NCJ Number
108029
Date Published
1986
Length
50 pages
Annotation
Data from 305 juvenile offenders between ages 12 and 18 who were incarcerated and discharged to parole from the Hawaii Youth Correctional Facility between 1974 and 1978 were used to examine the connection between offender characteristics and recidivism during a 7-year to 11-year followup period.
Abstract
The sample came from 1984 study population of 570 juveniles, many of whose records lacked sufficient information for the present study or had been destroyed. The analysis examined eight variables: (1) age at first family court referral, (2) placements prior to the first incarceration, (3) whether four or more previous placements had occurred, (4) the total number of months and times on juvenile probation, (5) placement in a detention home prior to the first incarceration, (6) total offenses committed as a juvenile, (7) last five offenses prior to the first incarceration, and (8) the total times incarcerated. The sample had a 73.5-percent rate of recidivism by arrest and a 51.4-percent rate of recidivism by conviction. The 'hardcore' nature of the sample probably strongly affected these results. Only one significant relationship was found. Placement in a mental health program was related to recidivism by conviction. Clearer definitions of placements are needed to aid future research on this topic. Tables, appended study instrument, and 10 references.