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This study examined factors influencing clinician predictions of recidivism for juvenile offenders, including youth age at initial juvenile justice system involvement, youth age at discharge, program completion status, clinician perception [...]

Bay City (pseudonym) is one of the nation's urban epicenters of the HIV epidemic. Although researchers have examined HIV risk behaviors among juvenile offenders detained in juvenile facilities, no study has examined these risk behaviors among youth offenders who have been waived to adult criminal court and detained in U.S. jails. In the present study, qualitative data were collected from 30 African American male youth (ages 15-17) detained at the Bay City Jail. These rich, descriptive narratives provide important insight into the HIV risk behaviors within this population. KEYWORDS adult jail, African American males, HIV, qualitative methods, transferred youth DOI: 10.1080/10509674.2010.519647

This study compared the clinical and adaptive features of juvenile offeders (N = 223) who were violent towards their parents (CPV) with those who had no history of violence against their parents (NCPV). These two groups were also examined on demographic data, arrest findings, mental health issues, relationship findings, intellectual abilities, and school performance. Youths in the CPV group were more likely to (a) associate with peers who own guns, (b) affiliate with gang members, (c) belong to a gang, (d) have been psychiatrically hospitalized and medicated, (e) have attempted suicide, (f) come from a non-intact home, and (g) have trouble relating to their parents and other household members. The CPV group also committed a greater number of nondomestic violent offenses, while those in the NCPV group committed a greater number of property offenses. Analyses revealed no significant group differences on the Emotional Symptom Index and Personal Adjustment Composite of the Behavior Assessment System for Children; however, interaction effects were detected by gender and race. Keywords Juvenile delinquency * Crime * Domestic violence * Child-parent violence, Introduction Violent crime profoundly impacts the lives of individuals and families across the country. Even though the 2007 arrest rates for Violent Crime Index (VCI) offenses continue to trend lower [...]

Juvenile offenders are costly to our society in terms of the monetary and social expenditures from the legal system, victims' person costs, and incarceration. The re-entry and community reintegration outcomes for formerly incarcerated youth with a disabling condition are bleak compared to peers without disabilities. In this study, we examined the factors--both static and intervention-related--that reduce recidivism rates for project participants possessing a mental health and/or special education diagnosis and were served by a facility-to-community reentry intervention. Our sample was comprised of a total of 320 youth formerly incarcerated who received project services between August of 1999 through June of 2004. Project services include a transition specialist whose role is service coordination to youth from the facility to the community. Kaplan-Meier survival functions were calculated for participants on the outcome measure of the rates of recidivism. Additionally, Cox regression modeling was used to identify factors for the prediction of time to recidivate. Our findings indicate that the intervention may contribute to reduced recidivism rates but that a set of static demographic and pre-incarceration risks contribute more to the prediction of recidivism than community adjustment factors (e.g., employment or enrollment). With these findings, the intervention seems promising yet it remains unclear about which programmatic features contribute to reduced recidivism rates. Implications for research and practice are shared. Keywords Juvenile justice * Youth with disabilities * Mental health * Re-entry * Community reintegration

Studies of detained and incarcerated adolescent offenders in the United States indicate that these juveniles have an elevated risk of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). However, many more arrestees enter the 'front end' of the juvenile justice system than are detained or incarcerated, and research into the STD risk profiles and service needs of this larger group is lacking. An expansion of STD testing (including of asymptomatic youths), prevention, and treatment is needed, as is improved knowledge about gender-and race-specific services. A pilot program in Florida has shown that juvenile justice and public health systems can collaborate to implement STD testing among new arrestees. With integrated linkages to treatment and prevention after release, this model could greatly reduce the STD burden in this underserved, high-risk population. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2007.122937)

Aims: To describe the socio-economic background and physical health status of young offenders in custody in New South Wales (Australia). Design: Cross-sectional survey of all young offenders held at nine juvenile detention centres across New South Wales (NSW) (eight male and one female) between January and March 2003. Methods: Demographic and health information was collected by nurse interviewers and psychologists using a face-to-face interview. Blood and urine samples were collected to screen for blood-borne viruses and sexually transmissible infections. Results: The final sample comprised 242 young people (223 males and 19 females). Overall, 90% of those assessed rated their general health as 'excellent', 'very good' or 'good'. Sixty-nine (30%) young offenders reported that they had been previously diagnosed with asthma. Two young women reported a past diagnosis of diabetes with the results of the random blood glucose testing indicating that a further six young people required testing for possible diabetes. None of those tested were positive for HIV, 9% tested positive for hepatitis C antibody, and 11% tested positive for hepatitis B core-antibody. Conclusions: Our findings indicate that young offenders in New South Wales have backgrounds characterised by extreme disadvantage (poor educational attainment, unemployment, and care placements) and poor physical health. Parental incarceration was common to 43% of the sample. Our findings reinforce the concept that for marginalised groups, contact with the criminal justice system represents an important opportunity to detect illness, initiate treatment, and promote contact with health services. Keywords: Adolescent; prisoners; bloodborne pathogens; health status; Australia. doi:10.1111/j.1753-6405.2008.00169.x

Secondary analyses of a randomized clinical trial controlled for treatment condition effects and examined the impact of comorbid psychopathologies on the mental health, physical health, and criminal behavior of 80 substance abusing delinquents approximately 5 years later in emerging adulthood. Overall, emerging adults with a comorbid disorder during adolescence scored higher on psychopathology, criminal behavior, and health problems. Participants with both internalizing and externalizing disorders exhibited more negative outcomes than those with a comorbid externalizing disorder. For the entire sample, more internalizing diagnoses forecasted higher internalizing and aggression scores, more criminality, and poorer physical health. More externalizing disorders predicted higher internalizing, delinquency, and criminality scores, but was unrelated to physical health. More internalizing diagnoses for females but not males predicted greater criminality, and especially more aggressive crimes in emerging adulthood. Keywords: comorbidity, substance abusing delinquents, long-term effects, externalizing disorders, internalizing disorders

A study aims to examine the existing health care policies in U.S. juvenile detention centres. The results conclude that juvenile detention facilities have many shortfalls in providing care for adolescents, particularly mental health care.

Recent research indicates that adjudicated female youth have higher rates of mental health problems and histories of trauma exposure and abuse relative to adjudicated male youth. These differences are important for gender-specific assessment, intervention, and management strategies. We replicated a subtyping strategy for adjudicated female youth based on mental health screening data from the Massachusetts Youth Screening Instrument-2 (MAYSI-2) by investigating subtype differences on trauma symptoms, abuse history, and other background variables. Cluster analysis of the standard MAYSI-2 scales revealed a three cluster solution replicating results from a prior study. Additionally, results indicated expected differences between female youth with mental health problems compared to those without mental health problems with co-occurring female youth (i.e., self-reported mental health and substance abuse problems) having have greater mental health problems and more extensive abuse histories compared to other subtypes. Keywords Female juvenile offenders * MAYSI-2 * Mental health * Screening * Trauma

Antisocial personality disorder (APD) is a serious public and mental health concern. Understanding how well conduct disorder (CD) and other mental disorders predict the development of APD among youths involved in the juvenile justice system is critical for prevention. The authors used a stratified random sample of 1,112 detained youths to examine the development of APD at a 3-year follow-up interview. Nearly one fifth of male juvenile detainees later developed APD; approximately one quarter of male juvenile detainees with CD at baseline later developed APD. Significantly more males than females developed APD; no differences were found by race/ethnicity. Having 5 or more symptoms of CD, dysthymia, alcohol use disorder, or generalized anxiety disorder was significantly associated withdeveloping modified APD (M-APD; APD without the CD requirement). Some disorders were strong predictors of APD; however, none were adequate screeners for identifying which detainees would later develop M-APD. The findings of this study have implications for interventions and further research in developmental psychopathology. Keywords: conduct disorder, antisocial personality disorder, mental disorder, detained youths, longitudinal

Data from a convenience sample of 476 detained adolescents were used to examine the relationship between family influences and biologically confirmed sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Results indicated that frequent parental monitoring was negatively associated with STD infection and that this relationship was modified by age, gender, and race. Findings suggest that STD prevention efforts for detained adolescents (particularly high-risk minority females older than age 16) might focus on increasing monitoring by a parent or parental figure. Keywords: adolescents, detainees, STDs, family influences