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Mortality in young offenders: retrospective cohort study
Carolyn Coffey1, Friederike Veit, Rory Wolfe
1Centre for Adolescent Health, Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia. carolyn.coffey@rch.org.au
BMJ (Clinical Research Ed.)
|May 17, 2003
Summary
Young offenders face significantly higher mortality rates, particularly women. Addressing drug use, mental health issues, and social disadvantage is crucial for improving their outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Criminology and Public Health
- Mortality Studies
- Youth Justice
Background:
- Young offenders represent a vulnerable population with unique health and social challenges.
- Previous research indicates elevated mortality risks in incarcerated youth, but specific data on young offenders in Australia is limited.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the overall and cause-specific standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) among young offenders in Victoria, Australia.
- To identify key causes of death contributing to excess mortality in this demographic.
Main Methods:
- A cohort study was conducted on young offenders (aged 10-20) with their first custodial sentence between 1988 and 1999 in Victoria, Australia.
- Mortality data was compared against the general Victorian population using the National Death Index to calculate SMRs.
- Cause-specific SMRs were analyzed for drug-related causes, suicide, and non-intentional injuries.
Main Results:
- The study included 2621 men and 228 women, with a median follow-up of 3.3 years for men and 1.4 years for women.
- Overall SMRs were significantly elevated: 9.4 for men and 41.3 for women.
- Cause-specific SMRs for men included 25.7 for drug-related causes, 9.2 for suicide, and 5.7 for non-intentional injury. A quarter of drug-related deaths in young men (15-19) occurred in offenders.
Conclusions:
- Young offenders experience substantially higher mortality rates, with women facing particularly extreme risks.
- Urgent social policy interventions are needed to address the high prevalence of drug and mental health problems, alongside significant social disadvantage, within this population.