Time Magazine recently published an article called Bad Crowd: Why Juvenile Detention Makes Teens Worse which takes note of a recent longitudinal study of 779 Montreal youth that adds to previous findings indicating thatinteraction between juvenile offenders often increases the odds of future offenses. The study, Iatrogenic Effect of Juvenile Justice, found that juveniles sentenced to a juvenile prison were 37 times more likely to be arrested as adults, while juveniles placed on probation, where they may interact with other offenders in group counseling or in probation officer’s waiting rooms, are 14 times more likely to be arrested as adults compared to similarly behaving juveniles that do not enter the juvenile justice system.

Taken together, these studies suggest a need for careful assessment of youthful offenders, high levels of supervision and low juvenile-to-staff ratios when juvenile offenders are placed in groups, and using highly structured programs when working with groups. Family therapy and one-on-one counseling are also recommended to prevent juveniles from interaction with other juveniles. We know more and more about what works with youthful offenders – and what doesn’t!