Predictors of Disciplinary Problems within a Juvenile Correctional Facility

1. Predictors of Disciplinary Problems within a Juvenile Correctional Facility Michelle Painter Hanover College

2. Incarcerated Juveniles • Indiana: 2386 (2010) • 286 were female, 2100 were male • Theft, battery, resisting law enforcement

3. Predicting Outcomes Some incarcerated juveniles receive few disciplinary reports and punishments and have a short stay, whereas others receive many disciplinary reports and punishments and have a long stay. What accounts for the difference?

4. Facility • All girls maximum security correctional facility • Average daily population: 90 • 4-6 months (Median: 152 days) • Restorative Justice Program (Dhami et al., 2009) • Reduce re-offending • Improve self-esteem and pro-social skills

5. Archival Data Approval of the Department Of Corrections (DOC) • 2 databases: DOC (e.g., disciplinary reports) and Medical Services (e.g., medication) • DOC numbers used to match across databases but then removed Sample: All inmates that were released from the facility between June 1st and December 31, 2010 Goal: identify predictors of disciplinary outcomes within the facility.

6. Participants • 111 females • Age 12-19 • Ethnicity • 60% Caucasian • 26% African American • 12% Hispanic • 1% Mixed Ethnicity

7. Predictors Disciplinary Problems • JCR’s per month • Segregation per month • 2 outliers removed • JCR's and Segregation are correlated r=.77 • Standardized and averaged together • Facility • Therapy • Visitation • Individual Differences • Mental Health • Medication • Ethnicity • Age

8. Predictors of Disciplinary Problems Note: ***p< .001, **p< .01, *p< .05, .p< .10

9. Age and Disciplinary Problems

10. Disturbances of Conduct • Combination of CD, ODD, and other “disturbances of conduct” • 93% were diagnosed with a mental disorder • Previous Research • Mental disorders were strongest predictor for delinquency in females (Welch-Brewer et al, 2011)

11. Disorders of Conduct and Disciplinary Problems

12. Medication • 66% were on at least one medication • 59% antidepressants • 32% antipsychotics • 27% mood stabilizers

13. Medications and Disciplinary Problems

14. Predictors of Disciplinary Problems Note: ***p< .001, **p< .01, *p< .05, .p< .10

15. Limitations and Future Directions • Self-report jeopardizes accuracy: Trauma, drug use • Qualitative Research • Exploration of other facilities • Examine the effects of time • Direction of Influence • Policy recommendations for predictors • Examine medications in more detail • Socioeconomic Status

16. Questions?

17. As medications increased, so did the amount of JCR’s

18. History of Abuse • 30% experienced some type of abuse • 20% experienced Sexual Abuse • 10% experienced Physical Abuse • 6% experienced Emotional Abuse • This did not predict any of the outcomes

19. Visitation • Visitation had no noticeable effect • 29% of this sample received visitations • Therapy Not a predictor • 80% participated in at least one therapy session