Youth In Custody Flashcards
Approximately ____ of guilty youth court cases result in custody.
15%
What is intermittent custody?
If youth are sentenced to custody for less than 90 days, they may be able toserve it intermittently (not all in a row)
e.g. youth may serve their sentence on weekends so that they can go to school during the week
what is deferred custody & supervision order?
- Allows youth to serve their sentence in the community under conditions, instead of being placed in a youth correctional facility
- Conditions broken? kept in custody
- Similar to probation; however if violate there is NO second chances, like parole
What is custody/supervision?
2 Types:
* Closed custody -means youth are being held in jail
* Open custody - means youth are in jail with fewer restrictions and conditions (group home)
- Youth time in custody must be followed by a period of supervision and support in the community
- About 1/3 of the youth sentence will be served under supervision in the community
What is Intensive Rehabilitation Custody & Supervision?
special sentence for a serious violent offender
Given if:
(1) Youth are found guilty of crimes such as murder
(2)Youth are suffering from a mental or psychological disorder or an emotional disturbance
Defined as a period of custody with mandatory treatment, followed by a period of conditional supervision and support in the community
In Cesarani & Dobb’s research, what did they find in terms of trauma experienced by youth in custody?
Custody ranks high amongst traumatic lifetime stressors for young people, right behind the death or divorce of parents
Incarceration exposes youth to additional risks because of the coping mechanisms that are required to adjust to the prison environment
custody for youth is more aggressive then custody for adults
Aggression of many youth display in custody may actually be a reflection of impaired coping ability (to be able to survive in prison)
Younger inmates, compared to adults, are less able to cope with the stress of imprisonment and experience higher levels of anxiety as a result of having been deprived of their families and social networks
Youth are more involved in fractions, inmate staff assaults and conflicts compared to adult prisoners
This may reflect their response to stress and difficult coping (Cesaroni)
What does Mackenzie’s research on youth aggression/violent disposition while in custody suggest?
Similar findings to cerasani & dobb - violence/aggression is an impulse reaction to stress & limited coping abilities in a new environment
During Admission - elevated stress/anxiety level; fear of the unknown
Stress reduced as the inmate adjusts to the prison environment, but becomes elevated again prior to release.
Why? Length time, stress of the unknown upon release, learning in prison is different than school, Stigma of having a criminal record
How is custody an isolating experience?
○ Most youth have friends etc. and that environment changes (alone and away from family)
○ High level of mistrust toward staff and inmates
○ Fearful and never fully get over the initial stress of incarceration.
Research suggest better coping & integration into custody when social bonds are present during incarceration
What is a total institution & why would a prison be considered one?
Total Institution - closed social sx in which life is organized by strict norms, rules, and schedules
e.g. military, psychiatric hospitals
In a prison:
Treated as a number
All wear the same clothing, food
Given a set of rules to abide by
What is a discharge plan?
A youth worker is assigned to the young person in order to plan for his or her reintegration into the community
e.g. help w/ housing, addiction, employment, etc.
What is the purpose of the cross-over youth project?
Help prevent youth in foster care from “crossing over” into the youth justice system
Studies show that youth who grow up in child protection services often end up incarcerated
(1 in 6 youth)
What are predictors of being in CJS?
- Parental mistreatment: abuse is a key predictor of criminality
- Bouncing between foster homes in child welfare system
- Substance abuse
- Mental health issues
What did Bala et al. find on key issues with working w/ cross-over youth?
(1) Lack of timely identification- Prior or current involvement with the child protection system is not always immediately identified once a youth enters the criminal justice system
- Problem: police are forced to rely on self-reported information provided by the youth; if police cannot identify legal guardian more likely to detain youth; lack of adult advocate
(2) Lack of co-ordination between systems
- due to lack of funding & limited resources
- create agency confusion over their individual roles and responsibilities when multiple agencies are involved
(3) Aging out of the child welfare system
- when a child hit 18, they are legally exited from foster sx; may loss contact
- many youth become homeless, unemployed, & engage in criminal activity
Which group of youth make up the majority of those in child protective services?
Indigenous youth make up 53% of all children in Canada who are in foster care - overrepresented in correctional facilities
