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ADHD among incarcerated youth: An investigation on the congruency with ADHD prevalence and correlates among the general population

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Abstract

The limited literature on the topic speculates that the rate of ADHD would be higher among incarcerated youth than found in the general population. However, to our knowledge no such published figures exist for juveniles in the United States. This study investigates the likelihood of ADHD diagnosis among 453 incarcerated youth and compares and contrasts a variety of demographic, social, educational, psychological, and criminal characteristics to the general literature on ADHD. Both similarities and differences are reported.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs, Virginia Commonwealth University, 923 West Franklin Street, 23284-2028, Richmond, VA

    Jill A. Gordon Ph.D. & Page Malmsjo Moore M.S.

Authors
  1. Jill A. Gordon Ph.D.
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  2. Page Malmsjo Moore M.S.
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Correspondence to Jill A. Gordon Ph.D..

Additional information

This project was supported by Grant #99-RT-VX-K020 awarded by the National Institute of Justice. Points of view in this document are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice. An early version of the paper was presented at the annual meeting of the Academy of Criminal Justice Science in Chicago, Illinois.

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Gordon, J.A., Moore, P.M. ADHD among incarcerated youth: An investigation on the congruency with ADHD prevalence and correlates among the general population. Am J Crim Just 30, 87–97 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02885883

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