Rehabilitation and Youth Recidivism

Sasha E. Agarunov

Ms. Leila Chawkat

Independent Research I Period 2

21 March 2022
 Abstract

Background: Recidivism in Juvenile Justice is a major problem for youth, which, to a large

extent, is linked to the rehabilitation of youth when they are residing in a facility. The purpose of

this paper is to pick out what method of rehabilitation fairs rather effective in lowering

recidivism rates among adolescents in the juvenile justice system.

Methods: We used two methods of research collection and data collection. One of which was a

meta-analysis of 15 scholarly resources that was put together and analyzed through a literature

review. The other was an original data collection in which 5 interviews with professionals in the

field of juvenile justice rehabilitation as well as youth development were conducted and recorded

with the permissions of the interviewees.

Outcomes: The results of the research show that positive relationships with adults such as

mentors or transition specialists, as well as pushing for engagement in rehabilitative services,

were found to be beneficial in reducing recidivism among adolescents.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction

2. Review of Literature

3. Data Collection/ Original Data

4. Conclusion

5. Works cited

6. Appendices
Introduction

Recidivism is defined as an offender's tendency to reoffend. According to OJJDP ( The

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention), “While national recidivism rates are not

available, a review of state studies found that rearrest rates for youth within 1 year of release

averaged 55 percent, while reincarceration and reconfinement rates averaged 24 percent.”(Ojjdp

News @ a glance, November/December 2020: Research central: Measuring what works in

juvenile reentry 2020). The brain does not stop developing until the age of 25, leaving youth at

their most vulnerable state where their surroundings can influence them for the rest of their lives.

Though the juvenile justice system strives to take as best care of youth who have committed

crimes, recidivism remains to be a looming problem.

Many researchers and people who work in creating programs designed for youth have

strived in coming up with the absolute best ways to work with youth one on one and discover

what they need in order to ensure the best outcomes once they finish their time and leave the

facility. A method that is often used to find such needs is conducting a risk needs assessment

once a youth enters the facility and picking apart what they may be strong in and where they

show weakness, and following up with those results with treatment accordingly. Youth can be

sent to all kinds of programs that do help change their mindsets, but as soon as they leave, they

return to their original risks and all the work they put through could easily slip away causing

them to offend once again. Not only by working one on one with youth, but also creating a

support system through an adult that can continue checking in on the youth even post release

gives the adolescent a place or person to fall back on when they need to, and allow them to

develop positive mindsets towards adults and the world around them. The juvenile justice system
is in major need when it comes to combating the rates of youth recidivism, and the optimal way

is through mentorship and transitional planning to build positive relationships with adults and

their community.

Review of Literature

Engagement in services

Those who are actively engaged in youth focused reentry programming 30 days post-

release are also most likely to continue to be engaged 120 days on and happen to have the lowest

recidivism rates. (Mathur et al., 2019). Active engagement produces lower rates in recidivism

among youth. It is important that they are checked up on by these adults and made to engage.

When youth are made to engage, it encourages them to continue on the right path that strays

away from previous risk factors and new ones as well. It is especially prevalent when they see

results in themselves, and that original push turns into their own active engagement away from

the work of an adult who helped them get started and motivated.

A study explored the relationship between school quality and juvenile crime and the

researchers behind the study hypothesized that they will be able to improve student’s future

opportunities in the legal sector by giving them the ability to form better human capital and

human relationships. The study showed positive results towards the original hypothesis in the

sense that those who participated in apprenticeship programs, as well as had the opportunity to

choose which school they could attend, were able to avoid delinquency and overall reduce the

number of minor crimes committed in the area. (Pandjiris, A., 2003). By improving school

quality and choice, as well as having services that cater to helping youth who have been

incarcerated, adolescents were put into situations where they were made to engage with their
community and with their schools. The engagement that they were made to endure eventually led

to the result of the decrease in minor crimes in that area. Engagement has an effect in ensuring

that youth can reach the point where recidivism no longer becomes an answer to what they face.

Along with the ability to choose schools and be provided opportunities, the importance of adults

closest to youth, such as teachers and parents, encouraging youth to reach out and do what they

want to do rather than put them down over their past is beneficial in creating relationships and

pushing youth into that engagement that helps them in the long run. “support for employment

and the attainment of a GED increased the chances of community engagement through

employment.” (Miller et al., 2019). By actively supporting youth in attaining things like

employment, they increase their community involvement and community engagement. Key

word; support. When given the opportunity and shown that the opportunity is attainable even for

people who have records, youth feel more confident in themselves and feel better when in

contact with their community, which benefits them as it can change their way of thinking

completely. Simple support can act as a push for youth to set themselves up and help themselves.

The act from an adult in telling them they can do it, makes the youth feel as though they can.

Programs such as VOM (victim-offender mediation) seek out to involve victims with the

offender in a given crime and focus on the offender's accountability when restoring the well-

being of the victims and develop the community’s capacity to prevent and respond to future

crimes that may be similar or different. (Bouffard et al., 2016). The engagement of youth as well

as the people around them, and those involved with the crime, actively pursues the connection

the community has to the system and helps better understand what could be done for future

cases. People help people, so creating the sense of community and connection within that

community from all sides is beneficial in helping youth turn around.

 Youth found that seeing the adult that is working with them regularly was important in

establishing a caring relationship and spending time together was best in demonstrating that care.

They found this aspect to be important in not only establishing that relationship, but also just

giving them encouragement. (Melton et al., 2021). Positive peer like relationships between youth

and adults are so important to the youth and that connection through constant engagement and

constant checking in encourages them to continue on the path of bettering themselves and

reaching out knowing they have a support system that ensures that they are doing what's best for

them.

Case management through mentors is critical in approaching juvenile reentry. The

program AIM (Advocate, Intervene, Mentor) found that youths who worked with mentors and

actively participated in the program during and after their incarceration are less likely to

recidivate up to 5 years after release. Working with a mentor that commits to the youth can be

significant in making a difference in their offending behaviors and involving them as productive

members of the community which can draw them away from criminal behavior. (Jarjoura, R. G.,

2007). Engagement in mentoring services has a significant impact in making sure the youth does

not reoffend. It is the mentor’s job to check on them and get them help through creating

connections and listening to their needs, and that also comes to the youth. If a youth does not

engage with the mentor and reach out, then they are not receiving their needs and in the end that

does not help them. Both sides engaging, lowers the risk of recidivism.

Trauma and the system

A study found that trauma incidents were positively associated with perceived likelihood

for recidivism and future incarceration, and also found that trauma incidents had a relationship
with certain outcomes of mental health status. (Yoder et al.,2017). Trauma and its relation to

recidivism shows how important it is to address the problems youth face even if it includes their

history long before the crime was committed. Approximately half of the youth in detention

facilities have one or more psychiatric disorders. Around two-thirds of males and three-quarters

of females entering juvenile centers have some sort of psychiatric disorder. In total, almost 14%

of females and 27% of males in facilities have comorbid psychiatric disorders. The article

suggested focusing on treatment for mental health in male facilities. They also mentioned

treating behavioral disorders stemming from a juvenile’s childhood because it may have an

effect on reducing substance use disorders, but the article did not go in depth on the correlation

of the two. (Abram et al., 2015). Focus on mental health individually is needed, which means

that working with youth one on one is so important. Even if they do not open up, it is important

to form a bond and trust to figure out what is wrong and what can be done to help them in order

for them to reform and move forward as the youth approaches reentry. Talking with youth about

their needs is very important, but it is also important to consider how confinement affects youth

and the problems in facilities that create yet another psychological toll on these kids who are in

desperate need of attention and focus on rehabilitation rather than punishment.

Confinement for youths is a punishing and often traumatizing experience for these kids

who most of the time already have a history of trauma and victimization. Adolescent Brain

Research made it impossible to deem youth fully capable of change. There is evidence that

shows that confinement only makes this worse. (Sawyer, W., 2019). Disproportionate amounts

of youth with mental health disorders enter the system and are not taken care of the way they

should be. Confinement only makes their conditions worsen which is why it is important to look

at the needs of the youth immediately upon entry to make sure they have every possible
opportunity for recovery in whatever they may need to focus on that will help them rehabilitate.

Confinement ruins the chances for youth through overall traumatizing experiences and not taking

proper care of their needs that they came into the system with. Oftentimes these needs of theirs

only spiral down as the confinement they are thrown into ignores their calls for help, not to

mention that the system many times is biased and racially motivated when charging and

confining these children. Less than 21% of white youth with delinquency cases are detained,

compared to 32% of Hispanic youth, 30% of Black youth, 26% of American Indian youth, and

25% of Asian, Native Hawaiian, or Pacific Islander youth. Thousands are sent to adult facilities

as well as youth facilities that many times mock adult ones. Youth who are sent to adult facilities

are 5 times more likely to commit suicide than those in juvenile facilities. (Hawkins et al., 2020).

On it’s own, confinement is not the best place when it comes to juvenile rehabilitation, and when

youth are sent to facilities that do not pay close attention to their individual needs and respect the

fact that they are so young and vulnerable, especially minorities who are treated unfairly by this

system, are likely to not be able to rehabilitate and suicide may even be a risk to be considered.

Risk factors outside of facilities related to the youth’s involvement in crime should not be

overlooked either.

Some risk factors that should be considered in an experimenting child are parental and

adult models around them who may have histories in substance use or have trouble with their

child, and certain social factors like peers and the area they live or go to school in. These risk

factors, when considered, are a reason for an adolescent to be taken under the wing of a mentor

to ensure either prevention or teaching safe habits in order for them to maintain a good

relationship with whatever they try when they are of legal age to experiment freely. (Erdem, G.,

& Kaufman, M. R., 2015). Risk factors that Youth face may include underage drinking and drug
intake. It is inevitable for youth to want to experiment and it is seen in almost all levels of

society, it is a universal thing. The importance of setting youth up with positive role models who

could help them understand safety and work with them to make sure that when they are of age

they can remain safe with their habits and can change their way of thinking regarding whatever

risk factor they previously faced. When looking at rehabilitation for youth, the most pressing

issue is getting them what they need, and that requires extra care in looking at their history of

mental health and abuses as well as their current situation in facilities and outside facilities. The

goal for juvenile justice and juvenile detention is never pure punishment as that can be

detrimental to their health and that trauma is a big reason for recidivism, but rather the focus is

breaking down what can be done to reform and mold these young people into adults that can

avoid reoffending in the future.

Positive work with youth

Positive engagement and help by transition specialists will ease the adjustment to their

new lives and allow the individual plenty of time as well as flexibility to adapt and clean up to

face their future. (Miller et al., 2019). Talking to youth, and supporting them may be the biggest

reason for success in rehabilitation. When youth can understand and learn to make new mindsets

regarding their lives, they can make progress in cleaning up their future. “Rehabilitation is

practical because some rehabilitative methods address the personal needs of juvenile delinquents

and give juvenile delinquents realistic options to make it in society without having to recidivate.”

Rehabilitation, though it is paid through tax payer money, is something that youth are in need of

as it allows them to grow and learn ways of life that do not force them in and out of jails

(Darbouze, K.,). Rehabilitation is so essential to youth as it helps them develop new skills and
new understandings of where they were wrong and what they needed to fix in their past that

affected the reason they were sent to the facility in the first place. By working with youth

individually and picking apart strengths and weaknesses, adults who allow that communication

in the end provide the youth with the opportunity to succeed in their future.

A survey of a group of kids who were involved with the Juvenile Justice System found

that they all benefit from the help and attention of adults in positive ways even if it is just

believing in them. The authors of a study suggested that the best plan of action would be to

implement mentors in school as well as focusing on strengths each child faces to make sure they

face a positive and engaging environment that allows them to move forward. (Sinclair et al.,

2016). Youth need the attention of adults that can help them navigate what may be the most

difficult parts of their lives. The fact that most felt that the attention and the help they received

helped them in the long run, only serves to show the need for positive role models in their lives.

If a family member or an adult they know around them can not be there, it is important that

someone can build a relationship with the youth and teach them how to build their own positive

relationships as well. Transition specialists provide services to youth from the perspective of an

adult role model in their lives. They work to help youth in aspects such as work, school, home

life, and sending them to places that they feel would be best for the rehabilitation of the kids they

work with. It has been found that youth greatly appreciate this kind of help, and have advanced

from it. They have said that the transition specialists make them feel more welcomed and make

them feel closer to adults as they feel like they have someone they can lean on and who will do

their best to ensure their safety and success in the future. (Sinclair et al., 2020). When youth feel

reassured by the adults in their lives, they can reach out and receive help. Especially when the

other adults in their lives, such as family members and teachers, are not able to be the person
these youth can rely on, the job of these Transition Specialists are to work on that relationship

and eventually become that important person for them to make sure they can grow up to be the

best version of themselves. To create that bond, it is necessary to view the perspective of youth

who essentially benefit from the creation of that relationship. Youth have found that supportive

peer relationships that mimic friendly and open friendships make them feel as though they can

talk to these adults about whatever they need. They tend to gravitate to people who listen to

them, and being “nice” and “funny” was an aspect in people that they felt was an important

factor in feeling closer to them. (Melton et al., 2021). Relationships that are too hierarchical and

that have the adult as someone who is not able to level with the youth never allow feelings of

closeness and comfort that are crucial to youth opening up and feeling comfortable enough to

express their needs which the adult is supposed to help them with. Instead, it is greatly

appreciated to have a positive and peer-like relationship that encourages friendly talks that can

turn into real conversations about what the youth really needs. Comfort is key, and with that

comes treating each other as equals. The transition from kids to adults is not an easy task,

particularly youth who are serving or have served in the juvenile justice system. Adults such as

parents and natural mentors can support healthy transitions into adulthood. The supervision of

adults has shown to report high levels of self control in youth and their development. Supportive

individuals outside of the family structure can act as compensatory resources or developmental

assets if the youth find them to be supportive. (Melton et al., 2020). Adults that may not be their

family members can act as supportive systems which a youth can rely on. The supervision of

such adults and the positive engagement with them results in positive behaviors from youth. In

the juvenile justice perspective, mentors can become that supportive compensatory resource or

developmental asset that can bring out those positive qualities in youth by being that structure in
which they can lean on.

Data Collection (original interviews)

Data Chart:
Person Question asked Response to Question
Interviewed

Ridha Kapoor, A source of mine talked (Ms. Kappoor did not answer this question,
Policy and Field about mentorship and because at the time it was not part of my
Relations transition specialists in research question yet… I have developed a
Associate, bit more in my research.) But when she was
facilities and outside
Coalition for talking about youth with disabilities and
Juvenile Justice facilities. Do you think treatment, she did mention that “in schools,
that on top of possibly making sure that students with learning
sending youth to programs disabilities have funding and also proper
like therapy, or housing, education suited to their specific needs. Also
we should also incorporate hiring a school counselor that grew up in a
an adult with them to help similar environment to the youth that they're
serving, maybe someone that looks like the
them out?
students they are trying to counsel and
culturally aligned with their struggles. I think
these are some things that can be done
beforehand. And then inside facilities, I
would say, as much extra support as you can
provide” which aligns with having an adult
with the youth would be helpful.

Cassandra Absolutely. If a youth was able to find the

Blakely, resources and programs that could help them,
M.A.Deputy they would not be in the system in the first
Director, Training place. They are still teenagers, and are
and Technical overcoming challenges. They need someone
Assistance to help them navigate their resources. Just
American expecting them to cold call people is not
Institutes for helpful, so transition specialists can guide
Research that as well as ensure follow up. Peer
mentors have walked a similar road to the
young adult and can act as a guide and act as
a way to normalize and make the youth feel
less alone. Building hope.
 Absolutely. The background where she came
Aide (I-the-eh) from bred her to be a criminal no matter
Sam Moore, what. When all you know is this culture, how
Youth partnership do you identify how to live better? Mentors
and training help youth guide the way they view the
associate for CJJ world. They help develop prosocial,
(coalition for interpersonal relationships, teach how to talk
juvenile justice) things out and ask for help. There is a silent
culture in trauma, mentors help identify
internal values and help youth form new
beliefs.

Yes. I believe this to be the case because I

Roger Jarjoura, did research where I had college students get
Ph.D., involved as mentors and compared to other
Criminology, kids who had all the other services and no
University of mentor, the kids with adults were way more
Maryland. effective. It is important to help youth
Principal interpret things that are happening outside.
researcher of Mentors can help them keep track of where
AIR. they need to be and make sure that they get
where they need. They do what many parents
would do to help their kid. When they do not
know how to handle their emotions, having
someone they can talk to can help them from
getting into trouble.

I study this a lot, especially the role of adults

Theresa Melton in youth relationships, so I say yes. The one
Ph.D., thing that is really frustrating is that context
Research, matters and the question we want to ask is
Statistics and whether these programs are effective, when
Evaluation. Taken we should be asking for whom these are
from a research effective. The value of youth-adult
paper. relationships can improve outcomes for
youth and limit their options to reenter, but
that is not always true for all youth. In
mentoring, youth who don’t have good
relationships with parents and other families
may fail with the mentor. Failing in
mentoring can have detrimental outcomes.
Some interventions may be more effective
than others, and so we should look for
interventions for those who are not being
reached. The complete answer is yes and no.
Ridha Kapoor, Recidivism is an ongoing
Policy and Field problem among troubled
Relations youth, especially when
Associate,
reentry practices and
Coalition for
Juvenile Justice programs are not available
to them. Is there something
you think that could be
done to make sure that
they receive the support
they need to reenter
society?
“ Honestly, I think the first thing that came to
my mind was a support system. Because no
matter who the individual is, it is absolutely
necessary, and that could include friends,
teachers, mentors, family, either chosen or
blood and even just one person could point
somebody in the direction of a reentry
program, organization, and support services
that are local.” She then continued on about
how community support could be helpful in
making people feel like they can rely on
someone to get through what they are
struggling with.

We should never be placing a youth in a

Cassandra facility if we can’t plan for their reentry.
Blakely, Someone is responsible for reentry so make
M.A.Deputy sure they have adequate training. Look for
Director, Training where the youth may come into contact like
and Technical schools and communities, and make sure
Assistance they are also prepared for a youth to return
American and know how to work around and help the
Institutes for youth. Look at wellness programs like
Research therapy, yoga, stress management, etc.
Replace negative behaviors with positive
behaviors.

In general, yes. There's a problem with

Aide (I-the-eh) uniformity when it comes to mentoring/ how
Sam Moore, exactly it is defined. What she is talking
Youth partnership about are professionals who know how to
and training deal with youth. Mentoring is seen as the #1
associate for CJJ program request in the state of Idaho.
(coalition for Doesn’t where the kids came from, many
juvenile justice) request for mentoring services. Peer-
mentoring is run in some facilities already.
Positive peer culture. Pairing people to teach
rules and help each other out.

To collect recidivism rates you need to wait

Roger Jarjoura, at least 3 years to collect good data. After 5
Ph.D., years, the likelihood of recidivism is around
Criminology, the same as someone who has never
University of committed a crime before. Some research
Maryland. states that after 5 years, the record should
Principal just be sealed. In a state he was looking at
researcher of found 58% of the kids released recidivated in
AIR. the first year and nearly 30% in the first 90
days. It is so important to manage their
expectations so these things don’t happen.
Release days were once Friday and kids
would go out all weekend and start back on
monday. Many of those kids had already
given up by Monday, so a transition
specialist, coordinator, and mentor set the
release day to monday, so the weekend was a
week away and youth would be more
motivated to start the day they get out. Kids
are going back to the same environment they
were originally in. We worked on them while
they were incarcerated, but not in the
environment they were once in. When the
kid returns, the people who enjoyed the
person they were before may pressure them
to go back. What they gained through these
programs wears off really fast, so it is
important to have as much support as
possible.

It depends, but typically caring and

Theresa Melton supporting relationships only really benefit.
Ph.D., Development occurs through interaction with
Research, people. When we want to think of
Statistics and interventions that work with combating
Evaluation. Taken recidivism and delinquency, finding youth
from a research who are on the verge of committing those
paper. acts would be beneficial to work with them.
We need to think of the capacity and what
they are doing which would require a little
more research. With the contagion effect, the
scare in some situations is if we are changing
youth, which way are we changing them.
Who is influencing who and what can we do
with that?

Ridha Kapoor, A source I previously read (specifically talking about therapy) “I think
Policy and Field talked about post-release everyone can benefit, but I know that can't
Relations treatment especially for really be forced on everybody. It can be
Associate, kids who have disabilities introduced. And I do think that if you already
Coalition for and mental health struggle with mental health problems or
Juvenile Justice problems; Do you think
that it is something that
should be implemented in
treatment, and if so, should
it be for everyone, or just
people who seem to be in
need of extra assistance?
\
disabilities, then you definitely are in need of
that extra assistance and that extra support.”
She went into how many times families do
not believe in therapy or any sort of help like
that, and it is not as simple as to just allow
everyone therapy, instead it is better to just
introduce the idea. It would be beneficial,
and is important for extra help like this for
youth with disabilities and mental health
issues.

All treatments need to be connected to risk

Cassandra needs assessment. The assessment should
Blakely, drive treatment. Statistics show that it is
M.A.Deputy more common for youth in the JJ system to
Director, Training have learning disabilities and mental health
and Technical issues, so additional treatment may be
Assistance needed. A one size fits all solution is never
American the solution. It should be individualized. Risk
Institutes for needs assessment looks at needs, risks, and
Research responsiveness in order to find out strengths
and weaknesses in order to see what they
need.

No matter what level of risk a youth is for

Aide (I-the-eh) reoffending, a comprehensive analysis
Sam Moore, should be done to determine if they really
Youth partnership need these services. Even if youth don’t want
and training or think they need these services, we should
associate for CJJ actively engage in ensuring that they get
(coalition for everything they need. In general, there
juvenile justice) should be a basic life skills extra assistance
program or something. Stressors like that
lead to criminogenic factors.

Yes, it is the case, and has been the case that

Roger Jarjoura, kids are not getting the treatment they need.
Ph.D., In that circumstance it is important, but it can
Criminology, not be for everybody. There are assessment
University of tools that cover the risk factors and creating
Maryland. treatment plans. A reassessment can be done
Principal when they are about to leave to look at what
researcher of else may be done that would need to
AIR. continue on after their release. There are a lot
 of kids who have suffered a traumatic brain
injury and need assistance in certain aspects,
so the question is whether we can connect
them with vocational rehabilitation services.

I think that there should be more for

everybody. You can not do too much good
for anybody. Access to resources and adults
Theresa Melton is undoubtedly helpful and ideal. Funding
Ph.D., wise, it is not exactly feasible. The only
Research, concern would be for those who have the
Statistics and opportunity for such interventions, who
Evaluation. Taken determines who gets access and who
from a research doesn’t? There are structural issues in the
paper. system already, so given the nature of
funding, not everybody who needs it may
receive it and I am more nervous over who
determines that. I think all youth can be
rehabilitated. All youth are capable of
growth and reform.

Ridha Kapoor, Some kids who have done
Policy and Field far serious crimes such as
Relations assault or even murder
Associate, may have to be in facilities
Coalition for for longer periods of time,
Juvenile Justice even into adulthood, what
is done to make sure that
these children grow into
functional adults and
prepare them for the
completely new life they
have to face?
“I think it goes back to what you can
provide for them inside and then also reentry
programs, such as counseling, masculinity,
training, consent training, and then go back
to education, jobs, that could be something to
do instead and kind of put you on a different
path.” Overall looking at why the youth went
to jail and their environment in the first
place, and placing them in areas that educate
and form them around their previous
struggles in order to move forward and
successfully release.

Not enough is done. There are rules at a state

Cassandra level to prevent youth and adults in the same
Blakely, facilities allowing facilities to be more
M.A.Deputy specialized in programs. No youth should be
Director, Training put in facilities long term. The ultimate
and Technical answer is to get youth back into the
Assistance community as soon as possible. The same
American thing that has been done for youth that have
Institutes for done minor offenses should be the same for
Research major offenses. Teach kids how to get certain
skills to give them some sort of stability
when they leave the facility.
 Absolutely. In Idaho, there are seven
Aide (I-the-eh) offenses that cause adult charges,
Sam Moore, Indiscriminate time is something they do- if
Youth partnership you are sentenced to any certain place, you
and training are there until you complete your program.
associate for CJJ Looking into statutory offenses and looking
(coalition for into whether or not it is fair. Getting services
juvenile justice) you need depending on how you as a person
are, but also whether it is fair to the crime
you committed.

Absolutely. In our country, we sentence kids

to life in prison without parole. In the last 10
Roger Jarjoura, years we have had more than 3000 kids
Ph.D., serving life sentences. It is a human rights
Criminology, violation. Kids can be guilty of very serious
University of things, and we have a tendency to say how
Maryland. much harm is caused is indicative of how
Principal evil the kid is. People who are serving life
researcher of sentences who become impressive adults are
AIR. mainly due to mentors who have helped
them navigate their needs and transition into
adulthood and possibly the adult system.
They are walked through with mentors and
taken care of and many times become people
within the system who try to contribute to
bettering the outside world.

I haven’t done research on this specifically,

but I think a transition specialist or a mentor
who is aligned with the needs of the youth
Theresa Melton would only be beneficial in thinking about
Ph.D., transition. The concept of growing into
Research, adulthood in the system is so heartbreaking.
Statistics and There is a little bit of a lack of access in this.
Evaluation. Taken We also need to think about what the system
from a research can do to prepare for this kind of thing. We
paper. often look at the individual, but we should
also avoid putting all the pressure on the
kids. If someone is aging in the system, what
are the opportunities for them to get out? It is
great to have access to mentors, but also
what about finding work? There are many
things that impact the likelihood of that
individual reentering. We also need to think
 about as a society what we are doing to
support these individuals outside of
intervening them personally.

Rationale:

The data collection method chosen for this research model was qualitative interviews with five

professionals over zoom and google meet. The researcher asked the participants who were

experts in their respective fields that related to the topic of research, six questions, but the

questions in the data table are the main four which were focused on, and all interviews were

recorded with the permissions of those involved. Interviews were the best approach for this study

as there is no possible way to perform any sorts of experiments or observations due to ethical

concerns as well as the accessibility of such data collection models that the researcher has.

Connecting with professionals who have personally worked with youth or have dedicated years

of research to the same topic or similar field of Juvenile Justice or youth rehabilitation, and

receiving their personal experiences was the best way to collect the data and answers that were

necessary for the original data collection the researcher was looking for. The decision on the

methods was solely based on what the interviewee specializes in, and forming the questions was

decided by how each interviewee suited what was being asked regarding the research while also

remaining in the expertise of the professionals.

Analysis:

A major pattern that popped up in the answers of the interviewees was having a support system

in place, whether that be family, friends, or an adult in order to guide and provide a beam of hope

for the youth and their rehabilitation. The researcher was a little surprised with how family and
environment before the youth ended up in the facilities could affect them and their reentry. Many

of the interviewees touched on that topic, and the researcher has never considered it before. Also

the risk needs assessment was fairly new knowledge to the researcher, and it also went into how

the backgrounds of youth affected the reason they became incarcerated, and how professionals

could take that information and form a transitional plan that turns negative behaviors and risks

into positive behaviors. The reason the results most likely ended up the way they did was

because youth are most affected by their environment and it is important to consider that. Many

youth also rely on support systems (including friends and peers) to get through whatever they are

struggling with, and when put into the stress of juvenile facilities, the need for a support system

becomes dire to ensure that they do not stray further from the path and end up in trouble as

adults. These results definitely back up the research hypothesis, specifically highlighting the

need for mentors and transition specialists. Post-release treatments seem to just blend into

transition specialists especially regarding follow up after the youth has been released. The

limitations of this method was the fact that over the period of time in which the research was

conducted, the researcher’s question changed a bit between their first interview and their most

recent ones, so the questions asked were similar, but a little bit different. It was not easy trying to

form similar questions to the very original, nonetheless the main questions were still salvaged

and the answers the researcher was looking for were still found through all interviews including

the one that fostered the original questions. Another limitation was definitely reaching out to

professionals and receiving responses. If this data collection was able to be conducted again, one

change that would be made, would be to make sure the research question was completely refined

and fully evolved in order to form the questions that are the same for everyone. The researcher

would have also tried to do all the data collection in a closer time range and sending out more
emails all at once was something that would have been far more beneficial earlier on in the quest

for connecting with the professionals and scheduling the interviews.

Pulling Conclusions From the Data:

This data should hopefully drive researchers and people who work with reentry in the Juvenile

Justice system to reform their current work in order to ensure the safe and effective reentry of

youth so as they do not recidivate in the future. The results show how transition specialists and

mentors are effective in being support systems that youth can rely on when they navigate their

struggles and overcome whatever they must to find ways around their risk factors and all in all

reduce recidivism. Risk factors should be considered through assessments the moment the youth

steps into the facility, and followed up upon reentry to determine further work. From the results,

the research can extrapolate the need for support systems for youth in the JJ system and also just

how their previous environment connected to risk factors that should be assessed in order to

create transitional plans for youth from the beginning of the time in which they must serve in the

correctional facilities.

Conclusion

Youth in the Juvenile Justice system have what many do not have who are incarcerated as adults,

which is, the ability to make a change for themselves for the better to ensure that their future is

bright and long. At the moment, recidivism remains to be a problem that the system faces, and

going about it is not an easy task as youth are considered a very vulnerable group. So the big

question is, what can be done to help them when they enter a facility that will ensure their

reentry and rehabilitation a success?

Some things to look at are actively engaging youth in working with adults and pushing them to

try new things as well as making sure that they take part in whatever programs and activities that

will help them in the long run, and pursuing community connections and engagement so that

they will know what to do and how to go about returning to their old lives with a new mindset

towards their previous risk factors. Taking note of how trauma and mental health may affect the

reason youth were incarcerated in the first place, making sure to work one on one with youth to

get them the exact help they need, and how simple positive engagement and building trust with

youth can make them feel connected and feel as though they have someone to fall back on can

fully change the way youth think about themselves and the world around them. When their

spirits are crushed for whatever reason that may be, the effect of encouragement and connection

between mentors, and the work with transition specialists who build trust and pave a way for the

youths to maximize their scope of rehabilitation, is great among troubled youth who desperately

need a guide through the toughest time of their lives. By incorporating mentors and transition

specialists to work one on one with youth and discover their needs and actively work and engage

with them, youth can learn to build healthy, positive relationships with adults as well as build

support systems that will help them refrain from recidivism in their future.

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Appendices

Interview with Ridha Kapoor:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1s_glg4A7k0OYJ4aLIw4c29KMb39ae67t/view?usp=sharing

Interview with Cassandra Blakely:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1OzUgJKmcS1e1QkV6JTeuyqGpme6M5m2m/view?
usp=sharing

Interview with Aide Sam Moore:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1tfpHS9Mgvf61YPUJSII8RgDuG73UqqzU/view?usp=sharing

Interview with Dr. Roger Jarjoura:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1zl0El2w2kOlmKQCzrP-bvayIPY1DUtjz/view?usp=sharing

Interview with Dr. Theresa Melton:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1I2ca64IPg0VkbWKafj1xCAXpyhjpq6X_/view?usp=sharing