A Question Worth Asking
“What else does this youth have to do to get locked up?”
I heard this question more times than I can count during my 28+ years working in juvenile justice.
From parents.From school personnel.From therapists and treatment providers.And, yes, even from people working within the juvenile justice system.
I also heard:
“You guys aren't doing anything.”“Why can't you just put them in detention?”
I used to get frustrated by these questions. But over the years, I've come to understand that they often come from a misunderstanding of what detention is—and what the juvenile justice system is actually trying to accomplish.
Detention should not be the consequence for adults becoming frustrated with a youth.
A youth being difficult, refusing to participate, missing appointments, or struggling to follow expectations does not automatically mean secure detention is the appropriate response.
Detention isn't a substitute for:
· Building a relationship with the youth
· Understanding what's driving the behavior
· Engaging the family
· Identifying strengths and needs
· Finding appropriate community-based supports
· Coordinating with the people already involved
When a youth is placed in detention, they are removed from their home, family, school, and community and placed in an unfamiliar, highly structured environment. For some youth, that experience can be frightening and traumatic.
Detention has an important role in the juvenile justice system. But it should not be used simply because adults are frustrated that a youth isn't complying.
This is why I believe professionals who work with justice-involved youth need to understand not only what the juvenile justice system does, but why decisions are made.
Instead of asking:
“Why doesn't the court just lock them up?”
We should be asking:
“What does this youth actually need, and how can we work together to help them succeed?”
That shift in perspective can change everything.
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