There is increasing cost, both monetary and social, for delinquents who reach the deep end of the juvenile justice system. State delinquents have cost the system untold resources throughout their entire interaction with the system, and with continued offending they cause even more problems and expense. In addition, there is little evidence that much works for the majority of serious juvenile offenders, along with the finding that many juvenile correctional administrators believe less than one-half of the delinquents they house are amenable to treatment or will end up rehabilitated. This study examined the recidivism outcomes of 2,436 serious, violent, and chronic youth released from a juvenile correctional system, followed for 5 years after their release and as they made the transition to young adulthood. Some consistent findings indicate that those who start offending early and have long and serious records are the most likely to continue offending into adulthood. Results from the study found that 85 percent of State delinquents were rearrested at least once in the follow-up period with nearly 80 percent rearrested for a felony. References