NCJ Number
54682
Date Published
1976
Length
13 pages
Annotation
THE IMPORTANCE OF IMPROVING AND EXPANDING MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES FOR VIOLENT JUVENILES IS DISCUSSED, AND THE PROGRAM IN NEW YORK FOR VIOLENT MENTALLY ILL OFFENDERS IS DESCRIBED.
Abstract
VIOLENT BEHAVIOR AND MENTAL ILLNESS FREQUENTLY ARE PERCEIVED AS SYNONYMOUS. THE ASSUMPTION HELD BY THE GENERAL POPULATION, POLICYMAKERS, AND MANY MENTAL HEALTH AND CRIMINAL/JUVENILE JUSTICE PROFESSIONALS IS THAT MOST PEOPLE WHO COMMIT VIOLENT ACTS ARE SEVERELY MENTALLY DISORDERED. STUDIES OF ADULT POPULATIONS, HOWEVER, HAVE SHOWN THAT VERY FEW MENTALLY ILL OR CRIMINALLY INSANE PERSONS ARE VIOLENT AND THAT THE RATE OF MENTAL ILLNESS IS APPARENTLY NOT MORE FREQUENT IN CRIMINALS THAN IN THE GENERAL POPULATION. A PILOT PROGRAM EXCLUSIVELY FOR THE CARE AND TREATMENT OF MALE ADJUDICATED JUVENILE DELINQUENTS DETERMINED TO BE BOTH VIOLENT AND MENTALLY ILL HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED IN NEW YORK. TWO PROGRAM COMPONENTS ARE A 10-BED SECURE UNIT THAT PROVIDES SHORT-TERM INPATIENT DIAGNOSTIC, STABILIZATION, AND EMERGENCY SERVICES AND A 20-BED SECURE UNIT THAT IS THE LONG-TERM TREATMENT UNIT FOR MALE JUVENILE DELINQUENTS REQUIRING SUCH TREATMENT. THE TREATMENT APPROACH IS IMPLEMENTED BY THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF MENTAL HYGIENE AND THE STATE DIVISION FOR YOUTH. REFERRAL TO THE PROGRAM CAN COME FROM ANY OF SEVERAL SOURCES, INCLUDING FAMILY COURTS, THE PROBATION DEPARTMENT, AND THE DIVISION FOR YOUTH. TO BE ADMITTED, A JUVENILE MUST HAVE DISPLAYED VIOLENT BEHAVIOR AND BE IN NEED OF PSYCHIATRIC TREATMENT. THE COST OF THE PROGRAM IS ABOUT $2.1 MILLION, AND THE MAXIMUM NUMBER OF JUVENILES HOUSED IS 30. DATA ARE BEING COLLECTED ON THE FUNCTIONING AND BEHAVIOR OF JUVENILES PARTICIPATING IN THE PROGRAM IN ORDER TO EVALUATE THE PROGRAM'S EFFECTIVENESS. THE DIVERSION OF VIOLENT JUVENILES INTO MENTAL HEALTH PROGRAMS MAY BE APPROPRIATE AND EFFECTIVE FOR SOME JUVENILES, BUT THE ASSUMPTION MUST NOT BE MADE THAT ALL VIOLENT JUVENILES ARE MENTALLY ILL. REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (DEP)