Examining Race and Recidivism among Connecticut Youth Formerly in Congregate Care

• In Event: Exploring Racial Disparities in Juvenile Justice Processing

Abstract

Changes in policy and practice have been made to minimize the confinement of youth in Connecticut over the past decade. Throughout this time, the state has raised the age of exclusion from the juvenile justice system from 16 to 18, as well as implemented several policies focused on increasing community-based services and reducing the use of pre-trial and post-trial commitment. The youth who are committed despite these changes represent a special subset of offenders who have committed offenses that prohibit community supervision, but that do not warrant transfer to the adult court system. Using data from 2005 to 2015, this study will explore whether changes occurred in the demographics of youth committed to public and private congregate care facilities. Regression analyses will be used to predict rearrests and convictions in a one-year follow up period. Additional analyses will be used to review potential racial disparity in the outcomes among the sample.

Authors

• Sara Jeffries, University of New Haven

• Danielle Cooper, University of New Haven

• Kendell Coker, University of New Haven