Addressing the Transition Needs of Justice-Involved Youth with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

Justice-involved youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) are at an increased risk of recidivism compared to their peers with and without disabilities. Due to the complexity and unique needs of youth with IDD served in the juvenile justice system, transition supports and services must be individualized and youth-centered throughout a youth's programming. However, transition services are often overlooked in juvenile justice facilities, and staff often lack the background knowledge needed to implement transition practices for these youth. The authors present the challenges juvenile justice facilities face in providing effective transition practices to youth with IDD. They refer to the IDD and juvenile justice literature to outline transition practices that could be embedded into programming to better prepare youth for reentry. Participation in transition practices (e.g., vocational training, transition/reentry planning) while incarcerated has been shown to reduce recidivism rates for youth with IDD.