Tuesday, April 26, 2005

Advocacy Guide to Rights Protection for Youths in the Juvenile Justice System  20 page guide, in Acrobat format, from the National Mental Health Association - "Equal justice under the law is a fundamental concept of American jurisprudence, but for youth with in the juvenile justice system, human rights protections are typically inadequate. Even when rights do exist in statute, regulations and case law, loopholes, vague language or lack of enforcement often weakens them. Why does this occur? Unfortunately, fear, misunderstanding and stigma dominate the perception of juvenile crime in this country. Americans have long been ambivalent about the purpose of the juvenile justice system and many states are opting for a more punitive approach to addressing criminal behavior. This trend, coupled with increasingly overcrowded facilities and a lack of sufficient resources, has resulted in the frequent violation of the rights of juveniles."  
  

Privatization and Managed Care in the Juvenile Justice System 36-page report, in Acrobat format, from the National Mental health Association - "Youth in our juvenile justice system, especially those with mental illnesses, are one of our nation's most vulnerable populations. Protecting the public trust in serving them is crucial to building a just, humane, and healthy society that is the driving vision behind all NMHA efforts. Thus the goals of this resource are threefold: To inform you about the current status of this system and its need for reform; To alert you to the pros and cons of privatization and managed care approaches;  To provide you with practical strategies to ensure that when privatization or managed care are implemented, the outcomes are as positive as possible..."