You’ve tried everything. Now you watch helplessly as your
troubled teenager starts down the path leading to jail, and you
wait for that call from the police. But bad news can be good
news. This may be the point when things start to turn around.
“Experts estimate that from 40 percent to 70 percent of youth in
the juvenile justice system suffer from some form of mental
health disorder or an illness – anything from ADHD to full-blown
psychosis. About 15 percent to 25 percent have mental illnesses
“severe enough to significantly impair their ability to
function.”” (see “Mentally ill minors put in juvenile hall” at
end of this post) Juvenile crime is considered as serious as
adult crime, and juvenile “detention” is full-blown jail, just
like jail for adults. Yet there is one critical distinction
between teenage and adult justice: teens are given a second
chance for a clean record, as well as education and treatment
for mental illness or addictions. An adult criminal record is
forever a barrier and an embarrassment