This study examined the community reentry process among several hundred serious adolescent offenders released from juvenile court commitments in two metropolitan areas.
The findings indicate that reentry offenders are sensitive to close and extended supervision and service contacts during the aftercare period and that different components of these processes may be important for motivating restraint from negative behaviors and promoting engagement in school and/or work. The general findings about the importance of aftercare services in reducing the likelihood of recidivism mirror results from other investigations of long-term criminal outcomes with adult offenders on parole. To date, studies of offender reentry have provided limited data on reintegration outcomes and the impact of aftercare supervision and services on individual adjustment. This study examined the facility-to-community transition among 413 serious adolescent offenders released from juvenile court commitments in Maricopa County, AZ and Philadelphia County, PA. The study sought to provide a broad view of functioning during young offenders’ first 6 months in the community on multiple indicators of adjustment, antisocial activity, formal system involvement, school attendance, and employment. The study also assessed their participation in postrelease court supervision and community-based services and presented data about the duration and intensity of these activities. References