Improving Juvenile Justice Settings by Decreasing Coercion: One Lab's Perspectives from Behind the Fence

Abstract

In this article, we outline an emerging role for applied behavior analysis in juvenile justice by summarizing recent publications from our lab and discussing our procedures through the lens of coercion proposed by Goltz (2020). In particular, we focus on individual and group interventions that target a range of behaviors emitted by adolescents in a residential treatment facility. In general, individual interventions involve teaching adolescents to (1) respond appropriately to staff, (2) tolerate nonpreferred environmental conditions, and (3) control problematic sexual arousal. Likewise, group interventions involve low-effort manipulations that decrease disruptive behavior and increase appropriate behavior in settings with numerous adolescents. Thereafter, we describe behavioral interventions for staff working in juvenile justice. These staff-focused interventions aim to increase staff-initiated, positive interactions with students in order to change subsequent student behavior. In addition, we review our recent endeavors to assess and conceptualize other service providers' behavioral products (i.e., prescription practices) in a juvenile facility. Lastly, we discuss future directions of behavior-analytic intervention with juvenile-justice involved adolescents.

Keywords: Applied behavior analysis; Crime; Juvenile justice; Prison; Rehabilitation; Skill acquisition.

Fig. 1

Mean subjective unit of arousal for three ABSOPP residents. Note. Mean subjective unit of arousal (SUA), and the highest within-session SUA across baseline (BL) and therapist instructions phases for Zaiden (top panel), Joseph (middle panel), and Terry (bottom panel). The horizontal dashed line represents the criterion line in the therapist instructions phase for each participant. Reprinted with permission. Brogan, K. M., Rapp, J. T., Niedfeld, A. M., Thompson, K. R., & Burkhart, B. R. (2020). Using arousal suppression exercises to decrease inappropriate sexual arousal in detained adolescent males: Three clinical demonstrations. Behavior Analysis in Practice, 13(2), 348–359. 10.1007/s40617-020-00408-z

Fig. 2

Percentage of time vocalizing during red card and green card sessions. Note. RC = red card. GC = green card. Due to a weather event, RC session 40 does not have a corresponding GC session. Reprinted with permission. Niedfeld, A., Rapp, J. T., Coon, J. C., & Cook, J. L. (2020). Using a multiple-schedule procedure to signal the availability of attention: Three demonstrations. Behavior Modification, 44(4), 496–517. 0145445519834640

Fig. 3

Appropriate walking by residents during transitions. Note. Open squares denote novel transition sessions. The filled triangle denotes a session conducted by staff prior to formal training. Horizontal lines in the Rule + Feedback + Edible phase denote the response requirement for each session. Values next to each line denote the criterion. Gen = generalization probe sessions. Reprinted with permission. McDougale, C. B., Coon, J. C., Richling, S. M., O’Rourke, S., Rapp, J. T., Thompson, K. R., & Burkhart, B. R. (2019). Group procedures for decreasing problem behavior displayed by detained adolescents. Behavior Modification, 43(5), 615–638. 10.1177/0145445518781314

Fig. 4

Praise delivery across three dorms. Note. Arrows and text abbreviations indicate when and what the trainings occurred during Study 2 (PM = positive monitoring, SI = strategic interaction, and OO = offering options). Reprinted with permission. Luna, O., & Rapp, J. T. (2020). Increasing praise delivery within dorms of a juvenile justice facility. Behavior Modification. Advance online publication. 10.1177%2F0145445520982976

Fig. 5

Length of stay and medication for residents prescribed a stimulant and an antipsychotic. Note. Month 1 denotes the first month of residence. The end of the row denotes the month of discharge from the facility. Each row for the resident represents a different class of medication. Colors and patterns denote the different classes prescribed as outlined in the legend. The solid white portion of the medication row represents time served without receiving medication. The asterisk denotes resident had medications at intake. Reprinted with permission. Anderson, A., Rapp, J. T., & Kierce, E. (2021). Psychotropic medication prescribing in a juvenile justice facility: Evidence of a limited discontinuation process. Advance online publication. Residential Treatment for Children & Youth. 10.1080/0886571X.2021.1887789