NCJ Number
200367
Journal
BMJ Volume: 326 Dated: May 2003 Pages: 1-4
Date Published
May 2003
Length
4 pages
Annotation
This article assesses mortality ratios among young offenders in Australia.
Abstract
Noting that socially disadvantaged youths have high levels of health problems as well as psychiatric and behavioral disorders, the authors suggest that such youths may experience higher death rates as well. Describing the research study presented in this article, the authors detail the 2,621 male and 228 female offenders, from Victoria, Australia, whose demographic information was analyzed concerning their death rates. The authors found that there were 96 deaths among the offender cohort and that most of these deaths were due to drug related causes, whereas in the Victorian population at large, youth deaths were most often due to non-intentional injury. The findings indicate that the social disadvantage and the marginalization of youth offenders in Australia play a role in these individuals’ deaths. Social public polices concerning youthful offenders need to address both drug and mental health issues as well as social disadvantage among young offenders. References