Addressing the health status
and needs of incarcerated youth represents an issue at the nexus of juvenile
justice reform and health care reform. Incarcerated youth face
disproportionately higher morbidity and higher mortality compared to the general
adolescent population.
Dental health, reproductive health, and mental health
needs are particularly high, likely as a result of lower access to care,
engagement in high-risk behaviors, and underlying health disparities. Violence
exposure and injury also contribute to the health disparities seen in this
population. Further, juvenile incarceration itself is an important determinant
of health. Juvenile incarceration likely correlates with worse health and
social functioning across the life course.
Correctional health care facilities
allow time for providers to address the unmet physical and mental health needs
seen in this population. Yet substantial challenges to care delivery in
detention facilities exist and quality of care in detention facilities varies
widely. Community-based pediatricians can serve a vital role in ensuring
continuity of care in the post-detention period and linking youth to services
that can potentially prevent juvenile offending. Pediatricians who succeed in
understanding and addressing the underlying social contexts of their patients'
lives can have tremendous impact in improving the life trajectories of these
vulnerable youth.
Opportunities exist in clinical care, research, medical
education, policy, and advocacy for pediatricians to lead change and improve
the health status of youth involved in the juvenile justice system.
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By:
- 1Department of Pediatrics, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, Calif; Children's Discovery & Innovation Institute, Mattel Children's Hospital UCLA, Los Angeles, Calif. Electronic address: ebarnert@mednet.ucla.edu.
- 2Juvenile Court Health Services, Los Angeles County Department of Health Services, Los Angeles, Calif.
- 3Department of Pediatrics, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, Calif.
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