Juvenile Justice Policy and Practice: A Developmental Perspective

How Do Summer Youth Employment Programs Improve Criminal Justice Outcomes, and for Whom?

“…Second, these findings are consistent with prior research in criminology regarding the likelihood of youth to participate in delinquent and criminal activities over time. This likelihood increases with age as part of the normal course of adolescence through age 25, after which delinquency and criminal activity naturally decrease due to maturity, without any intervention (Monahan, Steinberg, & Piquero, ). Indeed, the relative reduction in the number of arraignments for violent and property crimes was driven by a lack of increase over time among the treatment group, yet the percentage of youth being arraigned for any crime increased over time for both the treatment and control groups pre‐ versus post‐program (see Table ).…”

“…By providing youth with a set of socially productive activities, SYEPs may decrease the risk of exposure to, or participation in, violence and delinquent behavior (Wilson, ). Improving behavior correlated with delinquency and crime . Although most criminal offending ceases as youth move from adolescence into adulthood (Monahan, Steinberg, & Piquero, ), strong, supportive, and sustained relationships with adults and peers are critical to that process (Nagaoka et al., ). SYEPs help develop these relationships by placing youth in jobs that are supported by mentors and program staff.…”

A Decade of Change: Roper v. Simmons, Defending Childhood, and Juvenile Justice Policy

“…More recently, Monahan, Steinberg, and Piquero (2015) contend that newer empirical research demonstrates that adolescent brains are different. Cohen & Casey, 2014;Monahan et al, 2015). Research on adolescent brain development has expanded considerably since the Court first referenced it in Roper (A. O.…”

Youth Justice in Europe: Experience of Germany, the Netherlands, and Croatia in Providing Developmentally Appropriate Responses to Emerging Adults in the Criminal Justice System

“…Many of the traits so prominent among adolescents -notably their high susceptibility to peer pressure, marked proneness to risk-taking and impulsive behavior, and tendency to be overly motivated by reward seeking behavior -are also prevalent among emerging adults (Bryan-Hancock & Casey, 2010;Monahan, Steinberg, Cauffman, & Mulvey, 2009). Researchers have pointed to these characteristics in regard to the proclivity of youth to engage in criminal behavior (Monahan, Steinberg, & Piquero, 2015). In distinguishing between children and adults, the United States Supreme Court has found these developmental markers to have constitutional significance under the Eighth Amendment's prohibition of cruel and unusual punishment and the Fifth Amendment's due process protections against self-incrimination.…”

“…Although the laws and practices in these three countries differ, one theme that arises when comparing and contrasting them with the United States is the age chosen to help define such critical factors as criminal responsibility, youth court jurisdiction, youth correctional jurisdiction, type and length of sentences, and public access to criminal records. The United States prosecutes younger youths, provides more opportunities for trying and sentencing youths as adults, incarcerates youths for longer periods of time and in adult facilities, provides public access to the criminal records of youths, and often disregards the distinct developmental stage of youths transitioning from childhood to adulthood (see Monahan et al, 2015). In Germany, the Netherlands, and Croatia, each country's justice system has taken a much different approach, carving out special provisions for individuals up to their 21st (or, in the case of the Netherlands, 23rd) birthday, recognizing their ongoing maturation and development and applying factors that they believe will contribute to better outcomes and increased public safety.…”