Adult Criminal Trajectories of Juvenile Offenders subject to Adult “Time"

• In Event: Implementing and Evaluating Reforms to Juvenile Justice Policies and Practices

Abstract

Despite the clear reasoning for maintaining a separate system of justice for juveniles due to their decreased decision making capacity and vulnerability to the criminogenic influences of adult jails and prisons, all states maintain policies through which these youths may still find themselves tried and punished through the adult criminal justice system. While much research has focused on the immediate outcomes of such policies, no study to date has examined the long-term implications of such policies. Using a propensity matched sample of 16 and 17 year olds processed in New York’s adult courts in 1987 we examine the 25 year criminal career outcomes for youth who are either subject to spending time in adult jails and prisons or who are diverted to community based alternatives (mainly probation).

Authors

• Megan Kurlychek, University at Albany, SUNY

• Kendall G. Robinson, University at Albany, SUNY