Juvenile Detention Center Effects on Futures of At-Risk Youth by Jennifer L. Turner MS, Walden University, 2014 BS, University of Maryland University College, 2011 Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Forensic Psychology Walden University August 2019 Many juvenile offenders return to the justice system after serving their incarceration sentences. Detaining youth has a negative impact on their mental health, education, employment, and ability to secede from a criminogenic life course. Identifying detention center effects on youths' futures can provide further insight on why the current approach does not successfully deter youth from secondary delinquency. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore future effects on incarcerated youth. A qualitative research design using a phenomenological paradigm was used to investigate study constructs. Labeling and social learning theories served as theoretical frameworks. Labeling theory was used to describe impact on youth after they receive a label of juvenile delinquent. Conceptualization on learned criminal behaviors in incarceration environments was made using social learning theory. Data was collected from personnel directly involved with juvenile incarceration, release, and rehabilitation. In-depth, semi-structured interviews were used for data collection. Coding software, bracketing, and concept mapping were implemented for data analysis. Detention centers attribute to a decrease in abilities required for youth to become functioning society members. Implications for social change include enhancing knowledge for professionals working to rehabilitate juveniles in effort to increases ability for future success. Participants specifically noted a lack of collaboration and understanding on how to implement evidenced-based practices into juvenile offender rehabilitation. Collaboration between the JJS, detention center staff, parents, and community programs is necessary to address this social problem.

A Constituição Federal de 1988 reconhece na criança e no adolescente sujeitos de direitos em processo de formação da personalidade, condição peculiar e especialíssima que deve ser respeitada, notadamente, quando da atribuição da responsabilidade pelo ato infracional cometido, cuja manifestação e midiatização contribui para um clamor generalizado por um maior rigor punitivo, respaldado pelo \"mito da impunidade\" do menor. Surge, então, o dilema da necessidade de comunicação de uma resposta efetiva e proporcional a este jovem que esteja afinada com a sua condição de pessoa em desenvolvimento, favorecendo a busca por alternativas extraprocessuais capazes de atribuir a responsabilidade devida a estes indivíduos e afastá-los dos efeitos negativos da Justiça convencional. Uma ferramenta já prevista pelo Estatuto da Criança e do Adolescente é o instituto da remissão, por intermédio do qual o processo de apuração do ato infracional será evitado antes do seu início, suspenso ou extinto. Para atender ao dilema de responsabilização do adolescente, porém, o instituto deve comunicar a responsabilidade de maneira efetiva, proporcional e reparadora, de forma a evitar os mesmos efeitos de segregação social e estigma produzidos pela Justiça convencional e garantir a posição social deste indivíduo enquanto sujeito de direitos. / The Brazilian Constitution of 1988 recognizes children and adolescents as subjects of law that are undergoing a process of formation of their personality, a very specific and peculiar condition which must be respected mainly in assigning responsibility for the offenses committed. Manifestations and media interest around these offenses contribute to a generalized outcry for more punitive rigidity, endorsed by the \"myth of impunity\" of minors. The dilemma which arises is one of the need for communicating an effective and proportionate response to this youngster in an adequate way regarding his or her condition as a person in process of developing a personality, promoting the search for alternative solutions capable of assigning responsibility to these individuals while keeping them from the negative effects of conventional justice. A mechanism contained in Brazilian Statute for Children and Adolescents is the institute of remission, by which the prosecution and judgment of crimes committed by minors is avoided before its start, suspended or extinct. In order to meet the dilemma of assigning responsibility, however, this has to be done in an effective, proportionate and restorative way, thus avoiding segregation and stigma as consequences of the conventional justice and ensuring the adolescent\'s social position as subject of law.

The purpose of this study was to describe and analyze youth community service in the Kalmar municipality. Our focus was on juvenile offenders and predecessor of public authorities. The juvenile offenders in our study have completed youth community service. A qualitative study was undertaken which include seven interviews. Our empirical data were compared and analyzed with previous research data. This was used in combination with two theoretical perspectives relevant to this study’s purpose and questions. Results of our empirical data showed that the experience of youth community service was an appropriate/good penalty method.  Even though the juveniles viewed it as an appropriate/good method, they did not consider it an effective method to prevent them from committing additional crimes. The study also showed that the adolescents’ viewed the experience very differently when the treatment came from the predecessors of public authorities. The juveniles in the study thought the police had a bad attitude but considered the social service to be very helpful and active listeners. The predecessors of public authorities thought the cooperation between them to be good and important.

The aim of this essay is to describe and analyse the legal complications that arise in connection with preliminary investigations involving several juvenile offenders, where all suspected persons have not attained the age of criminal liability. It is also intended to give a broad analysis of the concept preliminary investigation, with particular emphasis on juvenile offenders. It further analyses the legislation and legal complications on the basis of a rule of law perspective. The method previously used is court dogmatic, where in front law text, preparatory work, case law and legal doctrine have been used in order to present the existing sources relating to the subject matter of discussion. The criminal investigative bodies consider juvenile offenders are regulated under the Swedish RB 23 - 28 chapters, FUK and LUL. The fundamental basis used in deciding whether to commence a preliminary investigation, is that of evidence gathered and if it can be reasonably concluded that a crime has been committed under general legislation. A preliminary investigation is initiated and led by either the police authority or the prosecutor. The preliminary investigation is always led by the prosecutor in serious criminal matters. There are certain specific rules that apply when juvenile offenders become the subject of a criminal investigation. The rules applied vary dependant upon and with due regard to the age of the offenders. The age of criminal liability is a crucial and definite factor in this context, where by preliminary investigations can be initiated only against young people that have attained an age of 15 years, but not against those yet to have reached that age. Criminal investigations may however under certain circumstances be initiated against juvenile offenders that have not reached the age of 15 years, as per LUL 31§. The most significant conclusion reached is that the rule of law be applied and met when young people become subjects of a criminal investigation. A majority of the regulations contained within the legislation limit and make the investigative process problematic, particular emphasis being under the interrogation process and the use of means of compulsion. A discussion or inquiry should be entered with regard to the effectiveness of the preliminary investigative process pertaining to juvenile offenders, with a means to improving the procedure whilst maintaining rule of law.

The relations among physical and sexual abuse, alcohol and drug use, and dating violence were investigated in a sample of female juvenile delinquents. Various reasons for drinking and their associations with frequency of alcohol use were also explored. Data used in the current investigation were obtained at a state correctional facility for female juveniles in Indiana. The results indicated that physical and sexual abuse were associated with dating victimization in this sample. Further, greater frequency of drug use was associated with having a greater number of abusive romantic partners after controlling for total number of partners. The reasons for drinking assessed in this study differentially predicted frequency of alcohol use. Race/ethnicity differences were detected for several of the variables under investigation and these results are compared to the findings of prior empirical studies. The implications of these findings for future research and for meeting the specific programming needs of female juvenile delinquents are discussed.

A maioria dos jovens emite alguns comportamentos antissociais; uma minoria, porém, irá manifestar tais procedimentos de modo mais frequente, o que pode representar um risco à persistência e ao agravamento dos mesmos, ao longo do tempo. Dentre os comportamentos antissociais encontram-se as condutas delituosas e o uso de sustâncias. Estudos apontam que o uso de substâncias em meio aos adolescentes infratores é maior do que na população em geral de adolescentes e acontece de forma mais preocupante. O presente estudo, ao utilizar dados de uma amostra de 120 adolescentes em conflito com a lei, objetivou caracterizar os comportamentos delituosos bem como os de uso de substâncias, buscando verificar as associações existentes entre eles. Os adolescentes foram recrutados no contexto da custódia inicial, após a elaboração do Boletim de Ocorrência, e convidados a participar do estudo. Seus pais/responsáveis foram contatados e solicitados a autorizarem a participação dos filhos na pesquisa, seguindo as normativas éticas. Para a coleta de dados, foram empregados: Roteiro de Entrevista Sociodemográfica; a Entrevista Estruturada de Delinquência Autorrevelada; DUSI-R (Drug Use Screening Inventory). Análises descritivas e, posteriormente, Análises de Clusters foram realizadas. Para observar as diferenças internas e externas estatisticamente significativas entre os subgrupos, utilizaram-se os testes estatísticos apropriados. Resultados obtidos indicaram que os adolescentes revelaram ter cometido outros delitos além daquele pelo qual estavam custodiados, a maioria não violentos. Com relação às substâncias psicoativas, 84% dos adolescentes referiram ter feito uso e 70%, uso no último mês. Em relação aos que referiram uso das mesmas, as drogas mais usadas na vida e no mês foram a maconha e o álcool. Destaca-se que a maioria dos jovens que referiu uso de substância no último mês, apresentou uso bastante frequente de maconha (mais de 20 vezes). O padrão do uso de substâncias dos adolescentes, em termos médios, pode ser descrito do seguinte modo: início do uso aos 12 anos de idade e utilização simultânea de mais de uma substância distinta. A frequência de uso no último mês entre estes foi alta, praticamente, diário. Observou-se, contudo, que a maioria dos adolescentes apresentou padrão de uso considerado não problemático (abstinente e uso experimental) e que as dificuldades associadas ao uso se concentraram na relação com os pares e na escola. As análises de clusters em termos de engajamento infracional, levando em conta os parâmetros idade de cometimento do primeiro delito, número de delitos diferentes cometidos e frequência total dos cometidos na vida, concorreram para o estabelecimento de três agrupamentos. Estes se diferenciaram no tocante aos padrões de uso de substâncias, denotando-se relação positiva entre maior engajamento infracional e padrão de uso mais problemático. Os agrupamentos formados também se diferenciaram externamente em função dos constructos mensurados pelo DUSI-R, sendo que em oito dos dez constructos investigados pelo instrumento, observaram-se diferenças com significância estatística. Diferentes relações droga-crime foram notadas; não é possível estabelecer com exatidão a direção de tais relações. De todo modo, notou-se no presente trabalho as diferenças em meio aos infratores nas duas variáveis focadas, o que impõem reflexões sobre a necessidade de intervenções especializadas e diferenciadas. / Most young emits some antisocial behaviors; a minority, however, will manifest these behavior often, which may pose a risk to the persistence and aggravation of these, over time. Among the antisocial behaviors are criminal and use of substances behaviors. Studies show that substance use among the young offenders is higher than in the general population of adolescents and happens more worryingly. The purpose of this study was characterizing the offending behavior and the substance use, using data from a sample of 120 juvenile offenders. The adolescents were recruited in the context of initial custody, after the police report. They were invited to participate and their parents/guardians were contacted and asked to authorize their participation in the research, following the ethical standards. To collect data, we used: Sociodemographic Interview; Self-Report Delinquency Interview; DUSI-R (Drug Use Screening Inventory). Descriptive analyzes and subsequently Clusters tests were performed. To observe the internal and external statistical differences between subgroups, we used appropriate tests. Results revealed that teenagers have committed other offenses beyond that for which they were held in custody, most nonviolent. With regard to psychoactive substances, 84% reported having used and 70% use in the last month. Cannabis and alcohol was the substances with a higher prevalence of lifetime use and use in the month. The most adolescents who reported substance use in the past month, has quite frequent use of cannabis (more than 20 times). The pattern of substance use on average was: initial use to 12 years of age and simultaneous use of more than one distinct substance. The frequency use in the last month among these was substantially high, with everyday use. However, most adolescents have usage pattern considered abstinent and experimental and the major problems related to substance use was the relationship with peers and school. The criminal engagement, taking into account the age of initiation of offenses, number of different offenses committed and overall frequency of crimes committed in life, contributed to the establishment of three clusters. The clusters was significantly diferentes in the substance use patterns, indicating a positive relationship between greater infraction engagement and standard more problematic use. The clusters also differed externally in the marjority of the DUSI-R constructs - eight of the ten constructs investigated by the instrument showed statistical differences. Different drug-crime relationships were noted; however, we can not be established with accuracy the direction of these relationship. Anyway, it was noted in this study the differences among the offenders in the two focused variables, which require some reflection on the need for for specialized and differentiated interventions.

This study is based on a qualitative method in which the data consists of local social services' statements on girls as young delinquents. The sample consists of ten statements received from two courts in the Stockholm area, where girls between 15-17 years old are suspected of either theft/ attempted robbery or violent offences. By using a gender perspective the purpose of the study is to look at the social services constructions of girls who are suspected of any of the crimes. Results and analysis indicate that girls are constructed in a variety of ways. We have not found that the suspicion of crime has shown any clear differences but that assessment of particular care has been more of importance. Some statements emphasize the girls' crime, on the other hand some statements describe girl’s crime as reduced and seems to depend on other factors.

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