The Implications of Family Involvement: The Impact of Visitation on Juvenile Justice Outcomes

• In Event: Juvenile Development and Juvenile Justice

Abstract

State juvenile justice agencies routinely place youth in facilities far from their homes and families. Long distances and juvenile justice policies limit the opportunities for visits and hinder family contacts with incarcerated youth. Youth development theory suggests that regular opportunities to visit with family may be of great importance to incarcerated youth. However, there has been little empirical investigation of the relationship between visits with family members and outcomes for young people in the juvenile justice system. Further, there has been no research that examines whether policy changes could impact on the number of visits young people receive.
Utilizing administrating data as well as qualitative interviews, the Vera Institute of Justice, in partnership with Indiana’s Department of Correction, Division of Youth Services (DYS), has been conducting a study of a significant change in visitation policies implemented by DYS in April of 2012. The three-phased study examines the implementation of enhanced visitation policies in DYS, the impact of visits on the behavioral and educational outcomes of youth in custody, and the impact of visits on recidivism. It also utilizes in-person interviews of youth in custody to understand how they perceive the impacts of visits on their well-being while incarcerated.

Authors

• Ryan Shanahan, Vera Institute of Justice

• Isaac Sederbaum, Vera Institute of Justice