Research Question
Narrowed Focus: How does untreated mental illness contribute to recidivism rates among juvenile offenders?
Concepts to Explore:
Juvenile Offenders:
Juvenile offenders are people who have not yet reached the age of 18 and who are perpetrators of criminal activity. This population category is subjected to special legal procedures and measures adapted to their development and other peculiarities, which, as a rule, differ substantially from those applied to adults. According to Feld (2017), overall, the justice system brings juvenile offenders to trial with the goal of rehabilitation, not just punishment (Underwood & Washington, 2016). This view suggests potential development and change in young people’s behavioural and psychological orientations; thus, the approach is tending toward rehabilitation into useful and productive members of society rather than confinement with measures that do not touch the causes of criminal behaviour.
Mental Illness:
A mental illness is a very broad spectrum of psychological conditions through which an individual greatly affects the person’s emotions, cognitive functions, and behaviour. According to the American Psychiatric Association (2013), these disorders manifest a variety of symptoms that interfere with the person’s ability to function effectively in his social, occupational, or family settings. They could be mild to serious and include disorders such as depression, anxiety, bipolar disorders, and schizophrenia (Fazel et al., 2008). Each of these conditions will have unique symptoms and treatment pathways, and the impact is often quite profound, affecting daily living, relationships, and the ability to meet life’s demands and responsibilities.
Recidivism:
Recidivism is a behaviour where a reformed convict still goes back to criminal acts. This re-engagement in criminal activities poses a big challenge to criminal justice, which orients the approach of reforming convicts and ensuring public safety. Mears and Cochran (2015) define recidivism as recurring unwanted behaviours despite either the experience of the unwanted consequences of the same or efforts through corrective training aimed at behaviour modification. Patterns of recidivism critically depend on factors such as the type of original offence, the social and economic circumstances of the individual, and the availability and effectiveness of rehabilitative interventions. Recidivism is important for the establishment of more effective policies in criminal justice that pay attention not only to punishment but also to get at the root of the matters that prop up issues such as substance abuse, mental health disorders, and socio-economic barriers that tend to enhance criminal behaviour.
Literature Review: Themes and Research Findings:
Prevalence of Mental Illness among Juvenile Offenders:
The rate of mental illness among juvenile offenders is remarkably higher than the rate found in youths who are not offenders, and therefore, this group is essentially very vulnerable. Teplin et al. (2002) and Wasserman et al. (2002) provide sufficient evidence to indicate that juvenile offenders are likely to present symptoms of diverse psychiatric disorders (Garland et al., 2001). This greater prevalence strongly indicates that juvenile justice systems should use integrated mental health services for the proper treatment of these causative problems.
Among these psychological disorders, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), conduct disorder, and depression are very common among juvenile offenders. Persistent patterns of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity characterize ADHD. These symptoms may complicate how the youth will adhere to societal rules and regulations, and thus, they often result in problem behaviours that intersect with legal violations (McCoy & Keen, 2014). Conduct disorder is the repetitive, persistent pattern of behaviour characterized by basic rights violations towards others or major age-appropriate societal norms. Symptoms include aggression toward people and animals, destruction of property, deceitfulness or theft, and serious rule violations.
Depression is highly comorbid in juvenile offenders, often goes unrecognized, and remains untreated, leaving them more vulnerable to recidivism. Depression in youth can be expressed atypically; instead of being sullen, the juvenile may be irritable, aggressive, or self-destructive, and any of these modes may lead to criminal acts, either as a direct expression of their emotional pain or as a cry for help.
This intersecting landscape of these mental health issues with juvenile offending implicates the necessity of a two-pronged approach in juvenile justice: one which provides for legal supervision and the other of robust psychological support. This would then take into account the prevailing behavioural problems and consider the long-term mental health and emotional well-being of the offender, an important aspect towards successful reintegration and reduction in recidivism (Ryan et al., 2013). Therefore, comprehensive mental health assessments and matched interventions must be integral in juvenile justice systems for the mitigation of such challenges.
Impact of Mental Health on Recidivism:
Mental health among young offenders is such a sensitive point of reference in the criminal justice system. Untreated mental illnesses tend to escalate the chances of reoffending. This is largely because the individual might get incapacitated by the mental health disorders and not be able to cope with the conditions in society as well as the pressures life exerts, hence leading to higher relapses in criminal behaviour (Kazdin, 2005; Shufelt & Cocozza, 2006). Juveniles with untreated mental health problems are commonly ill-equipped to deal with the stress of reintegration, so the cycle of reoffending may be more likely to continue.
This would then call for a focused intervention that centres on addressing the mental health needs of these offenders to bring down the recidivism rates. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) has been considered highly effective among therapeutic interventions. CBT involves changing the thought processes and behaviours that maintain an individual’s disorder to diminish behaviours likely to bring about recidivism. Besides, comprehensive rehabilitation programs that treat mental health in line with education and vocational training may develop the skills and support necessary for reentry into society (Lipsey et al., 2010).
Other successful strategies involve trauma-informed care, where the effect of traumatic experiences on a person’s behaviour and mental well-being is considered (Vincent et al., 2008). Many youthful offenders have experienced trauma, and treatments targeting those experiences have been very effective in reducing recidivism rates. Such programs incorporate safety, choice, collaboration, trustworthiness, and empowerment; each matched to experience and need.
Family-based interventions are also going to be critical. This might involve working with the juvenile and his family to improve the quality of communication, resolve conflicts, and meet the family’s overall needs. An improved home environment and family dynamics reduce the chances of juvenile reoffending (Mulvey & Schubert, 2012).
Systemic Challenges in Addressing Mental Health Needs:
Huge resource gaps, few trained personnel, and very rampant systemic stigma are some of the major barriers in treating mental health issues with juvenile offenders within the system of juvenile justice, all combining to give less than the optimal results for these youths.
In this regard, the case involves deep-seated scarcities. Most juvenile justice facilities are ill-equipped with the necessary infrastructural equipment that support full mental health service delivery, and they are often underfunded. Scarcity in this regard translates to a lack of mental health assessments, limited treatment, and no follow-up care; all these are integral components of mental health intervention. The impact is far-reaching in that, often, young offenders are not treated for their mental health under custody and are unsupported after release, and this brings with it high levels of reoffending.
Moreover, the system significantly lacks well-trained staff. It is only in some of the juvenile justice settings that you might come across psychologists, psychiatrists, or any other trained mental health professionals (Steinberg, 2008). This is what further cripples the reach of this system to effectively carry out full-fledged mental health assessments and deliver long-term therapy, which is so important for the treatment of complex behavioural issues and disorders. Specialized skilled staff critical in managing and handling juvenile offenders’ mental health needs are hard to maintain.
Finally, the big barrier is that of systemic stigma around mental health issues. The stigma often related to juvenile delinquency, in the context of mental illness, is not only that laid by society but often built into the justice system (Redding, 2008). Shame, therefore, often translates into an unwillingness of the staff and management to recognize or pay heed to health care mental care in this instance, thus making sure that a minor so affected receives little, if any, treatment and support. It can also subject the youths themselves to stigmatization, deter them from getting the help they need or from disclosing the issues they are undergoing concerning their mental health.
Systemic change in terms of scaling up the funding of resources for mental health, the initiation to support the training of all staff in juvenile justice facilities, and broad campaigns against stigma within the system and the larger society will be core in addressing these systemic challenges. Create a more rehabilitative, supportive environment for the juvenile offender who has mental health needs.
Analysis and Discussion
The infusion of mental health treatment in the juvenile justice system is not only clinically necessary but also a vital societal imperative. Various studies have clearly illustrated that when proper attention is given to the mental health needs of youth offenders, the rate of recidivism drops dramatically (Skowyra & Cocozza, 2006). Reducing the rate of recidivism is one key to helping to create safer communities and better outcomes for these young people.
Reduced Recidivism Rates
Intervention here spans a broad scope of mental health practices: cognitive-behavioural therapy, family-based interventions, and trauma-informed care, among others, that target psychological and emotional problems that could predispose juveniles to crime. Such intervention helps youthful offenders build skills to cope with life challenges without getting involved in criminal offences by addressing the root causes of behaviour problems, not the symptoms. For example, cognitive-behavioural therapy helps a person change or control unhealthy patterns of thought and behaviour common among criminals, thus reducing the chance that the individual might re-offend.
Besides, personalized therapeutic interventions in a person’s mental health needs increase their general psychological well-being, which may lower the chances of relapse into criminal behaviour. In the criminal justice system, such targeted support helps juveniles integrate back into society with better mental health status, hence reducing the likelihood of reoffending and breaking the cycle of crime.
Social Benefits
The benefits realized at a societal level from adopting holistic approaches to mental health gain their significance not only from the reduction in recidivism. While the level of repeat offending declines and the community becomes safer, the economic costs will likely diminish in policing, trials, and incarceration. Effective mental health care will also reduce strain on the criminal justice system by diverting those with treatable mental health problems out of prisons and into the necessary therapeutic programs that may render them care.
Individual Benefits
At the individual level, mental health interventions are very good. In most instances, the young offenders have very many problems and are likely to have suffered traumas that caused their behaviour. Such individuals, therefore, benefit from being able to access mental health services by getting a chance to work on trauma, past emotional problems, and bad behaviour, as well as developing better ways to handle situations. This assistance enhances their functioning in society, their educational and vocational opportunities and overall life trajectories ultimately improve (Grisso & Barnum, 2006).
Enhanced Rehabilitation Outcome
Effective mental health care for juvenile justice systems will ensure better rehabilitation outcomes as it will address issues emanating from the symptoms and causes of criminal behavior. This is likely to translate to successful reentry into society, school, employment, and healthy relationships for the youth in those facilities. The improved outcomes are beneficial not only to the individual but also to their communities, positively motivated by more engaged and constructive participation.
Conclusion
From the existing literature, it therefore emerges that mental health interventions play the lead in reducing the rates of recidivism among juvenile delinquents. Apart from reducing the chances of an individual reoffending, catering to mental health needs raises the general safety and well-being of society. Effective mental health care services in the juvenile justice system translate to better rehabilitation outcomes and the life trajectories of these young individuals. This should place comprehensive mental health services as a mandate to the juvenile justice system and public policy. This is, therefore, not just beneficial but rather mandatory. Attention to the guarantee of health care ensures a more humane approach to juvenile offenders and, therefore, forms the bedrock of social peace and safety. Enforcing such policies will make the juvenile justice system more effective in rehabilitating the members of society toward healthier, positive growth.
References
American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.). Washington, DC: Author.
Fazel, S., Doll, H., & Långström, N. (2008). Mental disorders among adolescents in juvenile detention and correctional facilities: A systematic review and meta-regression analysis of 25 surveys. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 47(9), 1010-1019.
Feld, B. C. (2017). Juvenile Justice Administration in a Nutshell. St. Paul, MN: West Academic.
Garland, A. F., Hough, R. L., McCabe, K. M., Yeh, M., Wood, P. A., & Aarons, G. A. (2001). Prevalence of psychiatric disorders in youths across five sectors of care. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 40(4), 409-418.
Grisso, T., & Barnum, R. (2006). Massachusetts Youth Screening Instrument-second version: User’s manual and technical report. Worcester, MA: University of Massachusetts Medical School.
Howell, J. C. (2003). Preventing and reducing juvenile delinquency: A comprehensive framework. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Kazdin, A. E. (2005). Parent management training: Treatment for oppositional, aggressive, and antisocial behaviour in children and adolescents. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Lipsey, M. W., Howell, J. C., Kelly, M. R., Chapman, G., & Carver, D. (2010). Improving the effectiveness of juvenile justice programs: A new perspective on evidence-based practice. Centre for Juvenile Justice Reform.
McCoy, M. L., & Keen, S. M. (2014). Child and adolescent behavioural health: A resource for advanced practice psychiatric and primary care practitioners in nursing. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.
Mears, D. P., & Cochran, J. C. (2015). Prisoner reentry in the era of mass incarceration. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications.
Mulvey, E. P., & Schubert, C. A. (2012). Transfer of juveniles to adult court: Effects of a broad policy in one court. Juvenile Justice Bulletin.
Redding, R. E. (2008). Juvenile transfer laws: An effective deterrent to delinquency? Juvenile Justice Bulletin.
Ryan, J. P., Williams, A. B., & Courtney, M. E. (2013). Adolescent neglect, juvenile delinquency and the risk of recidivism. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 42(3), 454-465.
Shufelt, J. L., & Cocozza, J. J. (2006). Youth with mental health disorders in the juvenile justice system: Results from a multi-state prevalence study. Delmar, NY: National Center for Mental Health and Juvenile Justice.
Skowyra, K. R., & Cocozza, J. J. (2006). Blueprint for change: A comprehensive model for the identification and treatment of youth with mental health needs in contact with the juvenile justice system. Policy Research Associates, Inc.
Steinberg, L. (2008). Adolescence. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
Teplin, L. A., Abram, K. M., McClelland, G. M., Dulcan, M. K., & Mericle, A. A. (2002). Psychiatric disorders in youth in juvenile detention. Archives of General Psychiatry, 59(12), 1133-1143.
Underwood, L. A., & Washington, A. (2016). Mental illness and juvenile offenders. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 13(2), 228.
Vincent, G. M., Grisso, T., Terry, A., & Banks, S. (2008). Sex and race differences in mental health symptoms in juvenile justice: The MAYSI-2 national meta-analysis. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 47(3), 282-290.
Wasserman, G. A., McReynolds, L. S., Lucas, C. P., Fisher, P., & Santos, L. (2002). The voice DISC-IV with incarcerated male youths: Prevalence of disorder. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 41(3), 314-321.
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