Why focus on mental health?
More than two million youth under the age of 18 are arrested each year, and more than 100,000 of these youth are in placement in juvenile detention and correction facilities on any given day. About 70 percent of youth in contact with the juvenile justice system have a mental health disorder and approximately 25 percent experience serious mental health problems. A significant proportion of these youth also have substance use disorders (NCMHJJ, 2006). All four of the selected Models for Change states identified mental health as a priority of their juvenile justice reform efforts. For these reasons, mental health was selected as the focus of this action network because it continues to be among the greatest challenges in developing a more effective juvenile justice system.
