Rehabilitating the Juvenile Justice System
Running head: REHABILITATING THE JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM
Rehabilitating the Juvenile Justice System
[ ]Abstract
Research indicates that youth with disabilities are over-represented in the juvenile justice system. Although The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) has provisions related to the juvenile justice system, high proportions of youth are never screened and therefore never get identified as having a disability. By diverting youth with disabilities to treatment facilities, the system can address the problems that precipitated their detention and reduce the probability of recidivism. Planning for transition back into the community should begin the moment a child enters the juvenile system. Transitional assistance should involve family, educators, and behavioral health professionals. The system was created with rehabilitation in mind and with a little rehabilitation of its own it can return to its original roots.
Rehabilitating the Juvenile Justice System Juvenile crime is a serious concern that is shared by the general public as well as state, local, and federal officials. The birthplace of the juvenile court can be traced back to Chicago in 1899 where it was created to address the needs of young offenders by diverting them from the destructive punishments of the adult criminal court system. The juvenile court was established with the specific purpose of encouraging rehabilitation based on the individual juvenile’s needs. By design the court was to focus on the offender’s need of assistance, not the actual crime that brought him before the court. It is estimated that at least forty percent of incarcerated youth have a diagnosable learning disability. It is also well established that the majority of youth who enter the juvenile justice system have higher rates of diagnosable mental health disorders than youth in the general population. In one study of first offenders, ninety-three percent had at least one DSM-V diagnosis,
Rehabilitating the Juvenile Justice System
[ ]Abstract
Research indicates that youth with disabilities are over-represented in the juvenile justice system. Although The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) has provisions related to the juvenile justice system, high proportions of youth are never screened and therefore never get identified as having a disability. By diverting youth with disabilities to treatment facilities, the system can address the problems that precipitated their detention and reduce the probability of recidivism. Planning for transition back into the community should begin the moment a child enters the juvenile system. Transitional assistance should involve family, educators, and behavioral health professionals. The system was created with rehabilitation in mind and with a little rehabilitation of its own it can return to its original roots.
Rehabilitating the Juvenile Justice System Juvenile crime is a serious concern that is shared by the general public as well as state, local, and federal officials. The birthplace of the juvenile court can be traced back to Chicago in 1899 where it was created to address the needs of young offenders by diverting them from the destructive punishments of the adult criminal court system. The juvenile court was established with the specific purpose of encouraging rehabilitation based on the individual juvenile’s needs. By design the court was to focus on the offender’s need of assistance, not the actual crime that brought him before the court. It is estimated that at least forty percent of incarcerated youth have a diagnosable learning disability. It is also well established that the majority of youth who enter the juvenile justice system have higher rates of diagnosable mental health disorders than youth in the general population. In one study of first offenders, ninety-three percent had at least one DSM-V diagnosis,