Assessing Aftercare Reforms in Pennsylvania's Juvenile Justice System

Aftercare seeks to address challenges juveniles face when re-entering the community after residential placement. This study compares changes in recidivism in five Pennsylvania counties that piloted aftercare reforms in 2005 to 2010 as part of Models for Change to recidivism in counties that did not. The sample includes 3,107 referrals to court in pilot counties and 8,272 in comparison counties. Estimates show no discernible effect of the reforms on recidivism. The estimated change in re-referrals to court lies between a decrease of 4 percentage points and an increase of 14 points. Differences in implementation effectiveness and participation may explain these null results. Although this analysis does not detect changes in recidivism, these pilots laid the groundwork for Pennsylvania's later juvenile justice reforms.