A Specialty Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking Court: Risks and Needs Reduction and the Youth Level of Service/Case Management Inventory

Research suggests that justice-involved youth who have experienced domestic minor sex trafficking (DMST) often have complex needs beyond their trafficking experiences. The purpose of this descriptive study was to utilize the Youth Level of Service/Case Management Inventory (YLS/CMI) to understand the risks and needs of 38 youth participating in a specialty DMST court program between 2017 and 2023. Among the subsample of 14 youths given the YLS/CMI, the average cumulative risks and needs decreased during their duration in the DMST Court. On average, risks and needs decreased in five of the domains measured by the YLS/CMI (school, substance misuse, family, procriminal attitudes, and antisocial personality pattern). Findings from the current study highlight the utility of the YLS/CMI in assessing the needs and risks of youth within DMST specialty courts and suggest that DMST specialty courts may be effective in reducing youths’ risks and needs. Implications are discussed.