The Effects of Age, Gender, and Race on Juvenile Recidivism among Juvenile Offenders between 1989 and 2002 in Georgia

• In Event: Juvenile Institutions: Issues and Concerns

Abstract

Juvenile treatment programs were common to prevent or reduce recidivism for juvenile offenders. However, previous research on program effectiveness is mixed. This study will examine the effects of age, gender, and race on the rate of recidivism among the Georgia juvenile offenders who were committed to the state by juvenile courts between July 1989 and May 2002 utilizing juvenile archival data set (N=12,030) provided by the Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice (Gillis, Gass, and Russell, 2008). We propose a model of three way interaction effects of age, gender, and racial differences on juvenile recidivism measured as re-arrest for criminal behavior after release within a 1 year, 2 year and 3 year period. Further implications for research in examination of juvenile recidivism with a specific time interval variable and a multivariate analysis will be discussed.

Authors

• Matheson Sanchez, Kennesaw State University

• Gang Lee, Kennesaw State University