Illiteracy and Juvenile Recidivism: A Literature Review on Literacy as a Predictor of Recidivism Among Low-Risk Youth

Author(s)	Dr. Katrina A. Homer Darg
Country	United States
Abstract	Juvenile recidivism continues to present a serious challenge for justice systems despite sustained declines in overall youth crime rates across recent decades. An expanding body of research across the fields of criminal justice, education, and developmental psychology indicates that educational failure plays a critical role in repeated system involvement among youth. Literacy, in particular, has emerged as a foundational academic skill influencing educational engagement, rehabilitation participation, and post-release adjustment. Youth who lack functional reading abilities frequently struggle to comply with school demands, probation conditions, and intervention programs. This literature review synthesizes national and international research to examine whether literacy serves as a predictor of recidivism among low-risk juvenile offenders. Guided by social bonding theory and the school-to-prison pipeline framework, the review positions literacy as both an individual-level protective factor and a systemic intervention point within juvenile justice reform.
Keywords	Juvenile Recidivism, Literacy, Correctional Education, Social bonding theory, School-to-prison pipeline
Field	Sociology
Published In	Volume 7, Issue 3, May-June 2026
Published On	2026-06-07

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