People with mental illness are overrepresented in the ranks of those in the U.S. behind bars. A new report from the Urban Institute compiles the numbers, as well as documents how little is known about the most efficient and productive ways to treat mentally ill people who are locked up. More than half—56 percent—of those […]
Incarcerated or formerly incar.
Juvenile Justice Reform in Connecticut: How Collaboration and Commitment Have Improved Public Safety and Outcomes for Youth
Over the past two decades, a tremendous volume of new knowledge has emerged about causes of adolescent delinquency and the effective responses. Through research and policy experimentation, scholars and practitioners have proven that several new approaches significantly improve outcomes for youth who become involved in delinquency, thereby enhancing public safety and saving taxpayers’ money. These advances provide public officials with […]
Applying Proven Strategies to Reduce Racial & Ethnic Disparities in the Juvenile Justice System
This webinar was offered to states participating in the initiative “Improving Diversion Policies and Programs for Justice Involved Youth with Co-Occurring Mental Health and Substance Abuse Disorders: An Integrated Policy Academy/Action Network Initiative.” This initiative is an effort to increase the number of youth with co-occurring mental and substance use disorders diverted out of the […]
Safe and Successful Youth Initiative: Violence Prevention Program for Youth
Youth violence presents significant challenges across the U.S., disrupts communities and economic development, increases health care costs, and decreases property values—not to mention the human impact. In 2010, Massachusetts was the most violent state in the Northeast—the MA Public Health Council reported 1,667 homicide victims between 2001 and 2010, with nearly 40 percent of them […]
Incorporating Racial Equity into Criminal Justice Reform
This briefing paper has reviewed trends in racial disparity in the criminal justice system, identified its causes, and presented a selection of best practices from past reforms. Criminal sentencing for racial minorities – both in its vast scale and its disproportionate rate relative to whites – has been harmful to public safety and damaging to communities of color. […]
The Art of Yoga Project for Incarcerated Adolescent Girls
Because incarcerated teen girls warrant age-appropriate, gender-specific and culturally sensitive rehabilitative services, AYP has developed an innovative gender-responsive intervention that combines yoga and creative art. An overwhelming number of incarcerated teen girls are victims themselves, caught in cycles of violence and abuse. Nationally, 70 to 90 percent of girls in the juvenile justice system have […]