Document Type

Report

Publication Date

5-2012

Abstract

Executive Summary The Maine Department of Corrections (MDOC) Division of Juvenile Services (DJS) collaborates with the Muskie School of Public Service in a state‐university partnership to analyze juvenile recidivism rates. DJS measures juvenile justice outcomes to guide policy and program development geared toward recidivism reduction. Reduction of youth recidivism in Maine increases public safety.

This report uses multiple recidivism measures: re‐arrest, re‐adjudication/conviction, and recommitment. To be consistent with other reports, most analysis focuses on re‐adjudication/conviction. This report measures DJS impact on youth who have been committed to a MDOC facility by examining rates of recidivism.

On average, 107 are committed to a youth development center annually. About half of these are released to the community. Among key findings are:

• Youth in this study were primarily white boys, between the ages of 16‐17.

• Just over two thirds (69.4%) were released early to community supervision. Those youth spent an average of 11.9 months committed prior to early release.

• Among youth who were released early, 46.6% were returned to a YDC. Most youth who were returned, were returned within the first three months.

• The most common return reason was for a technical violation, and not a new alleged criminal offense.

• The one year recidivism rate (readjudication/conviction) is 33.0%; however, the one year recommitment rate was 11.0%

• While half of youth were committed for a felony, less than a quarter were readjudicated/convicted for one.

Comments

This report is available on the Maine Statistical Analysis Center Website at: http://muskie.usm.maine.edu/justiceresearch

Funding Provided By the Maine Department of Corrections, Division of Juvenile Services.

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