Juveniles In The Juvenile Justice System

Over time, there has been extensive research done on juveniles in the justice system. The way to deal with mental illness is to identify and treat the disorder. According to the National Conference of State Legislation, studies show that 70% of juveniles in the system suffer from some form of mental disease or defect. About 20% of them suffer from an illness so severe that it can lead to ongoing delinquency and eventually criminality in adulthood. When our juvenile justice system takes a mentally ill, underdeveloped minor and puts them in jail instead of a treatment facility, it can only make the situation worse. Idaho, Nevada and Texas all have laws that require mental health and/or substance screenings for all juveniles taken into custody.
This is a very critical rule. Such laws should be implemented on a uniform basis throughout the United States. Adolescents involved in crime should always be handled in a unique way. The human brain does not stop developing until the early 20s, include mental disease and this can create a problem.