UC Irvine

Juvenile waiver to adult court has received a considerable amount of attention in criminal justice research during the last few decades as the rehabilitative ideal of the juvenile court has evolved into a punitive mechanism that increasingly resembles the adult criminal justice system. Youth waived to adult court are often incarcerated for lengthy periods of time with juvenile court youth prior to their transfer to adult prison. For this reason, it is important to examine the ways in which their experiences differ from youth who were retained under juvenile court jurisdiction.

This dissertation uses a mixed methodological approach to more fully understand the nature of "adultification" (waiver to and conviction within adult court) as it is lived on the ground of juvenile correctional facilities. Much research interrogates the policy of waiver, but fails to appreciate the ways in which this policy may challenge theories of institutionalization and prisonization, especially as they await a transfer to adult prison at age 18. Using theories of institutionalization as a departure point, this project works toward developing a theory of "adultification" by examining how juvenile offenders cope with a newly appointed "adult" status.

Multiple groups analysis within structural equation modeling reveals that adult court status is powerful enough to moderate institutional experiences and behavior. Qualitative analysis reveals that adult court youth anchor themselves to the future via the expression of possible selves and survivalism strategies, more than to the present or the past. Finally, the third section of analysis introduces qualitative themes into quantitative models and finds that this future orientation influences misconduct and violence during juvenile incarceration. More specifically, expression of feared possible selves predicts a lower rate of violence for these adult court youth. Additionally, articulation of a survivalism strategy (mental or physical) predicts a higher rate of violent behavior, suggesting that adult court youth may experience anticipatory criminalization as they approach their dates for transfer to adult prison. This project produces a rich conversation between qualitative and quantitative data for a deeper understanding of where the rhetoric of waiver policy and "adultification" meets the reality of those who live it.