Offenders Speak: Gaining a New Perspective on What Works in Reducing Recidivism Among Young Adults

In recent years recidivism among youth (15-25 years old) has become a concern within the community and a focus in research. With recidivism rates being as high as 50 percent, research has turned its focus to what is impacting the recidivism rates among juveniles. Previous research has found many factors contributing to recidivism, but most research lacks the perspective of the individuals involved in the justice system. The following study used a qualitative approach to discover how young adults 18-25 years have kept from recidivism since their first arrest as a juvenile under the age of 18 years old. The main findings from the current study are 1.) The system plays a big impact in the rehabilitation of a juvenile. 2.) Residential placement is more situational depending on the youth at the time. 3.) The young adults all had advice to give about obtaining and seeking help. 4.) The factors that played into the young adults not recidivating during their adolescent years were all different depending on the young adult. The overall findings have shown that there is not a one size fits all approach when it comes to individuals and recidivism