Sampling
Enrollment into the Pathways to Desistance study occurred over a twenty-six month period between November, 2000 and January, 2003.
To be eligible for the study, individuals had to be in Maricopa County, AZ or Philadelphia, PA and
- at least 14 years old and under 18 years old at the time of their committing offense
- found guilty of a serious offense (predominantly felonies, with a few exceptions for some misdemeanor property offenses, sexual assault, or weapons offenses)
- had to provide informed assent or consent (parent consent was obtained for all youth under the age of 18 at the time of enrollment)
The proportion of male youth found guilty of a drug charge was capped at 15% to avoid an over-representation of drug offenders. All females who met the age and crime criteria were approached for enrollment as were youth being considered for trial in the adult system.
Twenty percent of the youths approached for participation declined.