Study: Incarcerating Hordes of Youth is Costly and Ineffective

Though juvenile violent crime arrest rates are only marginally higher in the United States, we rely heavily on incarcerating kids. In total, 336 of every 100,000 of the world’s incarcerated youth is locked away in a U.S. prison facility. That’s nearly five times the rate of the next country on list, which is South Africa.

This article was taken from ColorLines, October 2011

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Federal Advisory Committee on Juvenile Justice (FACJJ) Annual Report

A compilation of a national survey of juvenile justice advisory groups, this report outlines critical concerns and issues, as well as offers recommendations on a set of guiding principals or core values statements for juvenile justice.

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Cradle to Prison Pipeline® Campaign California Factsheet

This factsheet reviews statistics on poverty, health care, early childhood education, education, child welfare, juvenile justice system and incarceration, and community violence as well as provides action steps to protect and reroute children from detention and incarceration in California.

This article was taken from Children's Defense Fund www.CDFCA.org

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Youth Law Center

The Youth Law Center is a public interest law firm that works to protect children in the nation’s foster care and juvenile justice systems from abuse and neglect, and to ensure that they receive the necessary support and services to become healthy and productive adults. Recent publications include:
Overview of the Juvenile Justice System in California Youth Law Center Fact Sheet
No Turning Back: Promising Approaches to Reducing Racial and Ethnic Disparities Affecting Youth of Color in the Justice System
¿Dónde Está La Justicia? A Call to Action on Behalf of Latino and Latina Youth in the U.S. Justice System
Improving Access to Medi-Cal for Youth in the Juvenile Justice System

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Reclaiming lost opportunities: Applying public health models in juvenile justice

This paper frames juvenile justice as a public health concern and articulates a public health approach to intervention with incarcerated youth. The authors review the founding principles of juvenile justice and examine current practices through the lens of public health concepts. Although the knowledge base is incomplete, existing literature suggests dismal outcomes including high recidivism and low productivity; it also reveals promising evidence-based practices that require ongoing scrutiny and continuing elaboration. The authors’ main recommendation concerns the application of a three-tiered prevention logic model that encompasses appropriate, evidence-based interventions, national implementation, and empirical validation. We advocate comprehensive, coordinated planning models that focus on outcomes, operate under shared infrastructure, and incorporate data analysis. The transformation of the juvenile justice system will require careful coordination, improved data systems, and multiple levels of focus. We assert that, despite the numerous challenges facing today’s juvenile justice system, incarceration presents an opportunity for youth rehabilitation through effective interventions. Systemic reform has the potential both to improve outcomes for youth and to accrue public benefit through crime reduction and cost efficiencies.

This article was taken from Diane M. Myers, Anne F. Farrell. Children and Youth Services Review. Volume 30, Issue 10, October 2008, Pages 1159-1177. doi:10.1016/j.childyouth.2008.03.002

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Crime Rates and Youth Incarceration in Texas and California Compared: Public Safety or Public Waste?

In this article the question of whether higher incarceration rates for juveniles reduce crime is examined by comparing the juvenile justice systems of Texas to California.

This article was taken from Center on Juvenile & Criminal Justice

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The Consequences Aren’t Minor: The Impact of Trying Youth As Adults and Strategies for Reform

This report, prepared by Campaign for Youth Justice, provides a snapshot of youth in the adult criminal justice system in eight states (CA, CT, DC, FL, IL, NC, VA, and WI). Each state chapter includes state-specific recommendations on how the laws and policies in those states could be updated and the overall report includes national recommendations including amending the Juvenile Justice & Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDPA) in 2007 by imposing a federal ban on placement of young people in adult jails and prisons.

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The Health Status of Youth in Juvenile Detention Facilities

Abstract: Youth exiting detention facilities have particularly high rates of co-occurring health-risk behaviors, while lacking access to the health care system. Not surprisingly, these youth suffer a disproportionate share of adolescent morbidity and mortality. Their time of incarceration often represents their only significant contact with a health care provider outside of an emergency setting. As such, it is critical that health care providers utilize the opportunity to educate and connect these youth with community resources to facilitate their access to health care upon their reemergence into the community. We review the factors affecting the health of youth in detention, and the health problems that are among the greatest sources of morbidity and mortality in this adolescent population.

This article was taken from Mana Golzari, Stephen J. Hunt, Arash Anoshiravani. Journal of Adolescent Health, Volume 38, Issue 6, June 2006, Pages 776-782

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Mental Health Treatment for Youth in the Juvenile Justice System: A Compendium of Promising Practices

This report by the National Mental Health Association lays out what is currently known to be effective practices through evidence-based research, and what promises to be effective practices. It starts with a review of the basic values and principles that are the foundation of effective practices, as well as the essential components of the mental health services array. Then, evidence-based treatment programs are highlighted, as well as treatment approaches that show promise but require more research. Finally, examples of successful services exemplify how communities across the country are addressing the mental health needs of children and adolescents involved in the justice system.

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Juveniles within adult correctional settings: legal pathways and developmental considerations.

Abstract:  An increasing number of juvenile offenders are being processed through adult correctional systems in the
United States. Changing conceptions of juvenile offenders and expansions to the criteria for juvenile transfer
laws have created a number of new challenges for correctional systems, policy makers and researchers. In
this article, we detail the legal mechanisms that bring adolescents into the adult system. Basic profiles of
juveniles in adult settings are constructed and the unique challenges posed by this population of offenders
are discussed. Issues related to the safety and management of juveniles within the adult system are evaluated
within a developmental framework. Finally, we examine research and policy implications that emerge when
a significant number of juveniles are required to spend their formative years of adolescence in an environment
designed for adults.

This article was taken from Woolard, J.L., Odgers, C., Lanza-Kaduce, L., & Daglis, H. International Journal of Forensic Mental Health, Volume 4, 2005, Pages 1-18.

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