Being inside. An explorative study into emotional reactions of juvenile offenders to custody

Abstract

At the request of the Department for Judicial Youth Policy (DJJ) of the Ministry of Justice, the WODC (Research and Documentation Centre) conducted an exploratory study into the relation between incarceration and the emotional reactions of juveniles incarcerated in custodial institutions under criminal law. The background to this request relates to signals picked up during work visits to facilities that some young people respond to their custody with a reaction of pride. This reaction is undesirable; it will not stimulate the learning possibilities of juveniles with regard to behavioural change. In mutual consultation with DJJ, it was decided to interpret the request more broadly and to study various emotional reactions exhibited by juvenile offenders with regard to custody. The study was limited to the incarceration of juvenile offenders aged 12 to 24. Studies that relate to interventions or treatment during custody were excluded as much as possible. We also studied the literature regarding to the relation between emotional reactions felt during custody and recidivism.