Mapping Juvenile Justice: Identifying Existing Structural Barriers to Accessing Probation Services. Issue 1 (29th November 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Fountain, Erika N.; Mahmoudi, Dillon
• Other Names: Shaw Jessica guestEditor.; Rade Candalyn B. guestEditor.; Fisher Benjamin W. guestEditor.; Freund Nicole guestEditor.; Tompsett Carolyn J. guestEditor.
• Is Part Of: American journal of community psychology. Volume 67:Issue 1/2(2021)
• Page Start: 116
• Page End: 129
• Publication Date: 2020-11-29
• Subjects: Juvenile probation -- Transportation barriers -- Responsivity -- Geography -- Juvenile justice; Community psychology -- Periodicals; Community mental health services -- Periodicals; Community psychiatry -- Periodicals; Community Mental Health Services -- Periodicals; Community Psychiatry -- Periodicals; 155.905
• DOI: 10.1002/ajcp.12474
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0091-0562

Abstract

Abstract: The majority of justice‐involved youth are placed on probation; however, many of those same youth struggle to comply with probation requirements and are subsequently confined. In Baltimore, 20% of newly committed youth were detained for violations of probation. While there are various reasons youth fail to comply with probation requirements, there have been recent calls to consider the impact of structural and spatial barriers to accessing probation programs and services. Centering the goals of community psychology, we aim to identify how existing structural barriers in Baltimore City may be contributing to social injustice through inequitable access to probation services for youth and their families. In this study, we take a novel, interdisciplinary approach to identify structural or spatial barriers facing justice‐involved youth in Baltimore, MD. Specifically, we explore transportation barriers (i.e., vehicle access) and spatial disparities between youth residences and probation office locations. Our findings suggest that there are several barriers facing Baltimore's justice‐involved youth that may impact access to and engagement with juvenile probation. Specifically, we found that 1 in 3 youths reside in areas with extremely low levels of vehicle access and where the median household income is 25% below the city median. We also find that the majority of youth live beyond walking distances; many would require lengthy transit commutes. These findings highlight the structural and spatial barriers facing justice‐involved youth that may impact access to and engagement with probation services. Highlights: A novel, interdisciplinary approach to explore systemic disparities impacting system involved youth. We use GIS methods to explore structural and spatial barriers that may hinder youth responsivity. Justice‐involved youth are faced with various spatial and structural barriers to probation services.