Stigmatization and Criminalization of Mental Illness
Mental illness continues to be criminalized in modern American society. While much research has been done on the role of mental illness in adult offenders, research on its role in juvenile offenders is minimal, thus translating into many structural flaws within the juvenile justice system.
Mental illness is not only stigmatized, but largely misunderstood as well.
Consequently, mentally ill youth who engage in criminal behavior are labeled as “dangerous” and “delinquent” and are sent to juvenile justice facilities, without regard to their mental health.
They are, therefore, directed toward a path of delinquency, rather than treatment to productively function in their communities.
Consequently, mentally ill youth who engage in criminal behavior are labeled as “dangerous” and “delinquent” and are sent to juvenile justice facilities, without regard to their mental health.
They are, therefore, directed toward a path of delinquency, rather than treatment to productively function in their communities.
Studies show that a significant portion of detained juveniles have one or more mental disorders, including affective disorder, substance abuse, and disruptive disorders (Grisso, 2008).
Mental illness can trigger the aggressive and impulsive behaviors youth that often result in their incarceration. The co-morbidity of many mental disorders (e.g. conduct disorder and ADHD) has been shown to increase the likelihood of chronic and repeated offending during adolescence. |
Despite the vast amount of literature that specifies mental illness as a major contributing factor of youth criminality, current policies do not allow consideration of mental health status during sentencing. For instance, the Extended Detention Act (EDA) enables two-year periods to be added on to a mentally-ill juvenile offender’s sentence as long as a jury determines that his/her dangerous behavior is difficult to control (Lemons, 2008).
This criminalization of mental illness reduces the availability of mental health services for incarcerated youth; they are punished, rather than treated and rehabilitated. Placement in the juvenile justice system is also often the go-to solution for maintaining the mentally-ill youth population as either an emergency care service or simply a holding place for disturbed youth who have nowhere else to go.
The overlap between a community’s population of youth with mental disorders and its population of juvenile offenders implicates the need of quality mental health services in the juvenile justice system as well as public child welfare agencies in the community.
Studies show that treatment can reduce symptoms and delinquency in youth with mental disorders. Rather than criminalizing mentally-ill youth, community care and aftercare programs (e.g. educational and social plans for reintegration, monitoring by probation officers) can reduce the rate of offense and recidivism. The juvenile justice system should also have the capacity to respond to mental health emergencies.
This criminalization of mental illness reduces the availability of mental health services for incarcerated youth; they are punished, rather than treated and rehabilitated. Placement in the juvenile justice system is also often the go-to solution for maintaining the mentally-ill youth population as either an emergency care service or simply a holding place for disturbed youth who have nowhere else to go.
The overlap between a community’s population of youth with mental disorders and its population of juvenile offenders implicates the need of quality mental health services in the juvenile justice system as well as public child welfare agencies in the community.
Studies show that treatment can reduce symptoms and delinquency in youth with mental disorders. Rather than criminalizing mentally-ill youth, community care and aftercare programs (e.g. educational and social plans for reintegration, monitoring by probation officers) can reduce the rate of offense and recidivism. The juvenile justice system should also have the capacity to respond to mental health emergencies.