Predictors of Secure Residential Placement for Juvenile Probationers in Texas

Abstract

Although previous researchers have examined predictors of dispositional outcomes for youth, none have examined the role of actuarial assessments in this regard (i.e., risk and needs levels). As such, this dissertation seeks to address this void by examining the degree to which demographic, legal, actuarial, and contextual-level factors impact placement outcomes for youth adjudicated to probation in Texas (N = 9,397). To meet this objective, two different, but related, sets of analytical techniques are applied: Study #1 involves a multivariate examination of the effect of individual-level predictors on placement outcomes for youth adjudicated to probation (n = 4,670); and Study #2 focuses on a multivariate and multilevel evaluation of the effect of individual-level and contextual-level factors on placement outcomes for youth adjudicated to probation when considered simultaneously (n = 4,670).