Did You Know? Youth Incarceration in Adult Jails Harms Mental Health  

Did you know that youth held in adult facilities are more likely to die by suicide, suffer physical and sexual abuse, and experience psychological trauma than their peers held in facilities designed for youth?

About two-thirds of youth in the justice system have at least one diagnosable mental health disorder, according to an OJJDP Model Programs Guide literature review. Confining youth in adult jails can exacerbate these and other existing mental health problems.

The Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDPA), signed into law on September 7, 1974, prohibits youth from being placed in adult jails and lockups or having contact with incarcerated adults. The 2018 reauthorization of the JJDPA reinforced and strengthened these core requirements. 

Recently, OJJDP awarded $4 million  under the FY 2024 Juvenile Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program to support collaborations between juvenile justice and mental health agencies to treat youth in the justice system who have mental illness or co-occurring mental illness and substance use disorders.

To learn more about the JJDPA and core requirements, visit our webpage.

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