The nexus of the juvenile justice system and adolescent treatment programs is the fact that they are invariably linked by similar patterns especially among serious offenders. The latter depends on the former to access such individuals and provide quality and continuing care.
Full Answer
Why do children get involved in the juvenile justice system?
Some children and youth become involved with the juvenile justice system because they are accused of committing a delinquent or criminal act. Other youth come into contact with the system for status offenses—actions that are illegal only because of a youth’s age—such as truancy, underage drinking, and running away from home.
Are girls treated differently by the juvenile justice system than boys?
Girls are the fastest growing population entering the juvenile justice system today. Data continues to suggest that girls are less likely to be detained and committed than boys for most categories of delinquent offenses. Minority youth are overrepresented within—and treated differently by—the juvenile justice system compared to their white peers.
How does mental health affect the juvenile justice system?
Mental Health and Substance Abuse. Youth involved with the juvenile justice system often have mental health and/or substance abuse problems. These typically affect their academic performance, behavior, and relationships with peers and adults.
Does juvenile drug use increase among juvenile detainees?
The U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs reports a high rate of drug use among juvenile detainees.
What do the juvenile justice system and the criminal justice system have in common?
What do the juvenile justice system and the criminal justice system have in common? Constitutional rights apply. In which of the following cases did the Supreme Court set forth that juveniles must have "the essentials of due process"? Which of the following is not a status offense?
What are two major differences between the juvenile justice system and the criminal justice system?
In general though we can say that there are two main types of differences. First the adult system is more legalistic. Second the juvenile system is more oriented towards helping and rehabilitating the offender than the adult system is. Of course both systems have some similarities.
What is the purpose of the juvenile justice system and how is it different than the system for adults?
While the goal of the adult crime system is to punish, the goal of the juvenile crime system is rehabilitation and doing what's in the best interest of the minor. Therefore, there are many alternative sentences used to keep juveniles out of jail. These alternatives include probation, diversionary programs, and parole.
What are the three basic components of the juvenile justice system?
juvenile finalLaw Enforcement.Courts.Corrections.
What are the major similarities and differences between the juvenile justice system and the adult system?
Whereas adults are charged with crimes, juveniles are charged with delinquent acts unless the juvenile is being tried as an adult. Charges filed against adults are conferred via a document known as a complaint, but juveniles are charged by way of petition.
What are the similarities between the juvenile justice system and the adult justice system?
Similarities: Both an adult and a juvenile have the right to a Miranda warning. Both an adult and a juvenile have the right to cross-examine witnesses against them. Both an adult and a juvenile have the right against self-incrimination.
What is the difference between adolescence and juvenile?
A minor or a juvenile is a person who is not legally an adult. An adolescent is a young person who is growing from a child into an adult.
What is the primary purpose of the juvenile justice system Why are juveniles treated differently than adults in the criminal justice system?
The primary goals of the juvenile justice system, in addition to maintaining public safety, are skill development, habilitation, rehabilitation, addressing treatment needs, and successful reintegration of youth into the community.
What is juvenile justice system in the Philippines?
(m) “Juvenile Justice and Welfare System” refers to a system dealing with children at risk and children in conflict with the law, which provides child-appropriate proceedings, including programs and services for prevention, diversion, rehabilitation, re-integration and aftercare to ensure their normal growth and ...
What are the four parts of the juvenile justice system?
The juvenile justice system, as a process, involves four stages: intake, adjudication, disposition, and postadjudication review.
What is meant by juvenile justice system?
Overview. Juvenile justice is the area of criminal law applicable to persons not old enough to be held responsible for criminal acts. In most states, the age for criminal culpability is set at 18 years. Juvenile law is mainly governed by state law and most states have enacted a juvenile code.
What is the main purpose of the juvenile justice system?
Juvenile justice in the United States is a collection of state and local court-based systems whose purpose is to respond to young people who come into contact with law enforcement and are accused of breaking the law.
Why are youth involved in juvenile justice?
Some children and youth become involved with the juvenile justice system because they are accused of committing a delinquent or criminal act. Other youth come into contact with the system for status offenses—actions that are illegal only because of a youth’s age—such as truancy, underage drinking, ...
What are the outcomes of juvenile justice?
Many youth who come into contact with the juvenile justice system have experienced academic failure, disengagement from school, and/or school disciplinary problems. Academic outcomes for these youth are generally less positive than those of youth who do not come into contact with the system.
What is the fastest growing population in juvenile justice?
Gender. Girls are the fastest growing population entering the juvenile justice system today. Data continues to suggest that girls are less likely to be detained and committed than boys for most categories of delinquent offenses. Race and Ethnicity.
What are the most common mental health disorders in juveniles?
Youth in contact with the juvenile justice system experience higher prevalence rates across various types of mental health disorders. Disruptive disorders, such as conduct disorders and substance use disorders, are most common (46.5 percent); followed by anxiety disorders (34.4 percent); and mood disorders (18.3 percent), such as depression. 19.
What percentage of juveniles have mental health problems?
These typically affect their academic performance, behavior, and relationships with peers and adults. A high percentage of youth (65 to 70 percent) involved with the juvenile justice system have a diagnosable mental health disorder ...
What percentage of juveniles are adjudicated?
The majority of youth processed through the juvenile court are adjudicated (i.e., declared by a judge to be) delinquent, for most offenses. Approximately 57 percent of adjudicated youth are placed on probation. 5.
Is minority youth more likely to be detained?
Minority youth are overrepresented within—and treated differently by—the juvenile justice system compared to their white peers. Minority youth are more likely to be detained and committed than non-Hispanic whites. African-American youth have the highest rates of involvement compared to other racial groups.
What is the transition age in juvenile justice?
Though the predominant focus of the juvenile justice system is on adolescents, a significant number of justice-involved youth fall into the developmental period known as the transition age, which refers to youth ages 16 through 25 years ( Davis & Vander Stoep, 1997 ). The number of transition age youth served by the juvenile justice system varies ...
What is the legal age for juveniles?
Figure 1 shows that the majority of states consider crimes committed through age 17 as juvenile offenses. Only a few states have an upper age of 16, and two currently have a limit of 15. Second, there is variability in the age at which youth are transferred from the juvenile to adult justice systems.
What are the barriers to evidence based mental health care?
One barrier to evidence-based mental health treatment is lack of health care coverage. Various Affordable Care Act (ACA) provisions increase availability of coverage for young adults but there are reasons to be skeptical about the effectiveness of such reforms for transition age youth with substantial mental health morbidity. Studies of health care reform in Massachusetts found increased enrollment for young adults in Medicaid and healthcare exchanges ( Gettens, Mitra, Henry, & Himmelstein, 2011; Long, Yemane, & Stockley, 2010) but worse enrollment among adults with behavioral health problems ( Capoccia, Croze, Cohen, & O’Brien, 2013 ). The effects of ACA on health care coverage should be monitored among vulnerable youth. In addition, improving coordination of care and linkage to services are important but will only be effective if quality mental health services are available in young adults’ communities.
What is transition planning?
Transition planning should be required for youth ages 16 or older in the juvenile justice system. It is already a requirement for youth who receive special education services and those in foster care (through the Fostering Connections Act), and the educational and child welfare systems have models for how to implement such planning. These plans should include provisions for transitions from child to adult systems of care (e.g., mental health) and also assess and plan for needs in key areas crucial to success in adulthood (e.g., education, vocation, independent living). Plans should be integrated with existing transition plans for youth in foster care and/or special education services. Stakeholders from key community agencies (e.g., mental health, child welfare, vocational rehabilitation, school districts) should have input in transition planning. Specifically, coordination with other systems should be attained through memoranda of understanding to achieve the commitment needed for ensuring appropriate services.
What is a diversion program?
Diversion programs provide alternatives to formal justice system sanctions, typically for first-time offenders, and often provide treatment in lieu of punishment (see Chapin & Griffin, 2005 for a review). One meta-analysis did not find significant reductions in recidivism, even for diversion programs that specifically targeted mental health needs ( Schwalbe, Gearing, MacKenzie, Brewer, & Ibrahim, 2012 ). However, when evidence-based interventions for adolescent delinquent behaviors (e.g., MST, Functional Family Therapy) were included in diversion plans, results were promising. Similar to these findings, preliminary results from Ohio’s Behavioral Health Juvenile Justice program suggest that a diversion program that provides evidence- and community-based behavioral health treatment is effective in improving both delinquency and behavioral health outcomes ( Kretschmar, Butcher, Flannery, & Singer, 2014 ). Thus, diversion programs may be effective when evidence-based treatments are available in youth’s communities. Further, diversion programs reduce time in locked settings, a contributor to developmental delays ( Chung et al., 2005 ). For these reasons, diversion programs should be tailored to meet the needs of transition age youth with mental health problems and examined as alternatives to formal sanctions.
What is transition age youth?
Although adolescents are the primary focus of juvenile justice, a significant number of young people involved with this system are considered transition age youth (i.e., 16–25 years of age). The aim of this review is to summarize the specific needs of transition age youth with mental health conditions involved with the juvenile justice system, identify the multiple service systems relevant to this group, and offer recommendations for policies and practice. A comprehensive search strategy was used to identify and synthesize the literature. Findings highlight the paucity of research specific to transition age youth. Thus, we also summarized relevant research on justice-involved adolescents, with a focus evaluating its potential relevance in the context of the unique milestones of the transition age, including finishing one’s education, setting and working towards vocational goals, and transitioning from ones’ family of origin to more independent living situations. Existing programs and initiatives relevant to transition age youth with mental health conditions are highlighted, and nine specific recommendations for policy and practice are offered.
Can a felony be denied housing?
Youth who recidivate and receive a felony conviction can be denied public housing permanently. Some housing authorities can deny public housing on the basis of disqualifying offenses committed by any family members, including juvenile offenders ( Henning, 2004) Open in a separate window.
What is the current study of juvenile justice?
The current study examined the receipt and funding of treatment services for mental and behavioral problems among a sample of youth under probation supervision. Over the last two decades, researchers and practitioners have started to examine mental and behavioral service needs of youth and gain a better understanding of the complexities of providing treatment services in the juvenile justice system. Given this context, the current study contributes to the larger body of research on juvenile justice and treatment services by (1) examining the actual receipt or use of treatment services by youth under probation supervision, rather than referrals for services, and (2) examining the source of funding for treatment services. In light of the significant findings presented in the previous section, there are a number of key findings: (1) Few youth overall receive treatment services while on probation, (2) there are racial disparities in the receipt of treatment services, and (3) a disconnect exists between receiving treatment services and the willingness or capability of external funding sources to fund these services. These findings deserve further elaboration in the broader context of research and implications for practice and policy.
What are the dependent variables in a treatment program?
There are two primary dependent variables that were examined in the current analysis: (1) whether the youth received treatment services and (2) the type of funding source for treatment services. First, to examine predictors of receiving treatment services, the dependent variable was a dichotomous outcome of whether the youth received court-ordered treatment services (coded as 1) or not (coded as 0). Much of the prior research examines referrals for treatment services, which can often act as a proxy for receiving services, but since this study can identify referrals that result in the use of treatment service, referrals for that were denied were coded as zero.
How long was the MCJPD probation period?
The MCJPD and the Treatment Services Division were sources for data regarding youth receiving treatment services. The time frame for the data spanned a 25-month period beginning July 1, 2012, to August 31, 2014, during which a total of 4,244 youth were placed on probation, 60 of whom had multiple probations during the time frame. 1 The data were compiled onsite with the assistance from the Research and Planning Division of the MCJPD. A data sharing agreement was obtained with institutional review board approval to receive deidentified youth information through electronic databases. With the exception of certain files, such as psychological case notes, 2 MCJPD uses the integrated court information system to manage youths’ records, and Microsoft ® Access was used to query databases associated with youth who were placed under probation supervision during the specified time frame. 3
What is MCJPD in Maricopa County?
Building on previous research on service needs and use among youth with mental and behavioral problems, this research examined treatment services received by youth involved in the Maricopa County Juvenile Probation Department (MCJPD). The court serves youth by requiring treatment services for mental and behavioral problems but providing resources to pay for treatment services adds an additional level of intervention and investment in these youth’s lives. The current research examined characteristics of youth who received treatment services as well as funding sources for services. More specifically, two research questions are examined:
Does juvenile justice have to pay for treatment?
While the juvenile justice system has a legal mandate to provide treatment services, it does not have to be the one to administer that care ( Grisso, 2004 ). When a youth is required to receive court-ordered treatment services as a condition of probation supervision, there are multiple avenues or sources of funding that can pay for these services. If the youth has no means (i.e., health insurance) to pay for treatment services ordered by the court, the juvenile justice system has a financial responsibility to fund the treatment services it is requiring.