The Developmental Impact of Incarceration on Early Pregnancy and Risky Sexual Behavior among Serious Female Offenders

• In Event: Inequalities and social justice in the CJS: Remembering Anat Kimchi

Abstract

Considerable evidence has emerged documenting the association between incarceration and negative health outcomes later in life, based primarily on adult and male samples. However, a large gap remains in our knowledge about incarceration’s effects on young females’ developmental health and health-related behavior, as most research is unlikely to generalize to this uniquely disadvantaged population. The present study investigates both short and long term effects of incarceration during adolescence on one of the major public health concerns for young people, risky sexual behavior and early pregnancy during the transition to adulthood. We use longitudinal data from a sample of serious juvenile offenders from two large cities to a) describe differences between male and female offenders at adjudication, b) investigate the effects of incarceration on early pregnancy, and c) estimate the long term effects of incarceration on risky sexual behavior four to seven years following adjudication. The results suggest that while serious justice-involved females are significantly more maladjusted than their male counterparts, placement does operate as a protective factor both for early pregnancy and risky sexual behavior for these young females. We contextualize our findings in terms of the inherent uniqueness of the population of serious justice-involved females and discuss possible implications.

Authors

• Anat Kimchi, University of Maryland

• Pilar Larroulet, Rutgers University-Newark

• Thomas Loughran, South Florida University