http://www.abanet.org/crimjust/juvjus/cjmag/15-1sg.htmlThis article by Stacey Gurian-Sherman was very interesting.
Includes:
The overuse and misuse of detention and residential placements"The stark realities of detention facilities traumatize children who have great promise for rehabilitation. Those who enter detention facilities without mental health issues are being diagnosed with depression, attachment disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, and other emotional disorders as a direct result of their incarceration."
"Probation officers and residential staff are not required to receive behavioral or mental health training. The great majority do not understand treatment modalities, which require an understanding that children who are improving nonetheless will commit transgressions. They employ uniform punishment instead of graduated sanctions. They also do not understand the dangers of indiscriminately labeling children. For instance, "arsonist" is applied equally without distinction to the child who prankishly lights a piece of paper in a trash can as well as the child who carefully plans the ignition of a mattress. Both children are now "difficult to place" with a community-based service provider, group home, and even a residential treatment center.
Children become known as "difficult to place" by virtue of repeated violations, detentions, or indiscriminate classifications. Prolonged detention then is excused by the difficulty in finding placement. This situation worsens when children with mental health needs are sent to inappropriate placements, such as youth centers. These juvenile boot camps with their behavior modification approaches present an appealing option for probation officers with overwhelming caseloads and insufficient resources."
"When placement fails for a youth, that failure becomes ammunition for probation officers to justify a return to detention facilities for yet another prolonged period of detention. The kids become "state grown," only able to manage their behavior while institutionalized and thoroughly unequipped to return to a productive life in the community. In Maryland, these children are released back to the community, where almost three out of four will commit a new offense. Older juveniles are recommended for waiver to adult court by the same probation officers who did not have the expertise or wherewithal to provide appropriate placement. Exasperated, they give up on these "failed" youth."
"Remedy: alternatives to detention Too many children are detained who can and should be under home supervision, including those with emotional and behavioral problems and mental health diagnoses. Even when detention is warranted at the time of a child's intake, continued detention must be reviewed. A parent's initial unwillingness to have a child returned may be predicated on a belief that giving the child "a taste of jail" is beneficial or that the detention facility will provide needed mental health treatment. Such beliefs are common but unfounded. The need for detention must be reviewed at the detention hearing, adjudication, and disposition, with the child's lawyer taking a vigorous role in presenting evidence. A parent may be willing for the child to return or factors initially justifying detention can be mitigated by wraparound services and supervision."
The length of the full text is at
http://www.abanet.org/crimjust/juvjus/cjmag/15-1sg.html
