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Investing in Youth Rehabilitation

Recidivism in the Juvenile System

Published February 12 2025

Analysis by Sophie Benson


Many juvenile offenders, despite their young age, are burdened with complex challenges that prevent them from independently reintegrating into society after being released. Mental health disorders and substance abuse are at the top of this list, which are not only barriers to rehabilitation but are also significant contributors to delinquency and recidivism. The U.S. Department of Justice found that 84% of offenders under 25 re-offend within 5 years of their dismissal (1). This alone shows how we, as a society, are failing the youth who need our support the most.  With studies showing that 70% of youth in the system have mental health disorders, a rate far higher than the general youth population, this has become an urgent problem to be addressed (1). A first-world country's juvenile justice system should provide care for our youth in a way that propels them back into society rather than keeps them cycling through the system. 


Addressing mental health is the starting point for tackling this issue. Conditions like anxiety, depression, ADHD, and PTSD are the most common mental health disorders, with many of the incarcerated youth being victims of neglect, abuse, or violence. This is problematic because these traumas accelerate mental health struggles and are strongly linked to increasing criminal behavior (1). As such, taking steps to increase mental health support in jails and prisons is essential to reducing recidivism in youth.


Equally concerning is the prevalence of substance abuse among youth offenders. For many adolescents, drugs, and alcohol are used as coping mechanisms to deal with mental health battles and the pain of their past. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), more than 60% of juveniles in the justice system have a history of substance abuse. Marijuana and alcohol are the most common, but more serious drugs like opioids and methamphetamines are becoming increasingly prevalent (2). Untreated addiction in youth has devastating consequences that worsen mental health conditions, which leads to further substance abuse and creates a vicious cycle that is difficult to break.

What is most troubling, though, is how closely linked substance abuse and mental health disorders are to recidivism and delinquency. Adolescents with these co-occurring disorders are not just more likely to re-offend, but they are prone to facing longer sentences in comparison to peers without such issues (3). The lack of proper funding for mental health services in juvenile detention centers prevents necessary programs from being implemented to address the root causes of behavior (4). Without adequate support, youth enter the system, leave the same as they entered, and continue to go through the cycle.


Fortunately, a proven solution can reverse this cycle of crime and improve outcomes for young offenders: integrated treatment programs. This is a comprehensive approach that directly addresses underlying factors contributing to criminal behavior, combining therapy, skill building, and tailored interventions. These programs address both substance abuse disorders and mental health simultaneously to break the cycle of crime.


Multisystemic Therapy (MST) is a type of integrated treatment program that has shown promising results in improving outcomes for juvenile offenders and recidivism, targeting the individual, family, and community factors contributing to juvenile offending. Psychiatric Services found that MST participants had 40-60% lower re-offending rates compared to youth who did not receive the treatment. Similarly, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is another type of integrated treatment program that has been proven to target the complexities of these issues effectively. CBT recognizes negative patterns and aims to change behaviors by improving emotional regulation, reducing substance abuse, and decreasing the likelihood of criminal behavior (5).


Despite this, funding shortages, overcrowding of detention centers, and lack of professionally tried mental health and substance abuse treatment resources mean that there isn't proper care for juvenile offenders. The National Center for Juvenile Justice Center found that less than 50% of youth in the juvenile justice system receive adequate mental health care and even fewer for substance abuse treatment (6). Given the number of incarcerated juvenile offenders facing these issues, one would expect mental health resources to be a typical response, however, the system continues to overlook these findings and fails to implement meaningful change. 


The lack of treatment options for mental health and substance abuse is a critical issue in the juvenile justice system. The cost of inaction is high, with both public safety and the well-being of our incarcerated youth suffering as a result. These are children expected to seamlessly transition back into society, but how can they contribute to civil society without the necessary resources to get them there? To break the cycle of juvenile delinquency, we must invest in more integrated, evidence-based treatment programs. Redirecting resources from punitive measures to programs that address mental health and substance abuse can create more effective and rehabilitative solutions. This involves reallocating budgets to prioritize community-based alternatives, forming partnerships with mental health organizations, and establishing transparency in local and state government budget decisions. In addition to this, voting in legislators who support long-term programming is essential to ensure sustained investment in these critical areas. Investing in comprehensive treatment programs is not just a moral imperative, it is an essential investment for our youth's future.


  1.  Tolou-Shams, Marina, Johanna B. Folk, Evan D. Holloway, et al. “Psychiatric and Substance-Related Problems Predict Recidivism For First-Time Justice-Involved Youth.” Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law 51, no. 1 (2023): https://doi.org/10.29158/JAAPL.220028-21. 

  2.  Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). “2022 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) Releases.” Accessed December 9, 2024. https://www.samhsa.gov/data/release/2022-national-survey-drug-use-and-health-nsduh-releases. 

  3.  Henggeler, Scott W. “Multisystemic Therapy: Clinical Foundations and Research Outcomes.” Psychosocial Intervention 35, no. 2 (2012): https://doi.org/10.5093/in2012a12.

  4.  Congressional Research Service. “Juvenile Justice Funding Trends.” Last modified April 9, 2024. https://sgp.fas.org/crs/misc/R44879.pdf.

  5.  Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. "Intersection between Mental Health and the Juvenile Justice System." Last modified July 2017. https://ojjdp.ojp.gov/model-programs-guide/literature-reviews/intsection_between_mental_health_and_the_juvenile_justice_system.pdf.

  6.  Youth.gov. “Co-Occurring Disorders.” Accessed December 10, 2024. https://youth.gov/youth-topics/youth-mental-health/co-occurring. 

 


 
 
 

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