The majority of young people in the American juvenile justice system have diagnosable mental illnesses, including substance abuse, mental retardation and learning disorders. However, these often remain undetected and untreated. In this book, a team of experts examines the prevalence of mental disorders in this population and describes the means of screening for, diagnosing, and treating them effectively in a developmentally appropriate, culturally sensitive manner. They also examine psychopharmacologic and psychotherapeutic approaches; innovative alternatives to detention; the true costs of detaining youth; vulnerability to self-incrimination; and the alarming trend of minority confinement. Their comprehensive coverage includes discussion of ethical dilemmas and the need for preventive strategies and integrated approaches involving judicial, law enforcement, educational, and mental health professionals. This book will be of interest to both mental health and juvenile justice professionals.

It has long been known that the pathway through the criminal justice system for those with mental health needs is fraught with difficulty. This interdisciplinary collection explores key issues in mental health, crime and criminal justice, including: offenders' rights; intervention designs; desistance; health-informed approaches to offending and the medical needs of offenders; psychological jurisprudence, and; collaborative and multi-agency practice. This volume draws on the knowledge of professionals and academics working in this field internationally, as well as the experience of service users. It offers a solution-focused response to these issues, and promotes both equality and quality of experience for service users. It will be essential reading for practitioners, scholars and students with an interest in forensic mental health and criminal justice.

It is well known that many children and adolescents entering the juvenile justice system suffer from serious mental disorders. Yet until now, few resources have been available to help mental health and juvenile justice professionals accurately identify the mental health needs of the youths in their care. Filling a crucial gap, this volume offers a practical primer on screening and assessment together with in-depth reviews of over 20 widely used instruments. Comprehensive and timely, it brings together leading experts to provide authoritative guidance in this challenging area of clinical practice. Grounded in extensive research and real world practical experience, this is an indispensable reference for clinical and forensic psychologists, social workers, and psychiatrists, as well as juvenile justice administrators and others who work with youths in the justice system. An informative resource for students, it is an ideal supplemental text for graduate-level courses.

1. Youth with mental health disorders in the juvenile justice system-- 2. The diagnosis of mental health disorders-- 3. The oppositional defiant disorder and conduct disorder-- 4. Mood disorders : major depression, dysthymic disorder and bipolar disorder-- 5. Attention-deficit - hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)-- 6. Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)-- 7. Developmental disorders : mental retardation, learning disorders and fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS)-- 8. Schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders-- 9. Substance use disorders : substance abuse and substance dependence-- 10. Co-occuring mental health and substance use disorders -- 11. Suicidal behaviour among juvenile offenders-- 12. Self-injurious behaviour among juvenile offenders-- 13. Screening and assessment of juvenile offenders with mental health disorders-- 14. Treatment of juvenile offenders with mental health disorders-- 15. Special issues 1 : minority youth, female offenders, homosexual youth-- 16. Special issues 2 : head trauma - neuropsychiatric factors, violence and mental illness, seclusion and restraint, malingering, staff training.

Adolescent Forensic Psychiatry discusses a broad range of issues based around the psychiatric needs of adolescents and how these relate to offending behaviour. Its well-structured approach looks at assessment, treatment and outcomes for different disorders and highlights the importance of effective interaction between specialist agencies. Services

Public Health Behind Bars From Prisons to Communities examines the burden of illness in the growing prison population, and analyzes the impact on public health as prisoners are released. This book makes a timely case for correctional health care that is humane for those incarcerated and beneficial to the communities they reenter.

Discover how to best provide effective mental health treatments for criminal offenders Prisons and jails are increasingly being filled with inmates who suffer from mental illness and need treatment. Mental Health Issues in the Criminal Justice System examines a wide range of the latest research and learned perspectives focusing on the intersection of mental health services and the criminal justice system. Top experts and academics discuss mental health treatment, its availability, it effectiveness, and just how cost effective it truly is to treat those in prisons and jails. This valuable text provides a broad interdisciplinary view of the topic and presents important qualitative and quantitative research of specific topics, such as the effectiveness of prisoner representatives, the causal link between incarceration and mental illness, and the expanding rates of correctional offenders with mental illness. Mental Health Issues in the Criminal Justice System discusses a wide range of pertinent topics focusing on the viability and functioning of mental health treatment models in prisons and jails. Recommendations on desired correctional mental health programs are presented, along with strategies to better provide therapeutic services. Respected experts provide practical suggestions on research that needs to be addressed in the future. The book is extensively referenced and includes several tables and figures to clearly present data. Other topics in Mental Health Issues in the Criminal Justice System include: the prevalence of mental illness in jails and prisons—and the duty society has to provide appropriate mental health treatment three components critical to the success of jail diversion programs ethics of doing research on prisoners an extended care community corrections model the experience of mitigation experts in first degree murder cases in the penalty phase of the trial the criminalization of the mentally ill because of fragmentation of mental health services correctional offenders with mental illness (OMIs)—and their differences from the general offender population the role of the helping alliance in juvenile probation settings and much more! Mental Health Issues in the Criminal Justice System is a timely, insightful text for anyone in the criminal justice or mental health fields, educators, graduate students, and upper-level undergraduate students.