NCJ Number
152143
Journal
American Jails Volume: 7 Issue: 5 Dated: (November-December 1993) Pages: 21-22
Date Published
1993
Length
2 pages
Annotation
A 1993 meeting of the State Policy Design Academy brought representatives from Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, New York, and Virginia together to address the needs of mentally ill youth in the juvenile justice system.
Abstract
Participants included family members of juveniles with mental illness; heads of State agencies representing juvenile justice, mental health, education, and drug abuse; and representatives of the governor's office and legislature. The group focused on designing statewide services responsive to the mental health needs of youth in the juvenile justice system by developing a vision statement, goals, and a plan of action. The Georgia group agreed on the goal of providing one-stop shopping for youth and families to end the current complicated system for obtaining treatment and related services. Another goal is to divert mentally ill youth from the justice system to the mental health system, when appropriate, through proper screening and referral upon admission. The National Coalition for the Mentally Ill in the Criminal Justice System plans to hold a followup session with the five participating States in the fall of 1993 to put their plans into final form. An American Jail Association (AJA) survey revealed that mentally ill offenders are among the top three issues for jail managers; AJA will continue to work with the National Coalition on this issue.