Article 40: The Rights in the Juvenile Justice Setting

Abstract‘Call in an assembly to make sure what the child said or did with people in the assembly that do not know the child to validate whether what he did was good or bad. A proof that the assembly happened would be a paper that all the people in the assembly would sign to say they assisted it.’ (Western Europe/Other).

I'm a slave man for sure: incarcerated teens' restoried narratives of resistance

PurposeThe purpose of this study was to challenge the “single story” narrative the authors utilize counterstorytelling as an analytic tool to reveal the paradox of exploring human rights with incarcerated BIPOC teens whose rights within the justice system are frequently ignored. Shared through their writing, drawing and discussions, the authors demonstrate how they wrote themselves into narratives that often sought to exclude them.Design/methodology/approachThis paper centers on the interpretations of Universal Human Rights by Black adolescents involved in the juvenile justice system in the Southeastern region of the United States. Critical ethnography was selected as we see literacy as a socially situated and collaborative practice. Additionally, the authors draw from recent work on the humanization of qualitative methods, especially when engaging with historically oppressed populations. Data were analyzed using a bricolage approach and the framework of counterstorytelling to weave together the teens' narratives and experiences.FindingsIn using the analytic tool of counterstories, the authors look at ways in which the stories of colonially underserved BIPOC youth might act as a form of resistance. Similarly to the ways that those historically enslaved in the United States used narratives, folklore, “black-preacher tales” and fostered storytelling skills to resist the dominant narrative and redirects the storylines from damage to desire-centered. Central then to our findings is the notion of how to engage in the work of dismantling the inequitable system that even well-intentioned educators contribute to due to systemic racism.Research limitations/implicationsThe research presented here is significant as it attempts to add to the growing body of research on creating spaces of resistance and justice for incarcerated youth. The authors seek to disrupt the “single story” often attributed to adolescents in the juvenile justice system by providing spaces for them to provide a counternarrative – one that is informed by and seeks to inform human rights education.Practical implicationsAs researchers, the authors struggle with aspects related to authenticity, identity and agency for these participants. By situating them as “co-researchers” and by inviting them to decide where the research goes next, the authors capitalize on the expertise, ingenuity and experiences' of participants as colleagues in order to locate the pockets of hope that reside in research that attempts to be liberatory and impact the children on the juvenile justice system.Social implicationsThis study emphasizes the importance of engaging in research that privileges the voices of the participants in research that shifts from damage to desire-centered. The authors consider what it may look like to re-situate qualitative research in service to those we study, to read not only their words but the worlds that inform them, to move toward liberatory research practice.Originality/valueThis study provides an example of how the use of counterstorytelling may offer a more complex and nuanced way for incarcerated youth to resist the stereotypes and single-story narratives often assigned to their experiences.

Developing a Smartphone-Based Adjunct Intervention to Reduce Cannabis Use Among Juvenile Justice-Involved Adolescents: A Multiphase Study Protocol (Preprint)

BACKGROUND Adolescents involved in the juvenile justice system who use cannabis are at an increased risk for future substance use disorders and rearrest. Many court-involved, non-incarcerated (CINI) youth are referred for services in the community and often encounter multiple barriers to care, highlighting a need for minimally burdensome services that can be delivered in justice settings. Digital health interventions are accessible, easy to implement, and can provide ongoing support, but have not been developed to address the unique needs of CINI youth who use cannabis. OBJECTIVE This multiphase study will develop, implement, and pilot test a novel smartphone app, Teen Empowerment through Computerized Health (TECH), to reduce cannabis and other substance use among CINI youth. TECH is conceptualized as a digital adjunct to a brief computerized intervention delivered by our family court partner. METHODS Following the principles of user-centered design, Phase I interviews with CINI youth ages 14-18 (n = 14-18), their caregivers (n = 6-8), and behavioral health app developers (n = 6-8) will guide TECH design decisions. Next, in Phase II CINI youth (n = 10) will beta test the TECH app prototype for 1 month; their feedback regarding feasibility and acceptability will directly inform the app refinement process. Finally, in Phase III CINI youth (n = 60) will participate in a pilot randomized control trial for 6 months comparing the preliminary effectiveness of the adjunctive TECH app on cannabis use outcomes. RESULTS Phase I data collection began in September 2020 and was completed in December 2021; 14 CINI youth, 8 caregivers, and 11 behavioral health app developers participated. Phases II and III will take place in 2022-2023 and 2023-2025, respectively. CONCLUSIONS This body of work will provide insight into the feasibility and acceptability of a smartphone-based adjunctive intervention designed for CINI youth. Phase III results will offer preliminary indication of the effectiveness of the TECH app in reducing cannabis use among CINI youth. CLINICALTRIAL We completed Phase I of this 3-phase research study in December 2021. The pilot RCT (Phase III of the research) is scheduled to launch in Summer 2023 and will be submitted for registration the clinicaltrials.gov website within 21 days of enrolling the first Phase III participant.

Child Delinquency, ACEs, and the Juvenile Justice System: Does Exposure to ACEs Affect Justice System Experiences for Children?

Thousands of children ages 12 and under are referred to juvenile justice systems each year, and little is known about how their experiences may differ from those of older youth. The purpose of this study was to compare risk factors associated with juvenile justice referral between children and adolescents and examine differences in adjudication and disposition of referred children and adolescents. The moderating role of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) was also examined. Using data from the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice, results suggest children referred to the juvenile justice system are more likely to have experienced greater numbers of ACEs, have family and school problems, and be referred by schools. Results also indicate children and adolescents differ in their experiences within the juvenile justice system, and that experiences vary according to exposure to ACEs. Results suggest juvenile justice system officials should consider the unique needs of children referred to the system and be cognizant of the influence of non-legal factors in decision-making for this population.