Theses and Dissertations
Date of Award
2025
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Department
Abraham S. Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice
Advisor
Maria Levi-Minzi
Committee Member
Grace Telesco
Committee Member
Steven Hecht
Committee Member
Marcelo Castro
Keywords
collateral consequences, youthful offenders, reintegration
Abstract
When children have been incarcerated, they face collateral consequences that make it nearly impossible to recover from when they return home. Collateral consequences are the adverse effects experienced by incarcerated people and their families often causing restrictions or missed opportunities after interaction with the criminal justice system (Moise, Simonsen, & Kearl, 2023). Collateral consequences can be related to housing, employment, and education, to name a few. These lost opportunities are concerning for youth because most have never held a job or finished high school. Collateral consequences often set them up for failure leading to the revolving doors of jails and prisons which are a significant cost to everyone.
Utilizing the IPA approach, this study was first of its kind to explore the lived experiences and the impact of collateral consequences on individuals incarcerated as youth that have returned to society as adults, their perception of the collateral consequences before incarceration, and the impact the collateral consequences have on them, their families, and the community.
The analysis of the lived experiences of eight individuals who were incarcerated as youth and returned to society as adults revealed that the prison environment is traumatizing and there is a lack of programs and inadequate physical and mental health services. Moreover, participants reported facing challenging, even unsurmountable, collateral consequences when they returned home with no resources available.
This study brings awareness to the public, at-risk youth, and policymakers to eliminate the barriers to afford a pathway to successful reentry and reduce recidivism.
NSUWorks Citation
Kimberly R. Lawrance. 2025. Incarcerated Youth Returning to Society as Adults: An Examination of Their Lived Experiences and Challenges. Doctoral dissertation. Nova Southeastern University. Retrieved from NSUWorks, Abraham S. Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice. (1102)
https://nsuworks.nova.edu/fse_etd/1102.