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We Need to Address Mental, Behavioral Health in Kids Who Land in Justice System [JJIE.org]

 

The juvenile justice system as originally conceived was based on the idea that young people who came into conflict with the law should be given the opportunity for reflection and reform. The earliest places of juvenile confinement were intended to rehabilitate young people, and help them become productive members of society.

Over time, particularly in the 1990s, juvenile justice came to focus more on retribution and punishment. Kids were placed out of home for longer periods in increasingly restrictive settings, and catch phrases like: “Do an adult crime, serve adult time” became the norm among policymakers who wanted to be responsive to communities fearful of these new young so-called “superpredators.”



[For more of this story, written by Marie Williams, go to http://jjie.org/2017/05/22/we-...d-in-justice-system/]

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Hi Rick - in Lancaster County, PA, we have just trained over 400 corrections officers and parole officers about trauma, ACEs, resilience, vicarious trauma and have started the conversation about what a trauma-informed criminal justice system could look like. Here's a link to an article about what we're working on here - we're in the very early stages, but are greatly encouraged by the positive responses so far to providing this training to our CJ professionals.  http://lancasteronline.com/new...08-8f12e2682c1f.html

We used a curriculum developed by SAMHSA specifically for CJ professionals. You could find out whether there are SAMHSA certified trainers in your area who could provide this training on their website at: 

https://www.samhsa.gov/gains-c...ator/trauma-trainers

Hope this is helpful!

Hi, Rick:

Yep, I think that many people in law enforcement and corrections grew up in ACE-heavy households. I'm glad that you're healing!

There's quite a bit going on in law enforcement. Kansas City is one of the leaders -- https://www.pacesconnection.com/...sas-city-marc-update

Also SAMHSA's GAINS Center is doing work with criminal justice -- https://www.samhsa.gov/gains-center

Cheers, Jane

"To Punish a man, You must Injure him; To Reform a man, you must Improve him; and men are Not Improved by Injuries."--George Bernard Shaw . I suspect the same would apply to a [young] Woman/Women, too!

I had worked in the Criminal justice system for almost 20 years. Anyone who can get a "Foot in that door" will need to come from the Top down. Which will take a miracle. I happen to think that , the SCIENCE OF ACE CAN BENIFIT every segment of the American Culture.  Especially this law enforcement culture which includes judges, parole and probation officers. This whole system needs a OVERHAUL because THE METHODS this part of the population are using ARE NOT WORKING.  Punishment does not work. I suffered terribly by a very macho-man and macho-woman culture. This group of Egomaniacs with a inferiority complex need a lot of help. Will ace ever penetrate this working group. The only reason I made it as far as I did because I was getting help at a personal level due to me becoming a  parent of two kids and I did not want to put my children through what torture I went through, then I learned from professionals that I wanted to break the cycle in this generation which has been a long journey. I started GETTING HELP in 0ctober of 1992. My precious daughter was born and seeing now I was going to be a father really  made me look at myself and start changing. Some professionals told me I outgrew the men and women in that type of work and how the were thinking and behaving among themselves. WOW it was a tough crew...much like the Military culture. The para-military culture ie LAW ENFORCEMENT most of my co workers grew up in very abusive family environments and fail or even desire to change themselves. My job was a training supervisor and when officers were becoming problematic with people in the community , like  use of force issues. The administration sent these adults back to me for remedial training most of the time it was there lack of SOCIAL SKILLS around Communication skills and Conflict resolutions skills......Most of them were problems with their family's and addiction problems etc etc etc.   This population need a lot of help. ANYBODY have any thoughts? of inroads from the ACE influence to this part of the culture?

 

Rick

Monday 05/22/17

 

 

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