How COVID-19 worsened the mental health problems of incarcerated youth

The COVID-19 pandemic of 2020 transformed daily life worldwide. To minimize the spread of the virus, many governments imposed a lockdown and physical distancing measures. Schools, universities, restaurants, shops, and businesses all closed. Research has shown that the mandatory stay-at-home orders associated with the COVID-19 pandemic adversely affected the mental health of parents, children, and youth. This chapter considers how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the mental health of youth behind bars in the United States and in other countries. The longstanding impression of prisons is that the people in custody are violent, dangerous, and deserve to be incarcerated. Even incarcerated youth are viewed by many in society as super-predators. Most incarcerated youth have significant mental health needs. Incarcerated youth often suffer from a variety of mental health conditions including anxiety, depression, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, substance abuse, and suicidal ideation. When incarcerated youth show symptoms of COVID-19 or are diagnosed with it, juvenile correctional facilities are faced with few options for quarantine that do not resemble solitary confinement. Because of concern regarding the high transmissibility of COVID-19 in juvenile prisons, most prison administrators suspend visitors or greatly restrict the number of people entering the facilities. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

About the What, How and Why of the investigation on the Field of Juvenile Justice: The Backroom of the Research Process in Rosario, Argentina

This article gives an account of a research process that is underway in the city of Rosario (Santa Fe, Argentina). The work aims to show this process that has the particularity of being carried out by a research team made up of teachers, researchers and graduates in Social Work who are not linked to the academic field, but professionally inserted in the administration of justice. Analyzing this fruitful relationship between academic and socio-employment spheres leads us to think about the devices that have been developed at the Universidad del Rosario and the definitions in terms of the nature of the research that is promoted there. The idea of a backroom is an invitation to know how decisions are made as to what, how and why to investigate. The idea of process, and especially in the context of the current COVID-19 pandemic, leads us to visualize the obstacles and advances. Pointing out in the field of juvenile justice and starting from the need of the socio-legal perspective, we consider that social work contributes to this perspective, as a meeting point to facilitate dialogue between various approaches and scientific areas (criminology, political science, anthropology, social work). Specifically, these reflections arise from the ongoing research project called Juvenile Justice. Meanings Constructed by Young People-Adolescents in Relation to the Socio-legal Process, supported by the qualitative methodological approach.

Social media use and juvenile incarceration: Perspectives from mental health professionals and staff of juvenile correctional facilities

Social media has become pervasive in the lives of modern adolescents. Although social media may provide individuals with many positive opportunities for communication and learning, social media sites also may provide an outlet for youth conduct problems, such as bullying, harassment, and intentional hostility and aggression toward others. In recent years, more and more research has shown that overuse of social media can lead to negative mental health outcomes( Khine et al., 2020;Andreassen, 2015;Lin et al., 2016). Research also suggests that more childhood conduct disorder symptoms are significantly associated with greater daily social media use during emerging adulthood (Galica, 2017). Yet, the relationship between social media use and adolescent delinquent behavior has remained clear. At the same time, according to a 2016 nationwide study, U.S. law enforcement arrested around 1.3 million adolescents each year (Puzzanchera, 2014). To this end, countless juvenile detention counselors, probation officers, unit counselors and other staff have treated and rehabilitated youths who were criminal offenders in an effort to prevent future crimes. This study aimed to better understand how these professionals considered and potentially addressed social media use in their everyday work with adolescents within the juvenile justice system. This researcher developed a brief survey which explored correctional staff's perspectives on the impact of social media use on the adolescents with whom they worked;and ways in which they could intervene. Data was collected from February 2021 to October 2021, which was longer than expected as it occurred amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The study sample consisted of 28 juvenile correctional facilities staff members (ages 18 or older), primarily mental health counselors, who were currently working with or previously worked with juveniles within the criminal justice system. Participants were acquired through multiple outreach attempts via phone and email to various juvenile correctional facilities throughout California. A majority of participants agreed that social media played a pertinent role in juvenile delinquency where it acted as a facilitator or platform for criminal behavior, and many disclosed a willingness to intervene or had previously attempted to intervene around social media use in some capacity. This included (a) directly communicating with adolescents, (b) communicating with their parents/caregivers about social media use, (c) recommending social media restrictions as a condition of probation, or (d) simply monitoring or limiting social media use in their general recommendations. This study offered a modest preliminary effort to explore and highlight the need to better understand the connection between social media use and juvenile criminal behavior as well as to develop and enhance ways to intervene with respect to this connection. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Leisure behind bars: The realities of COVID-19 for youth connected to the justice system

The introduction of the coronavirus in any community is detrimental, however for correctional institutions the effects can be especially devastating. In an effort to reduce the impact of the virus, many locales have begun releasing youth back home. However, for young people experiencing the highest degree of constraint, the ability to choose how to spend their leisure has become even more restrained in light of COVID-19 due to increased restrictions and decreased resources. This essay exposes the reality of leisure during the corona pandemic for youth with justice system involvement through firsthand interviews with and by youth involved with Arts for Incarcerated Youth in Los Angeles. These personal narratives are contextualized with a comprehensive policy evaluation of leisure and recreation programming for juvenile justice facilities and theoretical implications according to Social Justice Youth Development (Ginwright & Cammarota, 2002;Leon et al., 2019). (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Concerns about COVID-19 among undocumented women in justice-involved families

PurposeThe COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated chronic disparities in income, employment and health-care access. Yet, little is known about how various sources of economic and emotional strain (i.e. caregiving, justice system involvement and documentation status) intersect during the pandemic. The purpose of this study is to understand how undocumented women in justice-involved families experienced the pandemic.Design/methodology/approachSurveys of 221 mothers of justice-involved youth examined differences between documented and undocumented parents in COVID-19 testing, health and economic concerns related to the pandemic and generalized anxiety.FindingsThe results revealed undocumented women were less likely to receive COVID-19 testing than documented women, despite no difference between the two groups in suspicion that they may have contracted the virus. Also, undocumented women were more concerned than documented women about losing a job, not having enough food, not having enough non-food supplies, not having access to basic utilities or internet, losing their usual childcare services and losing a loved one to COVID-19.Originality/valueThe findings highlight the vulnerability of justice-involved families who have an undocumented member and implications for long-term solutions to address these disparities are discussed.

Racial disparities at rural and urban juvenile detention centers: Unanticipated findings since COVID-19's reduction in juvenile assessments

Studies on racial disparity within the juvenile justice system have demonstrated continued disproportionate minority contact (DMC) and racial and ethnic disparity (RED) issues throughout each decision point, especially at earlier stages. Yet, most research has centered on urban areas, with minimal attention given to youth-of-color in rural jurisdictions. As such, the current study utilized juvenile intake and assessment data from a rural Midwestern state, focused on racial and ethnic disparities prior to and per-COVID-19. Using data from a rural state, we examine the monthly counts of juveniles assessed at juvenile intake centers with an interrupted time-series design to explore whether the pandemic's impact differed by race or ethnicity. Our findings do not support the claim that the pandemic has exacerbated racial or ethnic disparity. Yet, trends suggest white and non-Hispanic youth, as well as youth in rural jurisdictions, are presenting at juvenile intake centers at less reduced rates than their youth-of-color and urban counterparts, per-COVID-19. The results show the pandemic has radically reduced assessments to the juvenile justice system, though this impact is not equally distributed. While intersectional comparisons are not possible at this time, policy implications and future directions are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Journal of Crime & Justice is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

THE FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS OF CHILDREN DEPRIVED OF LIBERTY IN DETENTION CENTRES IN MALAYSIA DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC: A QUALITATIVE STUDY

The spread of the Covid-19 virus that initially surfaced in China in late 2019 eventually emerged as a global pandemic which adversely affected the worldwide population, including Malaysia. Consequently, the Malaysian government implemented many social and public health measures to help control the spread of Covid-19 in the country. The Covid-19 pandemic affected every level of society in Malaysia, including children who are susceptible to being emotionally, psychologically, and mentally affected due to lockdown measures, school closures, and loss of employment suffered by family members.There is a gap in existing research concerning the impact of Covid-19 on children deprived of liberty in detention centres in Malaysia. Hence, this study aims to identify whether the legal framework in Malaysia adequately protects the rights of children deprived of liberty in detention centres, in line with the international legal framework. A qualitative research design was adopted to explore the issues surrounding the impact of Covid-19 on children in detention centres. Library-based research and semi-structured interviews were carried out with officers from detention centres and the Department of Social Welfare. This research demonstrates that sound policies and guidelines and the availability of fully trained staff are essential in meeting the emotional, physical, and mental needs of children in detention centres. This research is significant for policymakers to strengthen the current legal framework in order to afford better protection for children in detention centres, in line with the Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development Policy (2021–2025) as well as the international legal framework. © 2023, UUM Journal of Legal Studies. All Rights Reserved.

The Gendered Path for Girls in Rural Communities: The Impact of COVID-19 on Youth Presenting at Juvenile Detention Facilities.

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, girls and women represented one of the fastest growing populations within the juvenile and criminal justice systems. Since the spread of COVID-19, suggestions were provided to juvenile justice bodies, encouraging a reduction of youth arrests, detainments, and quicker court processing. Yet, the research comparing peri-COVID-19 changes for girls and boys is lacking, with an oversight to gender trends and rural and urban differences. This study used Juvenile Intake and Assessment Center (JIAC) data from a rural Midwestern state to look at rural and urban location trends for both boys and girls. Results suggest rural communities are responding differently to girls' behaviors, revealing a slower decline in intakes compared to boys and youth in urban areas.

142. The Reach, Implementation, and Effectiveness of Virtual Sex Education for Youth in Foster Care

Purpose: Youth in foster care have high rates of adverse sexual health outcomes and are important targets for evidence-based sex education. With the COVID-19 pandemic, sexual health programming was moved to a virtual format. However, few data existed to guide this transition. While it lowers expenses and can potentially broaden geographic reach, it is unclear if virtual programming meets the needs of youth in foster care or other vulnerable populations. We conducted a mixed-methods analysis comparing the reach, implementation, and effectiveness of virtual vs in-person sex education for youth in foster care before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: Indiana Proud and Connected Teens (IN-PACT) provides evidenced-based sex education programs to system-involved youth. The data used in this study focused exclusively on foster-care programming and includes attendance records, facilitator session reviews (n=64) from 2020-2021 virtual programs, and youth surveys from 2018-2020 in-person (n=965) and virtual (n=50) programs. Reach was measured using youth baseline survey demographics and sexual behaviors;implementation by free responses from facilitators on challenges and adaptation for virtual teaching;and effectiveness by attendance records and youth behavior intention on follow-up surveys. Results: Reach: Youth demographic diversity was maintained for virtual programming in ethnicity, race, sex, and sexual orientation. However, youth in virtual programs had lower rates of self-reported risk behaviors including lower rates of involvement with juvenile justice (35.0% vs 59.4%, p<0.01) to have ever had sex (44.4% vs 78.8%, p<0.001) or contributed to a pregnancy (4.4% vs 23.4%, p<0.05). And though not statistically significant, virtual youth reported higher rates of condom use (44.4% vs 30.4%, p=0.371) and lower rates of substance use before sex in the past 3 months (15.6% vs 28.5%, p=0.114) as compared to in-person youth. Implementation: Technical challenges included connection difficulties and learning curves to using Zoom. Virtual facilitators incorporated more technology than they did in-person by playing videos on complicated topics such as conception and STIs. In terms of curriculum, hands-on condom demonstrations were changed to facilitator-run experiments such as having youth use socks at home to simulate condoms on their arms. Breakout rooms were utilized to maintain small group work but were cumbersome. Relational challenges included awkward silences, disengagement, and a decrease in group trust due to cameras being turned off during sensitive topics and less connection between youth and facilitators. Effectiveness: Attendance records show that fewer virtual youth completed 100% of programming, as compared to in-person youth (23% vs 54%). More virtual youth answered yes to the question "As a result of this program, will you abstain from sex for the next three months?” as compared to in-person youth (55% vs 45%, p=0.462). However, virtual youth were significantly less likely to have baseline sexual experience. Conclusions: In-person sexual health programming had a wider reach, experienced fewer implementation challenges, and was potentially more effective than virtual programming for youth in foster care. If virtual programming becomes necessary again, sex educators and researchers can use these data to redesign virtual programming that maximizes reach, implementation, and effectiveness. Sources of Support: HHS 90AK0041-02-00 to Health Care Education and Training Inc.

Concerns about COVID-19 among undocumented women in justice-involved families

PurposeThe COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated chronic disparities in income, employment and health-care access. Yet, little is known about how various sources of economic and emotional strain (i.e. caregiving, justice system involvement and documentation status) intersect during the pandemic. The purpose of this study is to understand how undocumented women in justice-involved families experienced the pandemic. Design/methodology/approachSurveys of 221 mothers of justice-involved youth examined differences between documented and undocumented parents in COVID-19 testing, health and economic concerns related to the pandemic and generalized anxiety. FindingsThe results revealed undocumented women were less likely to receive COVID-19 testing than documented women, despite no difference between the two groups in suspicion that they may have contracted the virus. Also, undocumented women were more concerned than documented women about losing a job, not having enough food, not having enough non-food supplies, not having access to basic utilities or internet, losing their usual childcare services and losing a loved one to COVID-19. Originality/valueThe findings highlight the vulnerability of justice-involved families who have an undocumented member and implications for long-term solutions to address these disparities are discussed.

Social media use and juvenile incarceration: Perspectives from mental health professionals and staff of juvenile correctional facilities

Social media has become pervasive in the lives of modern adolescents. Although social media may provide individuals with many positive opportunities for communication and learning, social media sites also may provide an outlet for youth conduct problems, such as bullying, harassment, and intentional hostility and aggression toward others. In recent years, more and more research has shown that overuse of social media can lead to negative mental health outcomes( Khine et al., 2020;Andreassen, 2015;Lin et al., 2016). Research also suggests that more childhood conduct disorder symptoms are significantly associated with greater daily social media use during emerging adulthood (Galica, 2017). Yet, the relationship between social media use and adolescent delinquent behavior has remained clear. At the same time, according to a 2016 nationwide study, U.S. law enforcement arrested around 1.3 million adolescents each year (Puzzanchera, 2014). To this end, countless juvenile detention counselors, probation officers, unit counselors and other staff have treated and rehabilitated youths who were criminal offenders in an effort to prevent future crimes. This study aimed to better understand how these professionals considered and potentially addressed social media use in their everyday work with adolescents within the juvenile justice system. This researcher developed a brief survey which explored correctional staff's perspectives on the impact of social media use on the adolescents with whom they worked;and ways in which they could intervene. Data was collected from February 2021 to October 2021, which was longer than expected as it occurred amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The study sample consisted of 28 juvenile correctional facilities staff members (ages 18 or older), primarily mental health counselors, who were currently working with or previously worked with juveniles within the criminal justice system. Participants were acquired through multiple outreach attempts via phone and email to various juvenile correctional facilities throughout California. A majority of participants agreed that social media played a pertinent role in juvenile delinquency where it acted as a facilitator or platform for criminal behavior, and many disclosed a willingness to intervene or had previously attempted to intervene around social media use in some capacity. This included (a) directly communicating with adolescents, (b) communicating with their parents/caregivers about social media use, (c) recommending social media restrictions as a condition of probation, or (d) simply monitoring or limiting social media use in their general recommendations. This study offered a modest preliminary effort to explore and highlight the need to better understand the connection between social media use and juvenile criminal behavior as well as to develop and enhance ways to intervene with respect to this connection. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Criminal etiology of juvenile delinquency

Juvenile delinquency continues to be a concerning negative phenomenon within Kosovo society. Hence, the presence and repercussions deriving from this pronounced phenomenon continue to be evidenced every day. However, beyond evidence of the presence and repercussoins, efforts towards preventing and combating juvenile delinquency are not lacking. Viewed in a broader context and in function of a more effective prevention and combating of the pronounced phenomenon, the importance of addressing the process towards researching for the main causes, reasons of the occurrence of such a negative phenomenon should not be over-looked. Only a concrete, maticulous and analytical research could contribute even more not only to the reflection and real presentation of the phenomenon of juvenile delinquency, but at the same time would directly contribute towards its prevention. In this regard, the purpose of the research will be focused specifically on presenting the general data, but at the same time of specific fundamental notions related to the criminal etiology of juvenile delinquency, in order to continue further with the follow-up of criminal liability of these subjects of law, without neglecting the punitive policy based on current criminal legislation. In addtion to the treatment of continuity defined above, the policy of preventing and combating juvenile delinquency, will be also the main focus of treatment particularly through research, de-tection and concretization of criminogenic factors. The treatment of the topics chosen for the study will be based on the application of: analytical method and comparative method. © 2022, Pensa MultiMedia. All rights reserved.

Child protection in india: From silos to systems

This chapter presents data on child protection issues of violence, abuse, trafficking, child labour, street children, child marriage, poverty, and child mortality in India. The paper then moves to present the policy position, various institutional mechanisms for child protection, different programmes and legislative provisions for children. Though we have very good policies, laws and programme designs, the numbers of children in distress and how India is falling behind compared to other countries in the world is of grave concern. The chapter not just highlights the mind-boggling numbers but also the resource limitations. With the COVID pandemic affecting the world and the subsequent lockdown, this has created a very worrisome situation with increased instances of violations of children’s right to survival, development and protection. As per the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the number of people in extreme poverty has risen from 84 million to 132 million during the pandemic, of who half are children (United Nations 2020). As the adult struggles for survival, the child, being the most vulnerable, is more likely to be exploited, abandoned and abused. In India, the allocation for children in the Union Budget 2019-2020 has shown a marginal increase of 0.05%, from 3.24% in the last fiscal year to 3.29% in the current fiscal year with a grant of INR 916.44billion (Ministry of Finance [MOF] 2019). The allocation to the government’s Integrated Child Protection Scheme aimed at preventing trafficking and providing care to missing, abandoned and orphaned children as well as rescue victims of child labour has increased in allocation. With the pandemic hitting the country during this period, this money could be still lying unused. Efforts should be made to establish systems that bring together all budget allocations for children in various ministries together. Child protection is not an issue just for non-governmental organisations. It should be in the mainstream for legislators, judiciary and executives;in other words, in the core of the mandate of the change makers and not just something that is the responsibility of families or communities or local authorities. India needs to develop synergies between different ministries and departments working for children and their rights, moving from silos to systems. © 2021 by Nova Science Publishers, Inc.

Covid-19 no Sistema Socioeducativo do Rio de Janeiro: trabalho essencial e seus paradoxos na socioeducação

Neste texto, analisamos alguns efeitos das decisÐes de manutençao e suspensao de atividades no sistema socioeducativo do Rio de Janeiro (Degase) ao longo de 2020. Por um lado, ao ser considerado essencial, a aproximaçâo do sistema socioeducativo ao sistema penitenciario diminuiu as taxas de superlotaçao nas unidades, a partir da Recomendaçâo n° 62 do CNJ. Por outro lado, linhas de atuaçâo consideradas essenciais no trabalho de socioeducaçao, tais como escolarizaçâo, saúde e convivencia familiar, těm encontrado barreiras para sua plena realizaçao, justamente em decorrencia das limitaçÐes que os protocolos sanitarios estabelecem. Para o desenvolvimento da análise empreendida neste artigo, exploramos normativas estatais pertinentes publicadas durante o ano de 2020 referentes a pandemia de Covid-19 a luz da legislaçao referente as medidas socioeducativas. Além disso, examinamos os materiais oficiais publicados pelo próprio Degase e suas apresentaçÐes em redes sociais, além de dados apresentados por outras instituyes e por fontes de imprensa.Alternate :In this text, we analyze some effects of the decisions to maintain and suspend activities In the juvenile justice system of Rio de Janeiro (Degase) throughout 2020. On the one hand, in order to be considered essential, the approximation of the juvenile justice system system to the prison system reduced overcrowding rates in the units, based on CNJ Recommendation No. 62. On the other hand, lines of action considered essential in work at the juvenile justice system, such as education, health and family life, have encountered barriers to their full realization, precisely because of the limitations that the health protocols establish. For the development of the analysis carried out in this article, we explore relevant state regulations published during the year 2020 regarding the pandemic in the light of the legislation on juvenile justice system measures. In addition, we examine the official materials published by Degase itself and their presentations on social networks, as well as data presented by other institutions and press sources.

Concerns about the COVID-19 Pandemic Among Justice-Involved and Low-Income Youth

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused immense change and stress among adolescents. Yet, little is known about youths? concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic. This is particularly true among youth who have been highly impacted by the pandemic?namely, justice system-involved youth, low-income youth, and youth who consider themselves to be low status. Youth from the community, youth on probation, and incarcerated youth completed a survey describing their concerns related to COVID-19 across three concern domains: economic, social concerns, and COVID-19 itself. Results suggested that, with respect to economic concerns, incarcerated youth felt more concern about their ability to get a job if needed than youth on probation or community youth (accounting for gender and household income), and more concerned about food security (accounting for gender and subjective social status). With respect to social concerns, both incarcerated youth and youth on probation felt that the quality of their relationship with family members had decreased as a result of the pandemic, relative to community youth (accounting for gender and income), while incarcerated youth only felt that the quality of their friendships had decreased (accounting for gender and subjective social status). With respect to concerns about COVID-19, no group differences were observed about getting sick or dying from COVID-19, but low-income youth regardless of justice system status were more concerned about dying of COVID-19 than their affluent counterparts. Overall, the study gives voice to the concerns of the most vulnerable youth during the pandemic.

COVID-19 and Juvenile Probation: A Qualitative Examination of Emergent Challenges and Useful Strategies.

The emergence of COVID-19 placed immediate pressure on the juvenile justice system to adapt to changes in case processing and decision-making practices. Juvenile probation agencies were tasked with quickly altering their policies and practice to abide by local public health measures. As probation supervision is the most common disposition in the juvenile justice system, there is both an empirical and practical need to understand the impact that COVID-19 has on a variety of issues surrounding the supervision and provision of services for juveniles. Using self-report survey data from juvenile probation directors across the United States, the current study examines (a) the biggest challenges faced by juvenile probation agencies during the pandemic, (b) the strategies implemented in response to these challenges, and (c) the most pressing issues currently facing the field of juvenile community corrections. Results have the potential to inform future agency decision-making when adjusting juvenile probation policy and practice.

It's F**ing Chaos: COVID-19's Impact on Juvenile Delinquency and Juvenile Justice.

An early examination of the impact of COVID-19 on juvenile delinquency and juvenile justice in America, this review provides initial scholarship to rapidly evolving areas of research. Our appraisals of these topics are made after nearly 2 months of national COVID-19 mitigation measures, like social distancing and limited "non-essential" movement outside the home but also as states are gradually lifting stricter directives and reopening economic sectors. We consider the impact of these pandemic-related changes on twenty-first century youths, their behaviors, and their separate justice system. To forecast the immediate future, we draw from decades of research on juvenile delinquency and the justice system, as well as from reported patterns of reactions and responses to an unprecedented and ongoing situation. As post-pandemic studies on juvenile delinquency and juvenile justice proliferate, we urge careful consideration as to how they might influence societal and the system responses to youths' delinquency. Additional practical implications are discussed.