NCJ Number
195374
Date Published
March 2001
Length
48 pages
Annotation
This study set out to determine the level of recidivism among juveniles in Vermont for whom a delinquency petition had been filed in Family Court.
Abstract
Tracking the appearance of youthful offenders in Vermont’s courts has been minimal. Relatively little research has been conducted measuring the proportion of youth that continue delinquent behavior. The purpose of this study was to determine the degree to which youthful offenders in Vermont came in contact with the juvenile justice when they entered mid-adolescence. Dimensions explored included: the nature and characteristics of recidivism; the degree to which selected case variables predicted failure; and the timing of new offenses relative to the original juvenile court filing. This study used a retrospective design utilizing a random sample of 1000 juveniles for whom a delinquency charge was filed in Vermont Family Court during 1995, and disposed of by the end of 1995. The sample was followed from the filing date for the delinquency petition through June 30, 1999, and December 31, 1999, in the criminal disposition databases. The findings suggest that Vermont youth entering the juvenile justice system through a Family Court petition are at high risk of recidivism. Involvement in the criminal justice system was highly probable among offenders who were found delinquent through the adjudication process and for those entering their peak ages, 16 to 18 years of age. Highlights of empirical findings included: (1) juveniles for whom a delinquency charge was filed in Family Court failed in substantial numbers (57 percent) by accruing a new delinquency and/or criminal charge during the 4 years following disposition of the reference offense; (2) failure rates declined in the number and proportion of subjects failing by year from 46.4 percent in year one, to 21.5 percent in year two, to 13.3 percent in year three and 11.2 percent in year four; (3) survival analysis indicated differences in the median time to failure for subjects experiencing only a new delinquency charge (147 days), combination of new delinquency and criminal charges (144 days), and new criminal charge only (854 days); and (4) the male recidivism rate of 64 percent was significantly greater than the female recidivism rate of 42.9 percent. These findings were comparable to a study of recidivism conducted in Texas (2000). Further research is recommended with a longitudinal assessment of both behavior patterns and impact on social service agencies and the criminal justice system. Tables, figures, references, and appendix