UCLA researchers seek juvenile justice alternatives for children under 12

AlthoughLaura Abrams andDr. Elizabeth Barnert come from opposite ends of the UCLA campus, their work in their respective academic professions meets at the intersection of health and juvenile justice.A recent University of Californiastudy led by Abrams, professor of social welfare in the  UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs, and Barnert, an assistant professor of pediatrics in the  David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, offers a powerful rationale for shielding children 11 years old and younger from prosecution and incarceration in the state ’s juvenile justice system.“Children in the juvenile justice system literally meet the definition of children with special health care needs,” said Barnert, who worked with Abrams as members of a team affiliated with the University of California Criminal Justice and Health Consortium. Prior to their study, which was recen tly published in International Journal of Prisoner Health, the issue in California was not on anyone’s radar, they said.“Kids in conflict with the law are kids that typically have unmet health needs. We see a lot of undiagnosed depression, ADHD and learning disabilities — or absentee parents who can’t support their children due to working three jobs, deportation, imprisonment or substance abuse,” Barnert said . “When we prosecute these children or lock them away, we’re putting them in a system that traumatizes them further and often makes their problems worse.”The UCLA study brought together UC ...
Source: UCLA Newsroom: Health Sciences - Category: Universities & Medical Training Source Type: news