Is Educational Achievement a Turning Point for Incarcerated Delinquents Across Race and Sex?

• Published in: Journal of youth and adolescence 2012-02, Vol.41 (2), p.202-216
• Main Authors: Blomberg, Thomas G., Bales, William D., Piquero, Alex R.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Academic Achievement; Achievement; Adolescent; Adolescent Behavior - psychology; Adolescents; Adults; African Americans; African Americans - psychology; African Americans - statistics & numerical data; Attendance; Behavioral Science and Psychology; Child and School Psychology; Child development; Clinical Psychology; Correctional Institutions; Correlation; Criminology; Delinquency; Demography; Education; Educational Attainment; Educational Status; Empirical Research; Employment; European Continental Ancestry Group - psychology; European Continental Ancestry Group - statistics & numerical data; Female; Florida; Gender; Gender Differences; Health Psychology; Hispanic Americans - psychology; Hispanic Americans - statistics & numerical data; History of Psychology; Humans; Imprisonment; Institutionalized Persons; Juvenile Delinquency; Juvenile Delinquency - prevention & control; Juvenile Delinquency - psychology; Juvenile offenders; Labeling; Law and Psychology; Longitudinal studies; Male; Males; Prevention; Prisoners - psychology; Psychology; Public Schools; Race; Racial Differences; Recidivism; Role of Education; School Attendance; Schools; Secondary schools; Self Concept; Social control; Sociodemographic Factors; Youth
• ISSN: 0047-2891; 1573-6601
• DOI: 10.1007/s10964-011-9680-4

Research has linked the role of education to delinquency, but much of the focus has been on general population samples and with little attention to demographic differences. Employing a cumulative disadvantage framework that integrates elements of informal social control and labeling theories, this article examines whether academic achievement serves as a positive turning point and re-directs juvenile delinquents away from subsequent offending. Attention is also given to race/sex contingencies. Using a sample of 4,147 delinquents released from Florida correctional institutions (86% male, 57% non-White, average age at release = 16.8 years), propensity score analysis yielded two findings: youth with above average academic achievement while incarcerated were significantly more likely to return to school post-release, and youth with above average attendance in public school were significantly less likely to be re-arrested in the 1-year post-release period. While the academic gains were pronounced among African-American males, the preventive effects of school attendance are similar across race and sex, suggesting that education can be a part of a larger prevention effort that assists juvenile delinquents in successful community re-entry.