Youth Incarceration, Health, and Length of Stay

38 Pages Posted: 6 Feb 2018

See all articles by Thalia González

Thalia González

University of California Hastings College of Law ; Georgetown Law Center

Date Written: December 15, 2017

Abstract

For youth from marginalized communities, the pathway into the juvenile justice system occurs against a backdrop of disproportionately high levels of stress, complex trauma, and adverse childhood experiences. Despite overall reductions in the percentage of youth in confinement from recent state-level reforms, the lengths of stay for many youth often exceed evidence-based timelines, as well as a state's own guidelines and criteria. This occurs despite a large and growing body of empirical research that documents the health status of system-involved youth and the association between incarceration during adolescence and the range of subsequent health and mental health outcomes in adulthood. Presently, advocates for length of stay reform rely on two primary arguments: recidivism and costs of confinement. This Article argues that this framing misses a critical component, as a better understanding of the linkages between length of stay, health, and mental health are essential for achieving the foundational goals of the juvenile justice system--i.e., rehabilitation, decreased recidivism, and improved community reintegration. Through an examination of juvenile sentencing typologies, release decision-making, and empirical research on the health and mental health needs of at-risk and system-involved youth, this Article aims to fill this gap and expand current lines of debate, discourse, and advocacy.

Keywords: juvenile justice, health, length of stay, incarceration, adverse childhood experiences, trauma, reform

Suggested Citation

González, Thalia, Youth Incarceration, Health, and Length of Stay (December 15, 2017). Fordham Urban Law Journal, Vol. XLV, 2017, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3109023

Thalia González (Contact Author)

University of California Hastings College of Law ( email )

200 McAllister St
San Francisco, CA 94102
United States

HOME PAGE: http://https://www.uchastings.edu/people/thalia-gonzalez/

Georgetown Law Center ( email )

Washington, DC
United States

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