NCJ Number
129102
Date Published
Unknown
Length
85 pages
Annotation
This study, a followup of 118 formerly incarcerated delinquents, determines whether any clinical variables other than aggressive behaviors were associated with the quality of adult adaptation.
Abstract
The study focused on a sample of seriously delinquent adolescents, 97 boys and 21 girls, who were incarcerated in the only juvenile correctional institution in Connecticut in the late 1970's, and who were subjects in a study of the clinical characteristics of incarcerated delinquents. Followup data was obtained from the correctional school, law enforcement records, and public records. In addition, extensive efforts were made to contact all subjects and conduct personal interviews. The findings suggest that the outcome for seriously delinquent adolescents after discharge from juvenile incarceration is grim. The girls go on to dysfunctional lifestyles establishing violent relationships and giving birth to children who are quickly abandoned or maltreated. Most of the boys go on to commit adult crimes, and approximately half commit violent crimes. The data also suggest that the outcome for those few youngsters who receive supportive, therapeutic placements is better than that for youngsters placed in harsher or less structured settings. Appendix