According to education professionals in the juvenile justice system, to help justice involved youth imagine and actualize new futures for themselves, the whole system needs to prioritize providing education funds, resources, and committed teachers and staff who believe in their students.

Related Resources

Contact CTRJJ for more information and resources

Thank you to our guests on this episode:

Jasmine, Michelle, Sara, Randall Farmer, Aaron, Teresa Brewington, Jordan, and Abdul Rahmaan Muhammad.

Identifying details of youth and their family members are changed to protect privacy. All interviewees provided explicit consent to be recorded and have their voices and stories shared on this podcast and in accompanying resources and marketing materials. A parent or guardian provided additional consent for interviewees under 18 years old.

Youth involved in the juvenile justice system are not just individuals; they are part of complex families who are uniquely impacted by the justice system alongside them. In this episode, siblings and caregivers explain the financial, emotional, physical, and social challenges of the juvenile justice system and the ways practitioners in the system can support them.

Related Resources

Resources for Youths and Families (CTRJJ)

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Thank you to our guests on this episode:

Aaron, Dr. Kathleen Kemp, Dr. Kaitlin Sheerin, Dr. Maureen Allwood, Dr. Monique Khumalo, Kathleen, Dr. Dana Lee Baker, Erica, Professor Kristin Henning, Jordan, Dr. Julian Ford, Michelle, and Abdul-Rahmaan Muhammad.

Identifying details of youth and their family members are changed to protect privacy. All interviewees provided explicit consent to be recorded and have their voices and stories shared on this podcast and in accompanying resources and marketing materials. A parent or guardian provided additional consent for interviewees under 18 years old.

Many neurodivergent youth get caught up in the juvenile justice system as a response to their moments of crisis, or simply because of differences in their behavior. This episode considers the experiences of neurodivergent youth and their families in the juvenile justice system, and how crisis intervention on their behalf should focus on preventing harm, not punishing difference.

Show Notes & Related Resources:

“The Prevalence and Correlates of Involvement in the Criminal Justice System Among Youth on the Autism Spectrum” by Julianna Rava, Paul Shattuck, Jessica Rast, and Anne Roux (Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders)

“The Cumulative Probability of Arrest by Age 28 Years in the United States by Disability Status, Race/Ethnicity, and Gender” by Erin J. McCauley (American Journal of Public Health)

Law and Neurodiversity: Youth with Autism and the Juvenile Justice Systems in Canada and the United States by Dana Lee Baker, Laurie A. Drapela, and Whitney Littlefield

S&S Spotlight: 2022 Study Reviews Effectiveness of PTSD Treatment in the Juvenile Justice System (CTRJJ)

S&S Spotlight: 2021 Study Confirms High Levels of Mental Disorders in Detained Adolescents (CTRJJ)

Contact CTRJJ for more information and resources

Thank you to our guests on this episode:

Zachary, Kathleen, Dr. Monique Khumalo, Professor Kristin Henning, Dr. Dana Lee Baker, Al Killen-Harvey, and Judge Michael Key.

Identifying details of youth and their family members are changed to protect privacy. All interviewees provided explicit consent to be recorded and have their voices and stories shared on this podcast and in accompanying resources and marketing materials. A parent or guardian provided additional consent for interviewees under 18 years old.

Additional research and production support for this episode provided by Julia Clausen.

Trauma is stored in the body and expressed through the senses, so professional interventions need to look beyond behavior to take care of the whole person through a biopsychosocial approach.

Show Notes & Related Resources:

Drug and Alcohol Use Reported by Youth in Juvenile Facilities, 2008–2018 – Statistical Tables - Bureau of Justice Statistics — US Department of Justice

Juvenile Delinquency and Addiction — Child Crime Prevention & Safety Center

Sensory Processing, Coordination and Attachment by Ruth Stephens - Beacon House Therapeutic Services and Trauma Team

The Myth of Normal by Gabor Maté

When the Body Says No by Gabor Maté

The Wisdom Of Trauma — Documentary featuring Gabor Maté

SMART (Sensory Motor Arousal Regulation Treatment)

Trauma Informed Weight Lifting

In Memoriam: Dr. Maureen Allwood (CTRJJ)

Contact CTRJJ for more information and resources

Thank you to our guests on this episode:

Jasmine, Michelle, Aaron, Austin, Mariah Rooney, Dr. Maureen Allwood, Abdul-Rahmaan I. Muhammad, Kristin Henning, and Edmundo.

Identifying details of youth and their family members are changed to protect privacy. All interviewees provided explicit consent to be recorded and have their voices and stories shared on this podcast and in accompanying resources and marketing materials. A parent or guardian provided additional consent for interviewees under 18 years old.

In the juvenile justice system, context is everything. Whether as professionals we show up with a deep understanding of the socio-political context of the youth, or we bring in and support “credible messengers” with shared lived experience as the youth, authenticity is key. "Irrationally caring adults," as Professor Kristin Henning describes them, can make all the difference in youth outcomes.

Show Notes & Related Resources

The Essence of Innocence: Consequences of Dehumanizing Black Children (Goff, et. al)

In Memoriam: Dr. Maureen Allwood (CTRJJ)

The concept of children needing at least one “irrationally caring adult” is attributed to Dr. Urie Bronfenbrenner. He included this in his 1976 speech at Cornell University “The American Family - Who Cares?”

Contact CTRJJ for more information and resources

Thank you to our guests on this episode:

Michelle, Jasmine, Teresa Brewington, Dr. Maureen Allwood, Professor Kristin Henning, Dr. Monique Khumalo, David Hopkins, Austin, Aaron, Isaiah, and Edmundo

Identifying details of youth and their family members are changed to protect privacy. All interviewees provided explicit consent to be recorded and have their voices and stories shared on this podcast and in accompanying resources and marketing materials. A parent or guardian provided additional consent for interviewees under 18 years old.

Making change in the juvenile justice system can be as simple, and as difficult, as making time to describe in plain language why a decision was made, pausing a meeting to ensure everyone at the table agrees with what a word means, and reflecting on the impact our word choice may have on a youth or families conception of themself. This episode provides examples and reflections on how to improve communication and transparency in juvenile justice settings.


Show Notes & Related Resources

S&S Spotlight: Traumatic Experiences & Mental Health Risks for Youth Involved in the Justice System (CTRJJ)

Contact CTRJJ for more information and resources

Thank you to our guests on this episode:

Edmundo, Prof. Kristin Henning, Dr. Keith Cruise, Dr. Rocio Chang, Erica, Josh Weber, Kim Genis, Tim Wires, and Dr. Robin Jenkins

Identifying details of youth and their family members are changed to protect privacy. All interviewees provided explicit consent to be recorded and have their voices and stories shared on this podcast and in accompanying resources and marketing materials. A parent or guardian provided additional consent for interviewees under 18 years old.

This episode covers the layers of grief and generational trauma that youth in the juvenile justice system might be carrying, as well as the ways professionals can help these youth honor the memory of their ancestors and loved ones as they navigate their vision for the future.

The long term success of youth involved in the juvenile justice system depends on professionals seeing them as whole people, with families and goals and complicated circumstances, and understanding the broader social context in which these youth ended up in the system. In this episode, mental health experts, social workers, and other juvenile justice professionals describe the tools and interventions needed to make that possible.

Show Notes & Related Resources

S&S Spotlight: 2021 Study Confirms High Levels of Mental Disorders in Detained Adolescents | The Center for Trauma Recovery and Juvenile Justice (CTRJJ)

S&S Spotlight: Supporting LGBTQ Youth Involved in the Juvenile Justice System (CTRJJ)

In Memoriam: Dr. Maureen Allwood (CTRJJ)

Contact CTRJJ for more information and resources

Thank you to our guests on this episode:

Isaiah, Aaron, Michelle, Jasmine, Dr. Keith Cruise, Josh Weber, Dr. Maureen Allwood, Dr. Carly Baetz, Kim Genis, and Al Killen-Harvey

Identifying details of youth and their family members are changed to protect privacy. All interviewees provided explicit consent to be recorded and have their voices and stories shared on this podcast and in accompanying resources and marketing materials. A parent or guardian provided additional consent for interviewees under 18 years old.