Results regarding serous juvenile offenders, male and female, ages 14 – 18, are offered in a summary by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), titled, Highlights from Pathways to Desistance: A Longitudinal Study of Serious Adolescent Offenders. Edward Mulvey’s work provides the most comprehensive data set available about serious adolescent offenders and their lives for 7 years after their convictions. His key findings are:
- Most youth who commit felonies greatly reduce their offending over time. There was a small portion of youth in this study who continue to offend at a high level, but most adolescents who have committed serious offenses are not destined for a life of adult criminal careers.
- Longer stays in juvenile institutions do not reduce recidivism.
- In the period after incarceration, community-based supervision is effective for youth who have committed serious offenses. Community-based services, such as supervision and after-care services showed more positive outcomes for these youth.
- Integrating substance abuse treatment into community-based services offers for youth with AODA problems reduces serious adolescent offending.
These findings support viewing youthful offenders as capable of change given the right supports and interventions, support the importance of investing in proven community-based services, and the importance of identifying which youth need our most serious attention.
By Katey Collins and Jim Moeser
