Criminal Justice Policy Coalition
Juvenile Justice Concerns
The Juvenile Justice Concerns panel was moderated by Richard Barnum, MD, of the Citizens for Juvenile Justice Board. The panel included Michael Donnelly, Assistant District of Worcester County; Bradford Feltus, a private mental health /addiction counselor; David Wilcox, a Middlesex County Juvenile Court Clinic psychologist; and Howard Wolfe, Director of the New England Inhalant Abuse Prevention Coalition.
The panelists agreed that the vast majority of the subject population is high-risk children, a very small number of whom have genetic mental handicapping conditions. Indicators of “high-risk” are abusive homes and parental/community neglect. 95% of the children who come in contact with state systems come from at-or-below poverty environments. 90% are using substances. The children come from very diverse cultures, making communication with families more difficult. However, involving families substantively increases the success rate of intervention and treatment.
The state can use its police power in an attempt to gain the attention of that population at risk. However, court administered clinics cannot provide treatment, only assessment and consultations. The courts (and police) can also make diversion decisions. The ongoing issue is balancing voluntary programs with custody programs, as the facilities which involve custody are often filled with individuals exhibiting anti-social attitudes, not an environment of stability.
Panelists noted the importance of going to where the children are – schools and community centers – in order to increase the effectiveness of programs, which otherwise only capture children after they are in trouble. They also acknowledged that the simultaneous intervention of schools, courts and parents is the best approach to helping the subject population.