Drug and Alcohol Involvement Among Minority and Female Juvenile Offenders: Treatment and Policy Issues

• NCJ Number: 205651
• Journal: Criminal Justice Policy Review Volume: 15 Issue: 1 Dated: March 2004 Pages: 3-36
• Author(s): Steven Belenko; Jane B. Sprott; Courtney Petersen
• Date Published: March 2004
• Length: 34 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

Based on a literature review, this article examines the impact of drug and alcohol use on the juvenile justice system's processing of girls and minorities, discusses the need for and obstacles to substance abuse treatment and related services for these populations, and offers suggestions for increased access to more effective programs.

Abstract

From 1989 to 1998, the number of drug law violation cases processed by U.S. juvenile courts increased 148 percent to 192,500 cases. From 1989 to 1998, court cases that involved liquor law violations increased 29 percent to 19,600 cases. Females and minorities have been particularly affected by substance use, punitive juvenile justice laws and policies, and the lack of effective prevention and treatment interventions. Girls are a rapidly growing segment of the juvenile justice population, and most young female offenders have some substance involvement. Minority overrepresentation occurs at all stages of the juvenile justice system. Once in the juvenile justice system, minority youth are treated more severely, and minority drug offenders in particular are at increased risk of formal processing, detention, and custody placement. In order to break this cycle of substance use, delinquency, and chronic recidivism, more attention must be paid to implementing effective treatment and prevention programs within the juvenile justice system. Currently, access to prevention and treatment services is limited, and access to gender specific and culturally specific interventions is even rarer. This article recommends that juveniles be given comprehensive assessments to identify substance abuse; physical and mental health; and educational, family, and community status. Staff training should focus not only on the implementation of the program model but also on adolescent female development, risk and resiliency factors, and racial and cultural identity. Treatment should be comprehensive, including physical and mental health services, education programs, skills training, family involvement, peer and mentor activities, community involvement, and aftercare. 1 figure, 6 tables, 9 notes, and 112 references