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Fourteen to life: Giving constitutional effect to the age-based presumption of diminished moral blameworthiness by respecting Parliament’s two-pronged test for adult sentence applications pursuant to section 72 of the Youth Criminal Justice Act.
Canadian courts struggle to apply laws allowing adult sentences for young people, despite legal protections. A new Supreme Court of Canada review aims to provide clearer guidance on these complex cases.
Inequities in Mental Health Services: A 16-Year Longitudinal Study of Youth in the Justice System
Many youth in the justice system have enduring mental health disorders but often do not receive needed services. Disparities exist by race, gender, and age, with certain groups less likely to receive care.
Rethinking peer influence and risk taking: A strengths-based approach to adolescence in a new era
Over the past 25 years, externalizing behaviors in adolescents, like teen pregnancy and substance abuse, have significantly decreased. However, rates of depression, anxiety, and loneliness have dramatically increased during the same period.
Life after life: Recidivism among individuals formerly sentenced to mandatory juvenile life without parole
The Supreme Court ruled that sentencing juveniles to the harshest penalties violates the Eighth Amendment, citing developmental science. This led to more than 2000 individuals becoming eligible for resentencing.
A comparative network analysis of the criminogenic needs of male emerging adult first-time offenders, repeated offenders, and university students
This study compares criminogenic needs across non-offenders, first-time offenders, and repeat offenders aged 18-25.
Analysis of Substance Use and Mental Disorder Diagnoses in Adolescents with a History of Delinquency: A Cross-sectional Study
A significant number of children and adolescents experiencing mental disorders are also involved in juvenile delinquency. Substance use is a major factor, often leading to criminal behavior and increasing health risks.
Mapping racial/ethnic disparities in youth psychiatric emergencies and associations with neighborhood racial composition, child opportunity, and inequality
A child's neighborhood significantly impacts their health and life chances, even more than genetics. Disparities in neighborhood opportunity, particularly by race and ethnicity, lead to substantial health and social inequalities.
The end of “permanently incorrigible”: Putting Jones v. Mississippi into context
The Supreme Court has increasingly limited harsh sentences for juvenile offenders, prohibiting the death penalty and most life-without-parole sentences.
Adolescent Cannabis Use, Comorbid Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, and Other Internalizing and Externalizing Disorders
Adolescent cannabis use is a growing concern, linked to cognitive issues, poor academic performance, and psychiatric problems. It often co-occurs with ADHD, which presents diagnostic and treatment challenges.
The Myth of Youth: Rethinking the Negligence Standard of Care for Minors in the Age of Neuroscience
The article proposes expanding the negligence standard of care for young adults up to age twenty-five. This reflects modern neuroscience showing ongoing brain development and could bring greater fairness to liability judgments.
The role of adolescent anxious mood, marijuana use, and locus of control in the school to prison pipeline
Harsh school discipline, particularly for African American students, often leads to lower achievement and increased dropout rates. This "school-to-prison pipeline" contributes to higher incarceration rates and worse life outcomes.
Anxiety may alter the role of fronto-striatal circuitry in adolescent risky decision-making
Anxiety disorders often start in adolescence and involve avoidance, which can become a hard-to-break habit. Researchers explored brain activity related to avoidance in adolescents to understand how it contributes to anxiety.
A Second Chance at Success: Using “Second Look” Laws to Modify Sentences of Juvenile Offenders
This article proposes a model "second look" law for juveniles. It suggests applying to those who committed crimes under age 25, serving 10 years, and allowing multiple re-applications with court factors and guaranteed counsel.
A Case for Changing the Age of Majority From 18 to 22 Years of Age in Massachusetts
The criminal justice system lacks consistent age definitions for youth and adults, impacting which legal system processes individuals. This inconsistency affects access to rehabilitation, confidentiality, and future labeling.
Stability and cross-lagged relations among callous-unemotional traits, moral identity, moral emotion attribution and externalizing behavior problems in adolescents
The study found that callous-unemotional traits, moral identity, and moral emotion attributions are linked to externalizing behavior problems in adolescents. These factors influence the occurrence and severity of such behaviors over time.