2023 Issues

Data were obtained in Pennsylvania to examine referrals to juvenile courts in the Commonwealth for the 2021-2022 school year that include any felony, misdemeanor or summary offenses that occurred on school property. This study looked at the referrals to see if any of the individual domains of the Youth Level of Service Case Management Inventory 2.0 (YLS/CMI) had more of an effect on how the case was disposed of, which was defined as dismissed or handled informally, or formally adjudicated, in juvenile court. The research found that while the overall YLS risk score influenced juvenile court outcomes, only five of the eight individual domains of the YLS had a significant effect on how a case was processed in juvenile court, which calls into question how closely juvenile probation officers are following the instrument in their practice.

Despite the need for improved knowledge and skill, little peer-reviewed research evidence exists to support the design, implementation, and effectiveness of brain injury training specifically in the justice system. The present study sought to build upon the findings from Riccardi et al. (2022) to design, conduct, and evaluate a pilot training on brain injury for juvenile justice professionals. Juvenile court professionals completed pre- and post-training focus group interviews (n = 5) and surveys (N = 28). Focus group participants’ responses were grouped into various themes related to perspectives on brain injury and training preferences, including current challenges, content needs, methods desired, most helpful content and methods, professional changes since training, and suggested modifications to the training. Average knowledge and confidence scores improved significantly from pre- to post- training with large effect sizes. The preliminary findings of this research study may be used to support change in training practices and administrative procedures, as well as support the need for continued research in brain injury in JIYs.

Probation is the oldest and most widely used community-based corrections program. Research on probation primarily focuses on the experiences of justice-involved juveniles and the supervision of juveniles in the probation system. Much less is understood about the impact probation officers' perceptions have on job performance and what factors influence those perceptions. The current study aimed to examine the relationship between individual characteristics (e.g., age, gender, race, level of education, tenure, political party affiliation, and jurisdiction) and juvenile probation officers' perceptions about their work ideology. Data for the study came from a sample of juvenile probation officers in nine states. Participants were asked questions about sanctioning, disposition, and role orientation. The study's findings show that few individual characteristics are significantly associated with attitudes/perceptions about work ideology. Probation officers’ race was the only predictor significantly associated with several outcomes. Implications and future directions for research are discussed.

Research suggests adolescents leaving residential treatment programs have higher levels of unemployment and homelessness than average. This exploratory study examined what types of career development curricula are being used in residential treatment programs. The findings suggest that most residential treatment programs use little to no career development curriculum. The long-term goal is to support the critical need and development of a specialized career development curriculum for adolescents residing in residential group home programs.