Abstract
Background
In the Netherlands, young offenders who have been convicted of a particularly serious offence may be subjected to a so-called ‘Placement in an Institution for Juveniles’ (PIJ) measure if they are considered to pose a high ongoing risk to public safety. They form a rarely studied distinct group. Treatment in specialist forensic custodial institutions for young people (FYCI) is an intervention of last resort and costly. The most serious young offenders tend to be the hardest to rehabilitate while preventing further offending. Treatment is focussed on reducing risk of harm as well as improving health and other protective factors.
Aims
To explore the contribution of treatment in an FYCI under a forensic treatment order—the PIJ-measure—to the reduction of risk of reoffending.
Methods
In a pre–post intervention study, the Juvenile Forensic Profile (JFP) was used to score complete case files of 178 young offenders at the start and end of their placement in an FYCI under the PIJ-measure, 59% of those serving between the years 2013 and 2016 inclusive. The JFP covers risk and protective factors in seven domains encompassing criminal behaviour, family, environment, risk factors, psychopathology, psychology and behaviour during incarceration. Change or stability in scores was tested against reincarceration within 2 years of PIJ-measure completion.
Results
Impulse control and alcohol and drug use problems showed the greatest improvements. Behaviour that deteriorates during the stay is primarily related to obtaining more autonomy during reintegration efforts, including furlough. Reincarceration in the 2 years of community follow-up was unusual (13.5%). The two main variables associated with reincarceration were problematic behaviour during the pre-discharge year and lack of behavioural improvement during treatment.
Conclusions
Outcomes of mandatory treatment in this group of serious young offenders have not previously been studied in a rigorous pre–post intervention study design. We found evidence of an overall tendency to improvement over time in mental state and social skills, reflected by risk assessment scale scores. Continued substance use problems while incarcerated and continuing social skills deficits were most strongly associated with reincarceration suggests a possible need for review of these areas in the PIJ-measure programme. Results contribute to knowledge about risk assessment, treatment and preventions of harms by serious young offenders and may inform evidence-based policies and practices in the Netherlands and beyond.
In the Netherlands, young offenders who have been convicted of a particularly serious offence may be subjected to a so-called ‘Placement in an Institution for Juveniles’ (PIJ) measure if they are considered to pose a high ongoing risk to public safety. They form a rarely studied distinct group. Treatment in specialist forensic custodial institutions for young people (FYCI) is an intervention of last resort and costly. The most serious young offenders tend to be the hardest to rehabilitate while preventing further offending. Treatment is focussed on reducing risk of harm as well as improving health and other protective factors.
Aims
To explore the contribution of treatment in an FYCI under a forensic treatment order—the PIJ-measure—to the reduction of risk of reoffending.
Methods
In a pre–post intervention study, the Juvenile Forensic Profile (JFP) was used to score complete case files of 178 young offenders at the start and end of their placement in an FYCI under the PIJ-measure, 59% of those serving between the years 2013 and 2016 inclusive. The JFP covers risk and protective factors in seven domains encompassing criminal behaviour, family, environment, risk factors, psychopathology, psychology and behaviour during incarceration. Change or stability in scores was tested against reincarceration within 2 years of PIJ-measure completion.
Results
Impulse control and alcohol and drug use problems showed the greatest improvements. Behaviour that deteriorates during the stay is primarily related to obtaining more autonomy during reintegration efforts, including furlough. Reincarceration in the 2 years of community follow-up was unusual (13.5%). The two main variables associated with reincarceration were problematic behaviour during the pre-discharge year and lack of behavioural improvement during treatment.
Conclusions
Outcomes of mandatory treatment in this group of serious young offenders have not previously been studied in a rigorous pre–post intervention study design. We found evidence of an overall tendency to improvement over time in mental state and social skills, reflected by risk assessment scale scores. Continued substance use problems while incarcerated and continuing social skills deficits were most strongly associated with reincarceration suggests a possible need for review of these areas in the PIJ-measure programme. Results contribute to knowledge about risk assessment, treatment and preventions of harms by serious young offenders and may inform evidence-based policies and practices in the Netherlands and beyond.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 33-45 |
| Number of pages | 13 |
| Journal | Criminal Behaviour and Mental Health |
| Volume | 33 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| Early online date | 29 Jan 2023 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Feb 2023 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:This article builds further on the research report ‘De PIJ-maatregel doorgelicht’ (Reef et al., 2020), which was commissioned and funded by the Dutch Custodial Institutions Agency (Dienst Justiële Inrichtingen; DJI). We would like to thank Arie van de Hurk, Annelies Jorna, Anouk van Ravenstein, Lieke Leuhof and Tim de Goede. Next to their academic work, Jeltes and Van den Brink serve as (deputy) judges in the youth courts of respectively, the Amsterdam Court of Appeal and the District Court of The Hague. They have contributed to this research and co-authored this article in their capacity as academic researchers, independent from their judicial work. Eddy Brand is employed by the Dutch Custodial Institutions Agency, who funded this study.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 The Authors. Criminal Behaviour and Mental Health published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Funding
This article builds further on the research report ‘De PIJ-maatregel doorgelicht’ (Reef et al., 2020), which was commissioned and funded by the Dutch Custodial Institutions Agency (Dienst Justiële Inrichtingen; DJI). We would like to thank Arie van de Hurk, Annelies Jorna, Anouk van Ravenstein, Lieke Leuhof and Tim de Goede. Next to their academic work, Jeltes and Van den Brink serve as (deputy) judges in the youth courts of respectively, the Amsterdam Court of Appeal and the District Court of The Hague. They have contributed to this research and co-authored this article in their capacity as academic researchers, independent from their judicial work. Eddy Brand is employed by the Dutch Custodial Institutions Agency, who funded this study.
Keywords
- forensic institutions
- longitudinal development
- risk factors
- treatment outcomes
- youth custody
