Bringing technology to justice involved youth

Technologies such as Virtual Reality (VR), smartphone applications (apps) and wearables, offer unique opportunities for assessment and treatment of offenders. Effective assessment methods and treatments are especially important for justice involved youth whose treatment is often compulsory and pivotal for preventing reoffending and ensuring successful resocialization. Technology can not only increase the predictive validity of assessment and enhance generalization of treatment to real-world settings, but can also add novel types of measurements thereby improving the diagnostic process. Examples include simulating relevant situations and events in controlled yet ecologically valid environments, personalizing mental health-related treatment through algorithms, and delivering ‘ just-in-time’ interventions by providing warnings at critical timepoints.

While technological innovations in adult criminal justice context have shown promise, the use of novel technologies among justice involved youth is still limited. This seems a missed opportunity, particularly as youths, being digital natives, are more likely to embrace and feel comfortable with technology. Therefore, it is imperative to stimulate innovation and research in the use and applicability of technology within juvenile justice settings, both outpatient and residential, to optimize assessment and treatment to prevent or diminish reoffending.

The goal of the workshop is to unite researchers and professionals from the (clinical) practice to develop research that addresses the needs, opportunities and challenges within the field. Insights gained during the workshop will be compiled into a position paper, outlining a roadmap for future research into technological applications for assessment and treatment for justice involved youth.