) were calculatedoverall, separately by intent, and by prescribed versus illicit drug cause. Competing risk survival analysis will be conducted. ResultsOf the 48,963 individuals, 1452 (3%) died by 31 December 2017. Of these, 204 (14%) deaths were due to drugs, yielding a CMR of 31 (95%CI:27-36) per 100,000 person-years. Most drug-related deaths were recorded as intentional (CMR=28; 95%CI:24-33 per 100,000 person-years) and deaths from prescribed medications were more common than illicit drugs (CMR=17; 95%CI:14-20 and CMR=11; 95%CI:9-14 per 100,000 person-years, respectively). Conclusion / ImplicationsRates of drug-related deaths following contact with the youth justice system are disproportionately high and represent a major public health concern. Our findings highlight the importance of initiation of alcohol and other drug (AOD) treatment upon contact with the youth justice system and continuous engagement with community treatment after discharge from the youth justice system. Evidenced-base prevention strategies and efforts to improve the continuity of care are urgently needed.

Net-Widening and the Diversion of Young People From Court: A Longitudinal Analysis With Implications for Restorative Justice

2010 ◽  
Vol 43 (1) ◽  
pp. 112-129 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeremy Prichard
Keyword(s):  
Criminal Justice ◽  
Young People ◽  
Criminal Justice System ◽  
Restorative Justice ◽  
Justice System ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Youth Justice ◽  
System A ◽  
Police Records ◽  
Net Widening

Internationally, many youth justice systems aim to divert young people from court through informal mechanisms, such as police cautions and restorative conferences. Among other things, diversion avoids the potentially criminogenic effects of formal contact with the criminal justice system. However, in some instances, the sum of court appearances and diversionary procedures indicates an overall increase in the numbers of young people having contact (formal or informal) with the criminal justice system — a phenomenon known as net-widening. This article summarises previous debates about the risks of net-widening. It then presents results from analysis of over 50,000 police records pertaining to young people's contact with the Tasmanian criminal justice system between 1991 and 2002. Across that decade, court appearances markedly reduced, while a corresponding increase in diversions was recorded. There was no evidence of net-widening. However, there was a significant increase in detention orders. Implications for policy and future research are considered.

A Just System? How Punitive Youth Justice Systems Increase the Risk of Crime

2017 ◽  
Vol 42 (4) ◽  
pp. 233-239 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julie Edwards
Keyword(s):  
Criminal Justice ◽  
Young People ◽  
Criminal Justice System ◽  
Justice System ◽  
Young Person ◽  
Youth Justice ◽  
Children And Young People ◽  
Australian Institute ◽  
Justice Systems ◽  
Amp Clay

For children and young people who offend, contact with the justice system can lead to life-long offending, with evidence showing that the younger a child enters the justice system the more likely he/she is to have sustained contact and go on to reoffend (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW), 2017). Local and international youth justice approaches that aim to rehabilitate or resocialise the child or young person often have more success in preventing reoffending (Elwick, Davis, Crehan, & Clay, 2013). So, what is it that makes an effective youth justice system, and how can we ensure that children and young people are diverted from the criminal justice system effectively and that those who offend do not continue into a life of crime?

‘It’s really good…why hasn’t it happened earlier?’ Professionals’ perspectives on the benefits of communication assistance in the New Zealand youth justice system

2019 ◽  
Vol 53 (2) ◽  
pp. 265-284 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kelly Howard ◽  
Clare McCann ◽  
Margaret Dudley
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Young People ◽  
Justice System ◽  
Young Person ◽  
Youth Justice ◽  
Communication Difficulties ◽  
New Knowledge ◽  
Fresh Perspective ◽  
Criminal Charges

Communication assistance is a form of specialist support for witnesses and defendants in justice settings who have been identified as having communication difficulties. This new role in New Zealand is modelled on the role of the intermediary in England and Wales. To date however, there has been no published review or evaluation on how communication assistance is functioning and being viewed by professionals in practice. This study provides a qualitative analysis of professionals’ perspectives (n = 28 participants) on the benefits of communication assistance for young people facing criminal charges in the New Zealand youth justice system. The main finding is that professionals are overwhelmingly in support of this new role. Professionals considered that communication assistance helps put the young person at the centre of youth justice, brings new knowledge and a fresh perspective, and helps the system to function as it ideally should.

scholarly journals Deaths in young people after contact with the youth justice system: a retrospective data linkage study

2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Stuart Kinner ◽  
Holly Tibble ◽  
Katie Hail-Jares ◽  
Rohan Borschmann ◽  
Matthew Spittal ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Young People ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Justice System ◽  
Cox Regression ◽  
Linkage Study ◽  
Youth Justice ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
External Causes ◽  
Causes And Risk Factors

IntroductionYoung people who have contact with the youth justice system are distinguished by a high prevalence of complex, co-occurring health problems, including known risk factors for preventable mortality. However, almost nothing is known about health outcomes for these young people after separation from the youth justice system. Objectives and ApproachWe aimed to examine the incidence, timing, causes and risk factors for death in justice-involved young people. We linked youth justice records in Queensland, Australia 1993-2016 (N=48,963) with adult correctional records and the National Death Index. We split the cohort into three subgroups: those who had ever been in detention (n=7,643), those supervised in the community but never detained (n=12,953), and those charged with an offence but never convicted (n=28,367). We calculated all-cause and cause-specific crude mortality rates (CMRs), and indirectly standardised mortality ratios (SMRs). We used Cox regression to identify static and time-varying risk factors for death. ResultsDuring a median of 13.6 years of follow-up there were 1,452 deaths (3.0%). The all-cause CMR was 2.2 (95%CI 2.1-2.3) per 1000 person-years, and the all-cause SMR was 3.1 (95%CI 3.0-3.3). The leading external causes of death were suicide (32% of all deaths), transport accidents (16%), accidental drug-related causes (13%), and violence (3%). In adjusted analyses, independent risk factors for all-cause mortality included being male (HR=1.4, 95%CI 1.2-1.6) and older (>=15 vs. vs. charge only; HR=1.6, 95%CI 1.2-2.0) and subsequent incarceration as an adult (HR=1.8, 95%CI 1.4-2.4). Conclusion/ImplicationsYoung people who have contact with the youth justice system are at markedly increased risk of preventable death, after separation from that system. Efforts to improve long-term health outcomes for justice-involved youth have the potential to reduce preventable deaths in these highly vulnerable young people.

scholarly journals Circumstances and toxicology of violence-related deaths among young people who have had contact with the youth justice system: a data linkage study

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Melissa Willoughby ◽  
Jesse T. Young ◽  
Katie Hail-Jares ◽  
Matthew J. Spittal ◽  
Rohan Borschmann ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Intimate Partner Violence ◽  
Young People ◽  
Social Services ◽  
Partner Violence ◽  
Justice System ◽  
Data Linkage ◽  
Intimate Partner ◽  
Linkage Study ◽  
Youth Justice ◽  
Increased Risk

Abstract Background Young people who have had contact with the youth justice system have an increased risk of dying from violence. Examining the context of violence-related deaths is essential in informing prevention strategies. We examined the circumstances and toxicology of violence-related deaths among young people who have had contact with the youth justice system in Queensland, Australia. Methods This data linkage study linked youth justice records from Queensland, Australia (30 June 1993-1 July 2014) on 48,670 young people to national death and coroner records (1 July 2000-1 January 2017). Circumstances and toxicology of deaths were coded from coroner’s records. We calculated the incidence of violence-related deaths that were reported to a coroner. Fisher’s exact tests were used to examine crude differences in the circumstances and toxicology of violence-related death, according to sex and Indigenous status. Results There were 982 deaths reported to a coroner in the cohort. Of which, 36 (4%) were from violence-related causes (incidence: 6 per 100,000 person-years, 95% confidence interval: 4-8). People who died from violence were most frequently male (n = 28/36; 78%), and almost half were Indigenous (n = 16/36; 44%). The majority of violence-related deaths involved a weapon (n = 24/36; 67%), most commonly a knife (n = 17/36; 47%). Compared to men where the violent incident was most frequently preceded by an altercation (n = 12/28; 43%), for women it was frequently preceded by a relationship breakdown or argument (n < 5; p = 0.004). Substances most commonly present in toxicology reports were cannabis (n = 16/23; 70%) and alcohol (n = 15/23; 65%). Conclusions Therapeutic alcohol and other drug programs, both in the community and detention, are likely important for reducing violence-related deaths among young people who have had contact with the youth justice system. The majority of violence-related deaths among women were in the context of intimate partner violence, indicating the urgent need for interventions that prevent intimate partner violence in this population. Diversion programs and increased investment in health and social services may reduce the overrepresentation of Indigenous people in the youth justice system and in violence-related deaths.

scholarly journals Holding the Child (and Practitioner) in Mind? Youth Justice Practitioners’ Experiences Supervising Young People Displaying Sexually Harmful Behavior

2017 ◽  
Vol 35 (9-10) ◽  
pp. 2055-2081 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Myles-Wright ◽  
Claire Nee
Keyword(s):  
Young People ◽  
Justice System ◽  
Youth Justice ◽  
Vulnerable Group ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Relationship Problem ◽  
Semistructured Interviews ◽  
Critical Issues ◽  
Harmful Behavior ◽  
Future Practice

This qualitative study explored the lived experiences of youth justice practitioners supervising young people (below 18 years old) displaying sexually harmful behavior within the Youth Justice System (YJS) in the United Kingdom, as little is currently known about the challenges faced when working with this vulnerable group. Five practitioners from two Youth Offending Services (YOS) participated in individual semistructured interviews, which were subjected to thematic analysis while also analyzing the performative function of language used. The analysis identified an overarching theme of “systemic unease,” which contained two subthemes surrounding “unease with the self, and wider YOS personnel” and “unease working with partner agencies.” The findings illuminate critical issues regarding future practice with this underresearched group of young people within the broader context of youth justice, which require further exploration and investigation. The “dual relationship problem” involving tension between risk management and therapeutic alliance is explored in relation to this group. The moral acquaintance model and the model of dynamic adaptation are suggested as helpful approaches to support practitioners and multi-agency professionals going forward in this area.

scholarly journals Protecting the Best Interests of the Child: A Comparative Analysis of the Youth Justice Systems in Ireland, England and Scotland

2010 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 217-231 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raymond Arthur
Keyword(s):  
Young People ◽  
International Law ◽  
Justice System ◽  
Best Interests ◽  
Youth Justice ◽  
Best Interest ◽  
The Republic ◽  
The Government ◽  
Offending Behaviour ◽  
Best Interest Principle

AbstractIn the Republic of Ireland the government has proposed amending the Irish Constitution in order to improve children's rights. In this article I will argue that the proposed amendment represents a serious diminution in the rights historically afforded to young people who offend, disregards Ireland's commitments under international law and also ignores the well established link between child maltreatment and youth offending. The Irish approach echoes developments in the English youth justice system where the welfare concerns of young people who offend have become marginalised. I will compare the Irish and English approaches with the Scottish youth justice system which looks beyond young people's offending behaviour and provides a multi-disciplinary assessment of the young person's welfare needs. I will conclude that in Ireland, and in England, the best interest principle must be applied fully, without any distinction and integrated in all law relevant to children including laws regulating anti-social and offending behaviour.

scholarly journals Challenges to providing culturally sensitive drug interventions for black and Asian minority ethnic (BAME) groups within UK youth justice systems

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. 172-181
Author(s):  
Helen Gleeson ◽  
Karen Duke ◽  
Betsy Thom
Keyword(s):  
Substance Use ◽  
Young People ◽  
Justice System ◽  
Daily Practice ◽  
Youth Justice ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Drug Interventions ◽  
Diverse Groups ◽  
Minority Ethnic

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore how substance use practitioners intervene with ethnically and culturally diverse groups of young people in contact with the youth justice system. Design/methodology/approach Telephone, face-to-face interviews and a focus group were conducted. Data were analysed thematically using a frame-reflective theoretical approach. Findings Practitioners tended to offer individualised interventions to young people in place of culturally specific approaches partly due to a lack of knowledge, training or understanding of diverse cultural needs, and for practical and resource reasons. Research limitations/implications Practitioners reject the official narrative of BAME youth in the justice system as dangerous and in need of control, viewing them instead as vulnerable and in need of support, but report they lack experience, and sufficient resources, in delivering interventions to diverse groups. Originality/value There is little information regarding how practitioners respond to diversity in their daily practice. This paper is an exploration of how diversity is framed and responded to in the context of youth substance use and criminal justice.

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