Many young people in the juvenile justice system have serious mental health problems that need treatment; and many young people with such problems end up in juvenile justice facilities because they lack access to treatment in their communities. CFK has compiled information on the challenges and effective solutions.

The Depth of the Problem

Mental Health Needs of Youth and Young Offenders
The Coalition for Juvenile Justice provides a quick overview of the key facts and key recommendations.
http://www.juvjustice.org/resources/fs002.html

Incarceration of Youth who are Waiting for Community Mental Health Services in the United States
Based on 2003 data, the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Government Reform wrote a July 2004 report that documented the widespread use of juvenile detention facilities to house youth waiting for community mental health services.
http://democrats.reform.house.gov/Documents/20040817121901-25170.pdf

Criminal Neglect: Substance Abuse, Juvenile Justice and the Children Left Behind
The National Center on Substance Abuse at Columbia University found that of the 2.4 million juvenile arrests in 2000, 1.9 million involved substance abuse and addiction but that only 68,600 of those arrested received any substance abuse treatment. The reported suggests modifications that would improve the way the nation treats juvenile offenders and ultimately result in fewer juvenile substance abusers and addicts.
Press release: http://66.135.34.236/absolutenm/templates/PressReleases.asp?articleid=385&zoneid=61

Problems Where the Rubber Meets the Road: A Local Perspective

Indiana Juvenile Justice Task Force Mental Health Assessment Report
A survey of detention directors and community mental health providers found a wide disparity in their perspectives on what mental health services, if any, were being provided to youth detained in Indiana detention facilities.
http://www.ijjtf.org/site/juvjustice/section.php?id=9885

Juvenile Justice and the Transition to Adulthood
In a policy brief, the MacArthur Foundation Research Network on Transitions to Adulthood claims, "the juvenile justice system not only arrests youth but can also arrest their development." Lack of communication, coordination and collaboration among corrections and other local agencies interferes with getting the appropriate services to detained youth during and after incarceration.
http://www.pop.upenn.edu/transad/news/briefs.htm

The Provider System for Children's Mental Health: Workforce Capacity and Effective Treatment
This National Health Policy Forum brief reviews two major issues in meeting children's unmet needs for mental health care—ensuring an adequate supply of providers and ensuring that the delivered care is effective.
http://www.nhpf.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=details&key=534

What Works, What Doesn't

Mental Health Treatment for Youth in the Juvenile Justice System
In this 2004 compendium the National Mental Health Association reviews promising practices and programs as well as some that don't work for youth in the juvenile justice system.
http://www.nmha.org/children/JJCompendiumofBestPractices.pdf

IAP Plans for Re-Entry Services From the Beginning
Planning for a young person's return to the community should begin when a youth first enters residential placement, based on the cooperative assistance of institutional staff, community aftercare staff, and community service providers. Drs. David Altschuler and Troy Armstrong have developed "Intensive Aftercare Programs".
http://www.csus.edu/ssis/cdcps/iap.htm

Mental Health Problems Plague Young Offenders
While arrests for violent crime have declined almost 60 percent from 1994 to 2000, the number of youth locked in detention has risen 72 percent. Furthermore, nearly three-quarters of incarcerated youth have a diagnosable mental health disorder. The Children's Legal Resource Center in New Jersey published a newsletter in the fall of 2004 that reviewed intervention programs like Wraparound Milwaukee, Functional Family Therapy and Multi-Systemic Therapy.
Email mcoogan@acnj.org

NIH Panel Concludes "Scare Tactics" Counterproductive in Juvenile Justice
An NIH panel found that long-term programs, like Multi-Systemic therapy, are effective because they emphasize social competency skills and family involvement. "Get tough" programs like boot camps and group detention centers are not effective, and can be counterproductive.
http://consensus.nih.gov/ta/023/023youthviolencepostconfintro.htm
Press Release: http://www.nih.gov/news/pr/oct2004/od-15.htm

Promising Practices: TIP
The Transition to Independence Process takes a comprehensive approach to encourage young people to focus on their own futures. Education, employment, living situations, and community life are all included as important issues young people need to consider in order to make a successful transition to adulthood.
http://tip.fmhi.usf.edu

Screening and Supporting Kids in Juvenile Justice: A Guide for Practitioners
In December of 2004 the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention published a resource guide for practitioners with information about youth in the juvenile justice system, their problems with substance abuse and the best practices for screening and assessing their mental health.
http://www.ojjdp.ncjrs.org/publications/PubAbstract.asp?pubid=11936

Juvenile Offenders With Mental Health Disorders: Who Are They and What Do We Do With Them?
In 2002, the American Correctional Association published an informational book on screening/assessment and mental health treatment. With discussions on ADHD, bipolar disorder, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, learning disabilities, fetal alcohol syndrome, psychosis, co-occurring substance abuse and mental health disorders, suicide, self-mutilation, and other mental health issues, this book hopes to help juvenile justice personnel understand the difficult behaviors they witness everyday.
http://www.drlisab.com or http://www.aca.org

At the Federal Level

Mentally Ill Offender Treatment and Crime Reduction Act of 2004
In 2004, Congress passed the Crime Reduction Act, a bill that authorized $50 million in federal funding for state grants to support pre- and post-booking interventions. Crisis intervention teams, law enforcement training, mental health courts, re-entry and transitional programs are a few of the programs that could receive support under this law.
For the legislative language, check S. 1194 at http://thomas.loc.gov/
http://ncmhjj.com

Kids, Mental Health and Justice
The chances that a mentally-ill child will wind up in the juvenile or criminal justice system rather than in a treatment program are disturbingly high. However, Laurel Stine, director of federal relations with the Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law, says the legal landscape is changing for the better.
http://www.connectforkids.org/articles/kids_mental_health_justice

Getting the Picture: Video Resources

Video: Are the Kids Alright?
This documentary focuses on some Texas families with mentally ill children and their struggles with mental health advocates, service providers and policymakers to obtain appropriate treatment.
http://www.hogg.utexas.edu/AKAhome.html

Video: System Failure: Violence, Abuse and Neglect in the California Youth Authority
This video from WITNESS and Books Not Bars details human rights violations and abuses in California Youth Authority institutions. The video calls for the closing of CYA's nine facilities, replacing them with community-based alternatives and small rehabilitation centers that give youth a chance to succeed on the outside.
http://www.booksnotbars.org

More Information

The National Center for Mental Health and Juvenile Justice
http://ncmhjj.com

The Research Network for Adolescent Development and Juvenile Justice
http://www.mac-adoldev-juvjustice.org
http://www.pop.upenn.edu/transad

Connect for Kids: Juvenile Justice Topic Pages
http://www.connectforkids.org/taxonomy/term/350