“Bringing Technology to Justice-Involved Youth”
New research publication examines the integration of digital tools in juvenile justice
Criminologists from the Lorentz Center in the Netherlands and the Max Planck Institute for the Study of Crime, Security and Law in Freiburg/Germany have developed innovative approaches to using digital tools for delivering mental health care to young offenders—aimed at reducing their likelihood of reoffending. The results have now been published in an open-access publication, making this research widely available to practitioners, policymakers, and researchers worldwide.
The special issue of Research on Child and Adolescent Psychopathology presents the results of a five-day international workshop held in January 2025 at the Lorentz Center in Leiden, where criminologists and practitioners gathered to explore the implementation of technology in juvenile criminal justice.
The contributions in this special issue reflect different approaches to how digital tools can improve existing practices and foster new approaches to working with this cohort. The interested reader will find compelling case studies showing dramatic improvements in effectiveness through tech-enhanced interventions, innovative approaches that harness the unique power of each technology platform, comprehensive reviews of the latest advances, and thoughtful discussions about the ethical responsibilities that come with this new frontier.
At the same time, the authors note that digital tools have seen limited use in juvenile justice to date—despite the fact that young offenders, as digital natives, stand to benefit significantly from technology-based interventions.
The journal Research on Child and Adolescent Psychopathology is the official journal of the International Society for Research in Child and Adolescent Psychopathology (ISRCAP).