Dr. Laura Abrams, MSW, Ph.D. is a Professor and Chair of Social Welfare at UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs. Her ethnographic scholarship has critically examined experiences of youth in the US justice system through reentry and the transition to adulthood. Currently she is pursuing research in the area of youth justice policy, urban youth civic engagement, and the aftermath of youth sentenced to life in prison. In this episode, we aimed to give the audience a better understanding of juvenile justice, reentry, and transition age youth. More specifically discussing how formerly incarcerated young men and women navigate reentry, and how it impacts their transition to adulthood. Our conversation included discussing pathways to delinquency, the importance of understanding and addressing the reentry needs of youth, and pathways to desistance for youth. Dr. Abrams provided us with a plethora of recommendations across various levels to better support and assist youth involved with the criminal justice system.

If you are interested in learning more about Dr. Abrams and her work, follow her on social media - Twitter: @labramsucla Instagram: @prof.abrams

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Resources to learn more about the experiences about the experiences of youth involved in the justice system:

Abrams, L.S., Terry, D., & Inderbitzin, M. (2017). Everyday Desistance: The Transition to Adulthood Among Formerly Incarcerated Youth. New Brunswick: Rutgers University Press.

Juvenile Justice Information Exchange: https://jjie.org/hub/reentry/resources/

No Kids in Prison Campaign: https://www.nokidsinprison.org/

Emerging Adult Justice Project

National Reentry Resource Center

National Juvenile Justice Network

The Campaign for the Fair Sentencing of Youth

Host: VanKe’via Garner, M. S.

https://uppbeat.io/t/hartzmann/good-feelings

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