In the arena: Youth in transition from juvenile corrections to the community

Recidivism is often selected as the measure to assess whether a youth successfully transitioned from juvenile corrections to the community. Youth with disabilities in juvenile justice settings have been found to experience a higher rate of recidivism than youth without disabilities. Initial inquiry into the level of recidivism for youth with disabilities released from the Arizona Department of Juvenile Corrections (ADJC) revealed an alarmingly high rate within 360 days of their release date. However, the surface-level recidivism data prevalent today do not contribute to explaining the forces causing this phenomenon or identify the causal networks shaping successful reengagement in the community for youth with disabilities, warranting a thicker description of the complex nature of disability, delinquency, and transition. Using the construct developed by Todis, Bullis, Waintrup, Schultz, and D'Ambrosio (2001) as a guide, successful engagement as opposed to recidivism was selected as the measure to explore youth outcomes. For the purposes of this study, engagement was defined as exhibiting the following criteria: (1) engaged in school or work; (2) not detained or committed since release; and (3) not institutionalized for substance abuse or emotional problems since release. The purpose of this study was to retroactively discover whether themes exist which help explain the engagement status of 53 youth with disabilities released in 2001 from ADJC and included analysis of individual, agency, contextual, and emergent variables and patterns. Youth exhibiting successful engagement continuously up to 360 days after their release were labeled as Thrivers. While youth detained in juvenile detention, committed to juvenile corrections, or sentenced to adult jail or adult prison within 360 days of their release from ADJC were labeled Repeaters. File reviews and interview sets involving 53 youth with disabilities and their influential peers and adults were conducted to assess their standing within the conceptual framework. Pattern analysis and multiple regression revealed three themes across interview sets for Thrivers and Repeaters, including: Insight, Leading Influences, and Quality of Experience, which helped understand the engagement of the sample youth with disabilities released from ADJC to the community. Results are relevant to youth with disabilities involved in the juvenile justice system, their families and caretakers, and juvenile justice personnel.