Families and the Juvenile Justice System

Abstract

We conducted focus groups with defense lawyers, clinicians, and education advocates to gather their perspectives on families' experiences with the juvenile justice system. Our quantitative descriptive analysis identified a range of themes such as discussions about the poor treatment of families as well as recommendations for a shifting of power to families. These perspectives may provide insights about the context in which families are expected to participate in interventions, meet probationary demands, and provide for their youth's well-being. The results support evidence gathered from families about the impact of youth incarceration on their lives and has implications for practitioners and researchers working with families whose youth have been incarcerated.

Factors associated with family involvement in a family-centered care program among incarcerated French adolescents with conduct disorder

“…Previous work referenced how the structures of incarceration make it difficult for families to stay connected. Locations where youth are incarcerated are not easily accessible and, as a result, families may not be able to see their children (Amani et al , 2018). Adolescents may be detained far away and the drive may be difficult.…”

“…This result emphasizes the need to develop measures to promote involvement among the families of vulnerable incarcerated adolescents with substance use disorder and to consider how to organize family interventions that are known to be useful in care for patients with substance use disorder (Robbins et al , 2011; Bonnaire et al , 2013; Ventura and Bagley, 2017), especially cannabis dependence (Hendriks et al , 2012). Most juveniles do not remain in detention for long; however, greater efforts need to be made to strengthen and support families who are already overburdened when they come into contact with the juvenile detention system, as family-based approaches have been shown to be effective (Amani et al , 2018). A sustained partnership between mental health and juvenile systems offers hope for incorporating more families, as several factors need to be considered.…”

“…The need for services exceeds their availability; moreover, these adolescents are a particular challenge for psychiatry, as they are known to be more recalcitrant to traditional treatment, more likely to experience treatment failure and more difficult to place because their needs cross traditional boundaries between service sectors (Teplin et al , 2003). Moreover, in addition to individual care, American literature on the topic indicates that it is important to support family-based interventions both during and after incarceration (Amani et al , 2018) to reduce recidivism (Pappas and Dent, 2021). Based on these findings, there is a new mandate in New York City through the Juvenile Justice Initiative to implement interventions such as multisystemic therapy, providing parental guidance, individual therapy and family therapy that keep juvenile offenders in the community rather than incarcerating them (May et al , 2014).…”

A mixed methods evaluation of family-driven care implementation in juvenile justice agencies in Georgia

“…Instead of focusing on restrictive confinement, JJ systems are working to improve youth long-term success by strengthening their support systems and improving their involvement in services within their communities, which relies heavily on the engagement of parents and families (Nellis, Wayman, & Schirmer, 2009 ; (Prison Policy Initiative, 2019 ). Despite prioritizing youth and family wellbeing, JJ systems have encountered numerous policy and practice barriers towards effectively collaborating with families (Amani et al, 2018 ; Burke et al, 2014a , b ; Peterson-Badali & Broeking, 2010 ). A survey of justice correctional leaders identified family engagement as the most challenging issue to implement practically in their systems (Center for Juvenile Justice Reform, 2008 ).…”

A Phenomenological Study of Immigrant Parents of Adolescents with Delinquent Behavior in Israel

“…Although studies have provided findings gathered from families about the impact of youth incarceration on their lives (Amani et al, 2018), to date, no qualitative studies have examined the experiences of parents simultaneously navigating stressors of immigration together with those of parenting a child involved in criminal activity. An understanding of their perspectives, challenges, and experiences can enable a theoretical conceptualization of being a parent of an adolescent with delinquent behavior and allow development of appropriate therapeutic strategies to support parents and to maximize their abilities to support their children.…”