Juveniles Incarcerated in Adult Detention Facilities

An Analytic Review

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to provide a critical analysis of recent quantitative studies that investigate juveniles incarcerated in adult correctional facilities. I hypothesized that results would display that youths in the adult correctional system are victimized at significantly higher rates and provided fewer resources than youths in juvenile facilities. An analysis of the selected literature found that adult facilities often do not provide the same quality of mental, medical, or staffing services compared to those in juvenile detention centers reported by youths in the correctional system. However, varying information was found about the rates of sexual assault that suggested victimization does not occur nearly as often as expected. Adult incarceration as punishment has also been associated with higher rates of recidivism and long-term mental health problems post-incarceration than juveniles placed in facilities designed for their developmental level. The findings in this study underscore the individual needs of juveniles and how they are not met in adult facilities.