INDEPENDENT RESEARCH|MENTORED BY SCHOLAR RAYMOND MAGSAYAY

Abstract

The juvenile justice system in the United States has long struggled to balance punishment with rehabilitation, resulting in persistently high rates of recidivism. Scholars distinctly draw attention to juvenile offenders, stressing the high stakes that intervention can have in lowering delinquency. This study examines the effectiveness of targeted, individualized intervention programs in enhancing rehabilitation outcomes for justice-involved youth in Los Angeles County. Employing a mixed-method design, the researcher combines results of a quantitative meta-analysis of 20 peer-reviewed studies with qualitative interviews from four professionals and mental health experts who have worked in the field. Statistical analysis utilizing the z-critical value further verifies the quantitative results, confirming that specialized interventions grounded in research enhance rehabilitation outcomes.

I am currently a research fellow at the Empathy Genius Lab of Harvard Professor Catherine Eaton, specifically focusing on the effects of mass incarceration on Youth.