Decision Making and Perceived Postdetention Success Among Incarcerated Youth

• NCJ Number: 196949
• Journal: Crime & Delinquency Volume: 48 Issue: 4 Dated: October 2002 Pages: 553-567
• Author(s): William P. Evans; Randall Brown; Eric Killian
• Editor(s): Ronald E. Vogel
• Date Published: October 2002
• Length: 15 pages
• Sponsoring Agency: University of Nevada
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This study was conducted to understand the link between decision-making skills and perceived postdetention success among incarcerated youth, using data obtained in 2001 from 197 incarcerated youths.

Abstract

Surveys were administered by the Clark County Division of Youth Services in the spring of 2001 to incarcerated youth in two Nevada secure-detention facilities for youth, in order to test the hypothesis that constructive decision-making skills were positively associated with perceived community reentry success and to examine what aspects of decision-making were most predictive of perceived postdetention success among incarcerated youth. The self-report surveys contained 124 items designed to assess the perceptions of 194 male and female youth of their detention experience. Decision-making (defined here as the process of making choices among possible alternatives) skills were measured that were associated with the youths' intentions regarding risky and illegal behaviors and beliefs about their ability to be successful upon release. Tables showing the measures used, and the demographics, youth characteristics, decision-making, and post-detention success scales are included here. Tables give the study variables, results from a multiple regression equation, and results from a Pearson's r Correlation. Results revealed that youth possessing higher levels of decision-making competence scored higher on a postdetention success scale. This relationship was found while controlling for gender, age, ethnicity, number of arrests, and family conflict. Implications for detention-based education, prevention programming, and future research are discussed with the recommendation that additional research is needed, among other areas, on the link between measures of decision-making and perceived postdetention success with longitudinal indices of recidivism.