NCJ Number
242785
Date Published
April 2011
Length
18 pages
Annotation
This report examines alternatives to incarceration for adolescents diagnosed with mental illness.
Abstract
This report was authored by three agencies: Disability Rights Texas, the National Center for Youth Law, and Texas Appleseed. Using case studies of three youth placed in the Corsicana Residential Treatment Center, the report examines alternatives to incarceration for adolescents diagnosed with mental illness. The Corsicana Residential Treatment Center is a facility run by the Texas Youth Commission that is designed to house youth with serious mental illness or emotional disturbances. Using the stories of the three youths, the report shows how current treatment options utilized by Corsicana and other secure facilities fail to appropriately serve the needs of youth with complex mental illnesses. Several alternatives to treatment are highlighted in this section such as an improved system of care, the use of crisis intervention training for law enforcement, post-adjudication probation services, and deferred prosecution through specialized juvenile mental health courts. The report also highlights national models for alternatives to incarceration that have been implemented in other areas of the country. The final section of the report lists five recommendations concerning alternatives to incarceration for youth with mental illness: maintain community mental health services for children; expand commitment reduction program funding and expand the use of pre-adjudication diversion programs for youth with mental illness; close and consolidate Texas Youth Commission facilities and reinvest the savings in community-based services; ensure remaining facilities provide appropriate access to services for youth with specialized treatment needs; and incentivize research-based rehabilitation models.