Re: “WA lawmakers aim to relieve strained juvenile legal system” (March 17, Regulation & Justice):
Washington state’s incarcerated youth are dealing with a psychological well being disaster that calls for pressing consideration. Current stories exposing the inhumane residing circumstances at Inexperienced Hill Faculty, the state’s largest juvenile facility, mirror a systemic failure to deal with youth trauma and psychological well being wants. Youth are retroactively charged by Lewis County prosecutors for incidents that always consequence from the violence and instability inside Inexperienced Hill.
Analysis reveals over 80% of incarcerated youth have a historical past of trauma, suicidality or severe psychological sickness (Kim et al., 2021). As a substitute of receiving therapy, they’re criminalized additional. A assessment by Gagnon et al. (2022) confirms that almost all juvenile services fail to offer satisfactory, evidence-based psychological well being care. Youth at Inexperienced Hill report isolation, abuse and lack of therapeutic assist, which solely worsens their trauma (Barnert et al., 2015).
We’d like daring motion: Cease retroactive charging for incidents in unsafe, traumatizing services. Broaden community-based diversion packages, so youth obtain therapy, not punishment.
Ignoring these points harms youth, households and communities. Washington should select therapeutic over punishment. These youngsters are usually not misplaced causes, they’re in disaster.
Joselyn Solalindez, Seattle (social work pupil, counselor)
