Young offenders’ trauma on release from custody

Hazel, N; Bateman, T

Abstract

The emotional trauma experienced by young people sentenced to a period of custody, particularly in the initial period of incarceration, has been well documented. Interacting with mental health issues, rates of self-harm and suicides are also know to be higher when inside. However, there is less understanding about the traumas experienced by young people as they leave custody to face the outside world again. Although ‘resettlement’ (or ‘aftercare’) of young offenders upon release is of interest to policymakers and academics alike, they have tended to focus on practical needs and support. In contrast, this paper asks how the transition from custody is experienced emotionally by the young people, and what personal adjustments they find they need to make.

The paper uses qualitative data from a series of research projects conducted in England and Wales by the authors over the past 15 years. The interpretative analysis explores themes highlighted by the young people themselves, including the stress of difficulties in relating to friends and family, adjusting to the pace of the outside world and dealing with every day interactions. Implications for policy and practice are discussed.

Citation

Hazel, N., & Bateman, T. (2013, September). Young offenders’ trauma on release from custody. Presented at European Society of Criminology Conference, Budapest, Hungary

• Presentation Conference Type: Other
• Conference Name: European Society of Criminology Conference
• Conference Location: Budapest, Hungary
• Start Date: Sep 5, 2013
• Deposit Date: Sep 23, 2013
• Publicly Available Date: Sep 23, 2013
• Keywords: Custody, resettlement, young offenders, youth, after care, trauma, stress, prison, imprisonment, juvenile justice, youth justice
• Publisher URL: http://www.esc-eurocrim.org/conferences.shtml
• Related Public URLs: http://www.beyondyouthcustody.net/
• Additional Information: Event Type : Conference; Projects : HURA13