Whether the revelation that the adolescent brain may be less mature than scientists had previously thought is ultimately a good thing, a bad thing, or a mixed blessing for young people remains to be seen. Some policymakers will use this evidence to argue in favor of restricting adolescents’ rights, and others will use it to advocate for policies that protect adolescents from harm. In either case, scientists should welcome the opportunity to inform policy discussions with the best available empirical evidence.
Definition: While similar to that of the adult criminal justice system in many ways—processes include arrest, detainment, petitions, hearings, adjudications, dispositions, placement, probation, and reentry—the juvenile justice process operates according to the premise that youth are fundamentally different from adults, both in terms of level of responsibility and potential for rehabilitation. 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.
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- Researchers investigated whether youth possessed protective factors and whether developmental change took place after contact with the juvenile justice system.
- This 7-page fact sheet delineates the path from complex trauma exposure to involvement in the juvenile justice system; describes the “survival-oriented coping” that youth adopt to manage their lives; and explores the many challenges these youth face in managing their emotions, physical responses, and impulses.
Presently, advocates for length of stay reform rely on two primary arguments: recidivism and costs of confinement.
Our aim in this essay is to examine the behavioral and neuroscience evidence that supports developmental immaturity of youthful offenders.
- “Percentage of youth in residential facilities for truancy, running away, or supervision violations increases … States send less than half as many youth to residential facilities as they did in the late 1990s, but new data from the Department of Justice’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention show that many juveniles in out-of-home placements were not confined for serious and violent crimes.”
Juvenile Mental Health Courts (JMHCs) provide case management and support to youth in the juvenile justice system with behavioral health needs.
- This publication highlights California’s successful efforts to build public higher education access for thousands of incarcerated and formerly incarcerated students, both in custody and on college campuses throughout the state.
A 9th grader charged with assault for a spitball. A 12 year old sentenced to life in prison. These are the types of cases that Elizabeth Cauffman has focused her career on.
Within the past decade, reliance on the juvenile justice system to meet the needs of juvenile offenders with mental health concerns has increased.
Juveniles and adults who sexually offend should be viewed as distinct populations. Tools to assess risk in juveniles are not yet validated and may serve to best inform treatment planning.
This document describes eleven screening tools designed to provide information about trauma in children and adolescents.