Technology integration: a promising way to mitigate recidivism of youth in juvenile justice

Abstract

Justice-involved youth have a high risk of reoffending after release, indicating the need for evidence-based reentry programming. This paper presents the results of a two-year post-release non-randomized comparison study. The study examined the impact of enhanced transition programming, delivered through Reentry Intervention and Support for Engagement by Integrating Technology (RISE-IT), on recidivism by comparing two groups, youth who received enhanced vs. traditional transition services in a secure care facility. Enhanced services included: enhanced reception, assessment & classification, transition planning, vocational preparation, merging two worlds curriculum, and 30-day aftercare support. Results indicate that youth who received enhanced services through RISE-IT had significantly lower rates of recidivism. Limitations and implications for practice, as well as future research, are discussed.

Keywords:

• Juvenile justice
• reentry
• technology integration
• transition
• youth

Additional information

Funding

This study was made possible by a grant funded by the U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance (2015-RV-BX-0001). Opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the policy of the Department of Justice and no official endorsement by the Department should be inferred.

Notes on contributors

Sarup R. Mathur

Sarup R. Mathur, PhD, is Ryan C. Harris Professor in Special Education at Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College at Arizona State University. Her areas of expertise include emotional, behavioral and mental health issues of children, juvenile delinquency, teacher education, professional development, and professional learning.

Heather Griller Clark

Heather Griller Clark, Ph.D., is a Principle Research Specialist at Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College at Arizona State University. Her research and inquiry is driven by her desire to ensure that system involved youth, especially those with disabilities, are provided relevant, effective, research-based instruction and transition services.

Jeff M. Gau

Jeff M. Gau is a Research Associate at the University of Oregon in the Center on Human Development. He has been involved in the analysis of longitudinal data, randomized trials, and group randomized trials for more than 25 years and has accumulated more than 100 peer-reviewed publications.