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This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: AJPH.2008.142281v1 99/5/863    most recent Submit a response View Shopping Cart Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Ramchand, R. Articles by Becker, K. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Ramchand, R. Articles by Becker, K. Related Collections Adolescent Health

Rajeev Ramchand, PhD, Andrew R. Morral, PhD and Kirsten Becker, SM

Rajeev Ramchand and Andrew R. Morral are with the RAND Corporation, Arlington, VA. Kirsten Becker is with the RAND Corporation, Santa Monica, CA.

Correspondence: Requests for reprints should be sent to Rajeev Ramchand, RAND Corporation, 1200 South Hayes St., Arlington, VA 22202-5050 (e-mail: rajeev_ramchand{at}rand.org).

Objectives. We examined important life outcomes for adolescent offenders to describe how they were faring in young adulthood.

Methods. We assessed 449 adolescent offenders (aged 13–17 years) in Los Angeles, CA, whose cases had been adjudicated by the Los Angeles Superior Court and who had been referred to group homes between February 1999 and May 2000. We used the Global Appraisal of Individual Needs to interview respondents at baseline and at 3, 6, 12, 72, and 87 months after baseline. A total of 395 respondents (88%) were interviewed or confirmed as dead at the final interview.

Results. At final interview, 12 respondents had died, 7 of them from gunshot wounds. Thirty-six percent of respondents reported recent hard drug use, and 27% reported 5 or more symptoms of substance dependence. Sixty-six percent reported committing an illegal activity within the previous year, 37% reported being arrested within the previous year, and 25% reported being in jail or prison every day for the previous 90 days. Fifty-eight percent had completed high school or obtained a GED, and 63% reported working at a job in the previous year.

Conclusions. The high rates of negative life outcomes presented here suggest the need for more effective rehabilitation programs for juvenile offenders.