Juvenile Justice

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Page last updated: 05/19/08

[Note:  A comprehensive list of resources by “issue area" is available for staff of all P&A Agencies by clicking on the “TASC” link on the home page of this website, and then selecting “Issue Areas” from the list along the left margin.]

Children with disabilities are over-represented in the juvenile justice system. It is estimated that as many as 75 percent of the youth in juvenile correctional facilities have a disability, including mental retardation, mental illness, and physical disabilities.

Many schools are unnecessarily referring children with special education needs to law enforcement and the juvenile court system. Children with disabilities often find themselves in contact with law enforcement officers, prosecutors, probation offciers, and judges often lack the training to understand the special needes of children with disabilities. Juvenile detention and correctional facilities typically are ill-equipped to provide the special education, mental health, and related services for juveniles with disabilities.

Early intervention, prevention, and diversion are the key strategies for addressing these problems. NDRN staff members provide training, technical assistance, and a forum for information sharing along the entire continuum of advocacy services to protect the rights of children with disabilities -- including collaboration among systems of care, monitoring conditions of confinement, abuse and neglect investigations, and discharge planning.

Note: One or more documents on this page may require Acrobat Reader, which is free and can be downloaded from: http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html

Protection & Advocacy for Juvenile Justice (PAJJ) – The Need for a Federal P&A JJ Program

Education on Lockdown: The Schoolhouse to Jailhouse Track (Advance Project, et al. March 2005)

Guidebook for Juvenile Justice and Child Welfare System Coordination and Integration: A Framework for Improved Outcomes, Janet Wiig with John A. Tuell (Child Welfare League of America 2004)

Addressing the Needs of Youth with Disabilities in the Juvenile Justice system: The Current State of Knowledge, Daniel P. Mears & Laudan Y. Aron (Urban Institute, Justice Policy Center 11/01/2003)

DERAILED! The Schoolhouse to Jailhouse Track, Judith Browne (Advancement Project May 2003)

Mental Health, Schools and Families Working Together for All Children and Youth: Toward a Shared Agenda ,” A Concept Paper prepared by NASMHPD & NASDSE (2002)

Less Cost, More Safety: Guiding Lights for Reform in Juvenile Justice, Richard A. Mendel (American Youth Policy Forum June 2001)