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Most Juvenile Inmates Need Therapy, Not Jail Time
Two-thirds of the youth currently incarcerated in the U.S. have at least one mental illness. It’s clear to psychiatrists, judges, and even prison guards that these kids are more in need of therapy than jail time. So why are they behind bars? The reason is simple: money.
According to a chilling piece in the New York Times, juvenile offenders with mental illnesses are increasingly being shuttled into the jail system because of cuts to community mental health programs. Often, judges find that the only way for a youth to get the psychiatric treatment he needs is in jail. The evident problem is that numerous juvenile jails are notorious for providing inadequate care, and even, in some cases, fostering an atmosphere of violence and abuse.
It’s not surprising that recidivism is high in facilities that provide inadequate mental health care. Take the case of 16-year-old Donald, who began serving a six-month sentence for breaking and entering when he was 14. Although the judge who sentenced Donald knew he’d been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and other mental health problems, he felt jail was the only place for Donald to get the residential psychiatric treatment he needed. But two years later, Donald is still in jail; his term has repeatedly been increased because of his transgressions, such as attacking a guard.
Donald, like many mentally ill juvenile offenders, takes a cocktail of psychiatric medications. According to the Times, “A decade ago, it was rare to find juvenile offenders on two psychotropic drugs at once….Now, many take three or four at a time, often for nonprescribed uses like helping the youths sleep.”
As the debate over health care rages, Congress must consider the plight of youths like Donald. I can’t say for certain that a single-payer system would help him get the care he needed–and therefore protect the potential victims of his violent outbursts–but it certainly couldn’t be worse than what passes for mental heath care in this country today.
Photo: New York Times
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patricia commented on Aug 12 09 at 10:53 amIt’s not as simple as a lack of funds, though. Most kids who get into the system are there because they committed crimes, and “the public” (as distinct from individuals who can see the nuances) prefers that children that are perceived as criminals be locked up. So there is not public support for funding treatment for these kids, many of whom may have learning disabilities, history of abuse, and substance abuse problems on top of being mentally ill. Because funding for treatment of perceived criminals is not generally favored by the people, politicians tend not to support those kinds of programs. You can imagine the backlash if a single-payer medical system contains provisions providing mental health care to juvenile offenders, but grandma has to take a pill instead of get a pacemaker (to use a popular hyperbolic example)(NOTE: NOT DISCUSSING PROS AND CONS OF HEALTH CARE REFORM). Public sentiment tends to prefer simply locking the kids up, even as studies often show that treatment offers lower recidivism rates and would be more cost-effective.
My sister is a mental health administrator for a state juvenile justice program, so I’m kind of familiar with some of these issues. It’s a thorny problem.
Marj commented on Aug 12 09 at 9:35 pmThis is all Reagan’s fault.
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