No abstract

The school-to-prison pipeline (STPP) refers to a path from the education system to the juvenile or adult criminal justice system. Over the past two decades, this path has grown significantly, and scholars attribute a myriad of contributing factors to this increase. Each factor has its own impact and consequences, which are covered in detail based on an extensive literature review and macro practice through Race Matters for Juvenile Justice. Prior to the STPP concept, education had largely been considered a protective factor for children and a route to success as opposed to a risk factor or track toward juvenile justice involvement. Staying in school and getting good grades were regarded as strategies that even at-risk students could use to overcome poverty, prejudice, and powerlessness. But since the 1990s, the approach to discipline in U.S. public schools has changed, and the effects of this change are only now becoming evident. This article explains the correlates of the STPP and its disparate outcomes, most notably for students of color; those with disabilities; and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning students. The article concludes with implications for social workers in various settings and specific strategies for reducing the impact of the STPP.

This study examined legal and extralegal factors, specifically race, and their effects on processing and sanctions for 2,233 African American and Caucasian males in Virginia's juvenile justice system. Qualitative findings from in-depth interviews with juvenile judges, Commonwealth's attorneys, defense attorneys, police officers, juveniles and their families triangulate the quantitative findings. Crime severity was the only factor which affected the likelihood of diversion; whereas race, grade repeated, prior record, and crime severity increased the likelihood of incarceration through two logistic regression models. Stakeholders added discussion regarding family structure and education. As social work practice intersects with juvenile justice through multiple avenues, the implications of these findings are discussed.

Mental health diagnoses, substance abuse issues, and school problems are often cited as contributors to adolescents’ involvement with the juvenile justice system. Yet, few youth receive assessment, evaluation, or intervention prior to their involvement with the juvenile courts. This pilot study evaluated whether providing a randomized trial of wraparound forensic social work services in addition to court‐appointed legal services would improve functioning, decrease motions for review, and lower recidivism for first‐time juvenile offenders. Findings indicate statistically significant improvement for youth receiving wraparound services on six out of eight measures. A case study example is provided and implications for service provision are explored.

Objective: This study assessed the effectiveness of Seeking Safety on depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) with incarcerated women. Method: A randomized controlled trial ( N = 40) was used to analyze Seeking Safety’s effectiveness compared to a treatment-as-usual control group. Analyses of covariance were used to assess differences at posttest ( n = 33) and 4-month follow-up ( n = 29) while repeated measures analysis of variance was used to assess the influence of the intervention on changes over time ( n = 29). The researchers also analyzed individual participants’ scores from pretest to 4-month follow-up ( n = 29). Results: Both groups decreased their scores on the Center for Epidemiology Studies–Depression Scale and the PTSD Checklist, although improvement was greater for treatment group participants except for depression at 4-month follow-up. Conclusion: Results support the continued use of Seeking Safety as a helpful corrections-based intervention for women, but more research with larger sample sizes is needed to consider it an effective intervention.