Recidivism and Juvenile Justice Youth: A Study on Recidivism Rates for Youth Awaiting Adjudication
Abstract
The United States incarcerates more youth than any other country in the world (Justice Policy Institute, 2009). Previous research has focused on recidivism rates of juvenile justice youth post-adjudication. However, a gap in literature exists concerning the relationship of recidivism rates for youth awaiting adjudication. This study seeks to determine what factors correlate with recidivism for youths in detention compared with youths who receive detention alternatives while awaiting adjudication in an urban area in the Southern United States. It is hypothesized that, based on previous research and theory, youth who receive detention while awaiting adjudication are more likely to recidivate than youth who receive a detention alternative. Logistic regression analyses were conducted to determine the relationship of recidivism rates with pre-adjudication juvenile justice youth. The results indicate that the current recidivism rates for youth awaiting adjudication are too high to determine what factors, if any, correlate with recidivism. Study limitations and recommendations for future research are discussed.