Objective: This study used longitudinal data to identify the factors associated with adult imprisonment for adjudicated delinquent males following long-term residential care. Method: Logistic regression and survival models were developed to examine the effectiveness of reintegrational services. The sample included 397 adjudicated delinquents released between 1992 and 1993 from a residential treatment facility in Michigan. The Michigan Department of Corrections provided incarceration data approximately 5 years after residential release. Results: At the time of follow-up, 28% had experienced incarceration as an adult. The youths who received reintegration services within a single organization were less likely to experience incarceration as an adult. Ethnicity, number of prior adjudications, and frequency of out-of-home placement were associated with adult imprisonment. Conclusions: In part, it is the plan-full reintegration process that enables youths to achieve better long-term outcomes. The implications for social policy and social work practice are discussed.
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