SERVICE-RELATED EXPERIENCE OF JUVENILE DELINQUENTS FINAL REPORT, JULY 1974

• NCJ Number: 45644
• Author(s): M ROFF
• Date Published: 1974
• Length: 19 pages
• Contract Number(s): DADA 17-69-C-9163
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of the Army
• Corporate Author: Regents of the University of Minnesota
• Sale Source: National Technical Information Service; National Institute of Justice/
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: CONTAINS TWO PARTS: PART 1 - THE SIGNIFICANCE OF HISTORIES OF JUVENILE DELINQUENCY IN PREDICTING ADJUSTMENT IN MILITARY SERVICE; AND PART 2 - THE POST-SERVICE RECORDS OF INDIVIDUALS WITH HISTORIES OF JUVENILE DELINQUENCY

Annotation

DESPITE STATISTICS WHICH SHOW THAT HISTORY OF JUVENILE OFFENSES CORRELATES WITH POOR MILITARY PERFORMANCE, FEW REJECTIONS ARE MADE BECAUSE OF JUVENILE OFFENSE HISTORY.

Abstract

SEVERAL STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THAT, AMONG THOSE ENLISTING IN THE ARMY AT AGES 17 OR 18, THOSE WITH A HISTORY OF JUVENILE OFFENSES TENDED TO HAVE POORER MILITARY OUTCOMES AND THOSE WITH POOR MILITARY RECORDS HAD A 70-80 PERCENT CHANCE OF ARREST AFTER DISCHARGE. THIS STUDY REVIEWS EARLIER STUDIES AND ATTEMPTS TO ISOLATE THOSE CHARACTERISTICS RELATED TO POOR MILITARY PERFORMANCE FROM THOSE WITH JUVENILE RECORDS. IT WAS FOUND THAT, IN ACTUAL PRACTICE, ARMY RECRUITMENT OFFICIALS MADE REJECTIONS FOR MORAL REASONS ONLY FOR CONFINEMENT OR PAROLE STATUS FOLLOWING THE 18TH BIRTHDAY. ALMOST NO ONE WAS REJECTED BECAUSE OF A HISTORY OF JUVENILE OFFENSES NO MATTER HOW LONG OR HOW SERIOUS. COMPARISONS OF RECORDS FROM BOTH THE KOREAN WAR (COHORT BORN 1928-1935) AND THE VIETNAM WAR (BORN 1950-1951) FOUND THAT THE LARGEST PERCENTAGE OF GOOD MILITARY OUTCOMES (PROMOTIONS, AWARDS, LACK OF DISCIPLINE PROBLEMS) CAME FROM YOUNG MEN WHO WERE NONCONFINED AS JUVENILES AND WHOSE HISTORY OF DELINQUENCY WAS RATHER SHORT. EDUCATION WAS A SIGNIFICANT VARIABLE, THOSE WHO DROPPED OUT OF HIGH SCHOOL HAD FIVE TIMES AS MANY UNSATISFACTORY OUTCOMES AS THOSE WHO GRADUATED FROM HIGH SCHOOL. THE HIGHEST PERCENTAGE OF SATISFACTORY OUTCOMES WAS AMONG THOSE WITH 1 OR MORE YEARS OF COLLEGE. THE SECOND MOST IMPORTANT PREDICTOR WAS AMOUNT OF TIME ELAPSED SINCE LAST JUVENILE CONVICTION. ALTHOUGH THIS TIME LAPSE IS SHORT FOR THOSE ENLISTING AT AGE 17-18, IT CAN BE CORRELATED WITH CONFINEMENT FOR A PREDICTOR OF MILITARY SUCCESS. AT THE OTHER EXTREME, THOSE WHO WERE CONFINED AS JUVENILES HAD GENERALLY POOR SERVICE OUTCOMES. THOSE CONFINED IN A COUNTY HOME OR SCHOOL ONLY HAD GOOD OUTCOMES IN 58 PERCENT OF CASES, POOR OUTCOMES IN 34 PERCENT. THOSE CONFINED IN STATE OR FEDERAL TRAINING SCHOOLS HAD GOOD OUTCOMES IN LESS THAN 25 PERCENT AND POOR OUTCOMES IN 60 PERCENT. IT IS CONCLUDED THAT THE RELATIVELY SMALL PROPORTION OF YOUNG MEN WITH A POOR JUVENILE HISTORY INCLUDING CONFINEMENT IN A STATE OR FEDERAL TRAINING SCHOOL CAUSED A DISPROPORTIONATE AMOUNT OF TROUBLE IN SERVICE AND AFTER SERVICE. THEY COULD HAVE BEEN REJECTED FROM MILITARY SERVICE WITH RELATIVELY LITTLE EFFORT. (GLR)