Wiping the slate clean: A meta-analysis of post-detention aftercare programs for young offenders

This three-level meta-analysis examined the effects of post-detention aftercare programs for adolescent and young adult offenders on several types of criminal recidivism (primary outcomes) and dynamic risk and protective factors for criminal behavior (secondary outcomes). A systematic search was conducted in the databases APA PsycInfo, Medline, ERIC, Web of Science Core Collection, SocINDEX, and Google Scholar, resulting in 26 relevant studies that produced 259 effect sizes. The results revealed a small overall effect (g = 0.26). Aftercare was effective for both primary (g = 0.23) and secondary (g = 0.35) outcomes. Smaller effects were found for general offenses (g = 0.23) and violent offenses (g = 0.26), a somewhat larger effect for minor offenses (g = 0.39), and no effect for substance abuse offenses (g = −0.04). Larger effects were found for arrests (g = 0.25) compared to convicted offenses (g = 0.12). Moderator analyses showed that mentoring and multi-modal interventions were effective, whereas family interventions as well as service and surveillance interventions were not effective. Positive changes in skills, substance abuse, family functioning, externalizing problems, internalizing problems, and general health were associated with larger intervention effects on recidivism, and thus may be considered important levers of change in post-detention aftercare programs. It was concluded that aftercare programs can fulfill a crucial role in deterring youth from re-offending. Future research should focus on refining aftercare programs and identifying program components that contribute to the success of aftercare for young offenders.