Comparison of Mental Health and Legal Factors in the Disposition Outcome of Young Offenders

Abstract

The relative contribution of court-ordered mental health reports and legal factors in determining young offender dispositions was examined. Poor quality of home conditions and severity of substance abuse, as coded from mental health reports, significantly increased the odds of receiving custody over a term of probation once legal factors were controlled. Legal factors significantly predicted probation length, whereas mental health factors only made a small contribution through externalizing behavior problems. The overall concordance between clinicians' mental health recommendations and court dispositions was 67.5%. Although these results suggest mental health reports influence disposition decision making, this influence is more limited than expected given that the purpose of these reports is to assist such decision making. The implications and limitations of these findings are discussed.

Legal, individual, and environmental predictors of court disposition in a sample of serious adolescent offenders.

“…Among these legal factors, a youth's prior record is an especially important predictor of disposition (Matarazzo, Carrington, & Hiscott, 2001). In particular, the severity of a juvenile's sanctions for prior adjudicated offenses significantly influences the likelihood that a youth is placed in secure confinement (Carrington & Moyer, 1995;Henretta, Frazier, & Bishop, 1986;Lee, 1996;Phillips & Dinitz, 1982;Stryker, Nagel, & Hagan, 1983;Thornberry & Christensen, 1984).Although current research confirms the secondary role of individual and contextual factors in shaping juvenile courts dispositions (Niarhos & Routh, 1992;Campbell & Schmidt, 2000), some researchers have found that certain extralegal factors, including the presence or absence of substance abuse problems, family dysfunction, deviant peer associations, antisocial attitudes, and antisocial personality factors, are related to dispositional outcome, even after controlling for legal factors (Hoge et al, 1995;Campbell & Schmidt, 2000). Other studies have found that certain contextual factors, such as whether the juvenile is attending school, working, or living in a two-parent household, are associated with dispositional outcomes, even after controlling for legal and offender characteristics, but the findings of this research have been inconsistent (Cohen & Kluegel, 1978;Kueneman & Linden, 1983;Kueneman et al, 1992;Thomas & Cage, 1977).…”

“…The effects of such legal formality in juvenile courts is confirmed by numerous studies showing that legal factors are the strongest influence on dispositional decisions (Campbell & Schmidt, 2000;Hoge, Andrews, & Leschied, 1995;Horwitz & Wasserman, 1980; Kueneman, Linde, & Kosmick, 1992;Thomas & Cage, 1977). Among these legal factors, a youth's prior record is an especially important predictor of disposition (Matarazzo, Carrington, & Hiscott, 2001).…”

“…Such formalism has been operationalized in dispositional regimes in juvenile courts including mandatory minimum sentences, sentencing guidelines developed by sentencing commissions, and determinate sentencing based on a sentencing "grid" (Torbet & Szymanski, 1998). Such formalism is indigenous to the criminal court.The effects of such legal formality in juvenile courts is confirmed by numerous studies showing that legal factors are the strongest influence on dispositional decisions (Campbell & Schmidt, 2000;Hoge, Andrews, & Leschied, 1995;Horwitz & Wasserman, 1980; Kueneman, Linde, & Kosmick, 1992;Thomas & Cage, 1977). Among these legal factors, a youth's prior record is an especially important predictor of disposition (Matarazzo, Carrington, & Hiscott, 2001).…”

The Relationship Between Matching Service to Criminogenic Need and Recidivism in Male and Female Youth

“…There is some evidence to suggest that girls differ from boys in the ways they engage with, and are processed through, the youth justice system. For instance, in a study examining the influence of mental health assessments on final court recommendations, Campbell and Schmidt (2000) found that while the overall concordance between clinicians' mental health recommendations and court dispositions was 67.5%, there was a significant difference between female and male youth, with only 36% of mental-health-oriented recommendations being followed through with females compared to 60% among male offenders. Thus, questions remain as to whether the RNR framework, and/or its implementation, is as effective in addressing criminal behavior in females as it is for males.…”

Psychosocial Predictors of Clinicians' Recommendations and Judges' Placement Orders in a Juvenile Court

“…Moreover, when clinical advice is provided through court-ordered evaluations, clinicians' recommendations and judges' final decisions are often strongly correlated (Campbell & Schmidt, 2000;Hecker & Steinberg, 2002;Jaffe, Leschied, Sas, & Austin, 1985). However, few researchers have investigated how clinicians formulate their recommendations for court intervention.…”