Young Inmates Found to Keep Life of Crime
State's get-tough stance criticized; rehabilitation urged
By Ronnie Greene
Originally published in The Miami Herald, July 31, 2001
Florida's youngest inmates are far more likely than adult convicts to continue with crime after prison, a new statewide study shows, provoking fresh criticism over the state's get-tough campaign against juveniles.
The findings put a renewed spotlight on the crackdown, showing that teens sent to the adult prison system frequently can't shake their criminal ways after their stint behind bars.
More than 51 of every 100 juvenile inmates committed a new felony within two years of release from Florida prisons, the Department of Corrections found by tracking inmates released since 1993.
By contrast, about 33 of every 100 inmates overall committed a felony within two years. For convicts aged 35-49, for instance, the rate was 30 of every 100.
"Younger offenders re-offend at much higher rates than older offenders," the report found. "The youngest offenders re-offend sooner after release than older age groups."
On one hand, criminal justice experts inside and outside the prison system say the findings aren't surprising: Crime, after all, is typically a young person's vocation.
"If there's one thing consistent in criminal justice research, it's that very fact: That the younger you are when you commit a crime, the more likely you are to re-offend," said Bill Bales, Bureau Chief for the DOC's Bureau of Research and Data Analysis, which conducted the study.
"That's very consistent over time."
Florida's crackdown on juveniles has drawn attention recently with the high-profile murder convictions of South Florida teenagers Nathaniel Brazill and Lionel Tate, prompting a national debate over whether young criminals deserve punishment or rehabilitation.
Critics of the state's juvenile justice laws say the study provides further proof that Florida has misfired in its quest to punish young criminals. By last year, about one of every 13 Florida inmates was serving time for a crime committed as a juvenile.
"It's an argument for keeping kids … in the juvenile system, because they're doing better there," said Vincent Schiraldi, president of the Justice Policy Institute, a juvenile justice think tank in Washington.
A Herald examination this year found flaws at every step of the state's juvenile crime campaign.
For instance, it found that sending a juvenile to prison increases by 35 percent the odds the youth will re-offend within a year of release, compared to similar teens sent to juvenile programs.
"You don't want to give up on them. And by sending them to the adult system, that is tantamount to giving up on them," Schiraldi said.
The aggressive approach was borne of outrage over violent juvenile crime, and it grew in the Legislature, where politicians last decade passed laws making it easier for prosecutors to ship juveniles to adult courts. The number sent there peaked at more than 7,000 in 1995, and has since dipped along with crime.
Typically, about a quarter of juvenile inmates serve time in prisons designed for adults, the rest in facilities built for teens and young adults. Last session, Florida legislators passed a law requiring even more juveniles to serve time with fellow youthful offenders, a measure meant to keep young criminals away from hardened adults.
The corrections study tracked more than 120,000 inmates released from prison since 1993. For recidivism purposes, it counted cases resulting in convictions that produced a state prison or probation sentence.
Of the 752 ex-cons under 18 at time of release, many found trouble again. Quickly. About 47 of every 100 committed a new felony within 18 months. By contrast, it took 48 months for a like number of ex-cons aged 25-34 to reach that level of relapse.
Juvenile advocates say the numbers echo long-standing statistics showing that the young often turn to crime. But they say the report also puts a sharp point on studies by The Herald and researchers showing that teens routed to rehabilitation programs are more likely to avoid crime than those with similar records sent to adult prison systems.
"To me, it all points toward a greater capacity being needed to keep more kids in the juvenile system," said Shay Bilchik, director of the Child Welfare League of America, a children's advocacy group.
Bales, of DOC, said it's not possible to draw conclusions from the corrections study about the merit of sending young criminals to the adult prison system compared to juvenile programs. "This doesn't say anything about the relative effectiveness of either system in reducing recidivism," he said.
Gov. Jeb Bush's office said Monday that the governor had yet to fully digest the study, and could not comment in detail.
However, spokeswoman Elizabeth Hirst said the state's approach against juvenile crime—mixing tough laws with money for rehabilitation programs—is making headway in helping reduce crime. "I can tell you that the get tough on crime laws that have taken effect over this administration are showing benefits," Hirst said.
