A Comparison of Incarcerated and Detained Juvenile Delinquents With and Without Special Education Diagnoses

Abstract

The purpose of the present study was to compare the criminal histories of juveniles who are incarcerated versus detained within the juvenile justice system. Specifically, this study compared youths with and without a special education diagnosis that were either detained or incarcerated on various delinquency variables. The variables that were examined were: ethnicity, age at first offense, number of referrals in criminal record, and level of most serious offense. It was hypothesized that there would be no significant associations between the incarcerated and detained youths on each of these variables when examining the observed frequencies. Additionally, it was hypothesized that there would be no significant associations between the special education and non-special education youths. In terms of ethnicity, there was a significant association between the special education and non-special education youths for the entire sample as well as the detained sample. There was a significant association found between the non-special education incarcerated and non-special education detained youths on the observed frequencies of age of first offense and between special education and non-special education youths in the incarcerated sample. When evaluating the total number of referrals, a significant association was found between the incarcerated and detained youths, incarcerated and detained non-special education youths, incarcerated and detained special education youths, and incarcerated and detained emotionally disturbed youths. There was also a significant association found between special education and non-special education youths in the detained sample as well as the incarcerated sample on the number of referrals. The analyses of the level of most serious offense revealed significant associations between the incarcerated and detained non-special education youths, incarcerated and detained special education youths, and incarcerated and detained emotionally disturbed youths. There were no significant associations found between the learning disabled incarcerated and learning disabled detained youths on any variables. The results highlight the many areas in which incarcerated youths and detained youths, as well as special education and non-special education youths, differ within the juvenile justice system. The implications of these findings, future areas for research, and the study's limitations are discussed.