This is an archive of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention’s (OJJDP's) electronic newsletter OJJDP News @ a Glance. The information in this archived resource may be outdated and links may no longer function. Visit our website at https://www.ojjdp.gov for current information.
May | June 2015

New Publications

All OJJDP publications may be viewed and downloaded on the publications section of the OJJDP website. Print publications may be ordered online at the National Criminal Justice Reference Service website.

Coming Soon—

These bulletins from the Office's Beyond Detention Bulletin Series present findings from the OJJDP-sponsored Northwestern Juvenile Project—a longitudinal study of youth detained at the Cook County Juvenile Temporary Detention Center in Chicago, IL.

Violent Death in Delinquent Youth After Detention

The authors looked at mortality rates among the youth enrolled in the project. Among their findings: The standardized mortality rate for delinquent youth is more than four times the rate for youth in the general population. More specifically, the mortality rate for delinquent female youth is nearly eight times the rate in the general population, African American youth experience the highest mortality rate, and the vast majority of deaths among delinquent youth were homicides from gunshot wounds.

Perceived Barriers to Mental Health Services Among Detained Youth

The authors examined youth’s perceptions of barriers to mental health services, focusing on youth with alcohol, drug, and mental health disorders. Among their findings: Most frequently, youth did not receive services because they believed their problems would go away without outside help (56.5 percent); nearly one-third of youth (31.7 percent) were not sure whom to contact or where to get help; and nearly one-fifth of the sample (19.1 percent) reported difficulty in obtaining help.

Psychiatric Disorders in Youth After Detention

The authors discuss findings related to the prevalence and persistence of psychiatric disorders in youth after detention. Five years after the first interview, more than 45 percent of male juveniles and nearly 30 percent of female juveniles had one or more psychiatric disorders. Substance use disorders were the most common and most likely to persist. As compared to African Americans, non-Hispanic whites and Hispanics had higher rates of substance use disorders. Females had higher rates of depression over time.