NCJ Number
131177
Date Published
1990
Length
20 pages
Annotation
A sample of 244 Texas Youth Commission youth, assigned to Independent Living (IL) or parole, was selected to study what types of youth would benefit most from placement in IL.
Abstract
There were five major findings in terms of placement. Over one-quarter of youth placed in IL were assigned without approval of the IL director. While youth with disapproved homes were more likely to be assigned to IL than placed on parole, 63 percent of those in IL had approved homes. Race is a significant predictor of placement in IL; white youth were favored over other races. Youth placed in IL were more likely to commit major and minor incidents in the 30 days prior to the placement than youth placed on parole. Females, youths completing an IL Preparation program, youths never having attended a training school, and youths whose immediate past placement was a contract care program were also more likely to be assigned to IL than their counterparts. IL placement was a significant predictor of future rearrest rates; youth in IL had about half the recidivism rate of those on parole. There was little difference between IL and parole for most ethnic groups; only black youths were better risks for rearrest and recidivism in IL than on parole. Finally, violent offenders in IL were more likely to be returned to a more restrictive setting than other offenders. 2 tables, 4 figures, and 2 appendixes