Disentangling the Long-Term Effects of Procedural Justice on Youthful Offending

• In Event: Police Contact and Perceptions of Justice

Abstract

According to the procedural justice theory, citizens are concerned not only with legal outcomes but even more so with the nature of their interactions with legal actors. Studies conducted with citizens from the general population indicate that positive experiences with police officers result in support and cooperation with legal actors, which in turn increases compliance with the law. However, the effects of procedural justice among offending populations have been shown to be weak and sometimes inconsistent with the theory. Additionally, adolescents and young adults are the most likely demographic groups to come into contact with police officers, but they are not as prominent in existing research. Given this important gap in the literature, the current study will examine the relationship between perceived procedural justice and recidivism among 1354 serious youthful and young adult offenders over a seven-year period. Specifically, using data from the Pathways to Desistance study, latent growth curve modeling will be used to assess long-term effects of perceived procedural justice on self-reported offending, while controlling for other rival influences. Pertinent theoretical and policy implications will be discussed.

Authors

• Susybel Roxana Pimentel, University of Cincinnati

• Shaun M. Gann, Columbus State University

• Christopher Sullivan, University of Cincinnati