When Is a Youth’s Debt to Society Paid? Examining the Long-Term Consequences of Juvenile Incarceration for Adult Functioning

Purpose: This study aimed to examine the long-term consequences of juvenile incarceration on functioning in adulthood (ages 27–33). Methods: Propensity score analysis was used to compare incarcerated youth with those who were never incarcerated in a subsample of individuals who had experienced at least one police contact in adolescence. Data were drawn from the Seattle Social Development Project (SSDP), a multiethnic, gender-balanced community sample. Results: Youth who were incarcerated in adolescence were more likely to experience incarceration at ages 27, 30, or 33, more likely to meet criteria for alcohol abuse or dependence, and more likely to be receiving public assistance than similar youth who were never incarcerated. Conclusions: Results show that juvenile incarceration is not only ineffective at reducing criminal behavior later in life but that there are also unintended consequences for incarceration beyond the criminal domain. Furthermore, it appears that once a youth becomes involved in the juvenile justice system, there is a higher likelihood that he/she will remain tethered to the criminal justice system through the transition to adulthood. Given these long-term deleterious outcomes, it is recommended that suitable alternatives to juvenile incarceration that do not jeopardize public safety be pursued. © 2015, Springer International Publishing AG.