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Juvenile Delinquency and Mental Illness

Many times, juvenile delinquency is dismissed as just troubled teen behavior until it increases to more serious crimes. For most of these juveniles, however, there are many factors that lead to delinquent or criminal behavior. In fact, almost 70% of juveniles that commit criminal behavior have at least one diagnosable mental illness (Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, 2017). Many of these disorders include anxiety or depressive disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder, bipolar disorder, conduct disorders, or attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Within the population of juveniles that have one of these or other diagnosable mental health disorders, more than 60% have been shown to also have substance use disorders at their young age (Rousseau, 2023). This means that there is not only a need for mental health services within juvenile justice populations, but also a need for addiction screening and treatment services. Currently, our criminal justice system does not have enough evidence-based and trauma-informed resources for adult or juvenile services within the general or carceral populations. There needs to be a higher focus on these services for both adult and juvenile populations, but especially within juvenile settings at first signs of antisocial or delinquent behavior to help prevent future criminal or violent behaviors. This can be accomplished through further application of trauma-informed and evidence-based practices in schools and in juvenile diversion programs.

One such strategy deploys day treatment programs rather than incarceration. This allows the juvenile to be treated for mental health disorders, substance addictions, and remain in their familiar home environments rather than have to experience incarceration at an early age or leave their support systems, and are only incarcerated if they fail to meet the requirements for attending and participating in the community program (Bartol & Bartol, 2021, p. ). Another important factor in both juvenile delinquency and mental health disorders is the family system and environment. For juvenile offenders that have serious crimes or behaviors, there are certain therapy approaches that are used to be able to address these concerns. One is Multisystemic Therapy (MST) that focuses on the whole picture of factors, including the family unit, peer groups, neighborhood, and school performance (Bartol & Bartol, 2021, p. ). Another similar therapy method is Functional Family Therapy (FFT) while focuses specifically on the family unit and setting to identify the strengths and resilience of the family members, especially the juvenile (Bartol & Bartol, 2021, p. ).

There are many risk factors that can be present in a child's life that can lead to either mental illness, antisocial or criminal behaviors, or both. Patterson's Coercion Developmental Theory discusses some of these particular psychosocial factors that can lead to early delinquent behaviors that are typically followed by more serious criminal acts in juveniles. These include poor parental monitoring, inconsistent parental discipline, abusive household, and disruptive family transitions, such as multiple moves to new places or divorce (Bartol & Bartol, 2021, p. 186). Since these risk factors, along with other factors in the individual's neighborhood and school settings, provide a high correlation to juvenile offenders and also mental health disorders, it is important that schools and family units are able to provide correct resources and programs for juveniles to prevent possible criminal behavior. Juvenile programs to prevent delinquency and criminal behavior are characterized by several factors that are based in research for a successful outcome. The programs have to begin early, with behavioral screening and treatment for aggressive, disruptive, or noncompliant behaviors as early as age 4 or 5 for children who display antisocial tendencies at an early age. They also have to take into consideration differences in gender between juvenile offenders, and implement gender-specific programming. These preventative programs must focus on the family unit and parental support, abuse, monitoring, and other factors within the household first, then on the behavior with peers, teachers, authority, and friends (Rousseau, 2023). These preventative programs for signs of juvenile antisocial behavior, if implemented correctly, can screen for mental health issues and signs of potential substance reliance before it turns into criminal acts or substance abuse.

Once a juvenile offender is involved in the criminal justice system, the focus needs to be on rehabilitation and treatment, not punishment. The first step is consistency in screening and treatment referrals. Case studies have shown that different jurisdictions have different procedures for when youths are evaluated for mental illnesses and when they are referred for treatment, with some starting at intake by police, some at holding awaiting court, and some after court once appointed by the judge (Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, 2017). There are also then factors of if treatment is offered and how effective the treatment is based on where the individual is placed, whether it is a juvenile correctional facility, a residential setting, detention center, community program, or outpatient program. With differences in the availability of treatments and access based on not only the jurisdiction, but also the type of facility that individual is held in, research has shown that those inconsistencies can easily lead to higher likelihoods of mental illness symptoms while in custody as well as higher recidivism rates once released if not properly treated while incarcerated, due to the increased risk factors for both mental health disorder symptoms and overall behavioral patterns in potentially overcrowded and mentally challenging environments of correctional facilities for juveniles (Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, 2017).  This is why juvenile mental health issues, along with trauma-informed screening and treatment programs for juvenile antisocial behavior, are incredibly important to implement with more accessibility and prevalence in order to prevent delinquent or criminal actions through assessment and treatment of mental health issues along with family and environmental risk factors in a juveniles' life.

References:

Bartol, A. & Bartol, C. (2021) Criminal Behavior: A Psychological Approach. (12th Edition). Pearson.

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. (2017).

Juvenile Diversion: Can these programs be improved?

            The current trends in juvenile crime and addiction appear to have skyrocketed and the capabilities of the diversion programs seem to be struggling to keep up. This is similar in many ways to the struggles law enforcement is having in prevention efforts with juveniles. Many of the relevant studies that were completed are outdated and do not carry current information on juvenile delinquency as it pertains to addiction and crime. Unfortunately, the U.S. is in the midst of an opioid epidemic where easy access to drugs can be found on social media, through social groups and in schools. I share this insight from 18 years of law enforcement experience and personal observations.

The purpose behind juvenile diversion is to provide an opportunity to move juvenile offenders away from formal judicial processes. Some of these programs are offered prior to entering the judicial process while others are offered following adjudication or an admission of guilt (2017) In the later portion of entering diversion these efforts are considered in lieu of detention or incarceration in hopes that diverting the juvenile to a program will assist in prevent further criminogenic behavior and deeper penetration in the juvenile justice system (2017).

In an article by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, they provided two relevant theoretical perspectives that can be utilized to justify the purpose of diversion. The first being “labeling theory, which contends that processing certain youths through the juvenile justice system may do more harm than good, because it inadvertently stigmatizes and ostracizes them for having committed relatively minor acts that may have been more appropriately handled outside the formal system” (2017). The second perspective is “differential association theory that suggests that system involved youths will adopt antisocial attitudes and behaviors from their delinquent peers. Exposure to and fraternization with more advanced delinquent youths and adults is thought to have a criminogenic effect that increases the probability of youths reoffending” (2017).

When taking these two perspectives into consideration it becomes imperative for the juvenile criminal justice system to continue to pursue prevention and early intervention through a variety of diversion programs. It is also important to understand that research is showing that the most cost-effective place to stop recidivism among juveniles is as early as possible (Youth.gov, 2000). A brief from the National Conference of State Legislature advises that it costs approximately $588.00 a day to keep a juvenile incarcerated where diversion programs typically cost $75.00 a day (Diversion in the Juvenile Justice System, n.d.). Cost cannot be the only driving factor, but if funding could be directed towards programs that work to prevent recidivism it would be more beneficial to everyone involved in the juvenile system.

When taking all of that into consideration, diversion is the obvious direction to take, but should the juvenile system take into account that youth are becoming more involved in dangerous behavior like auto theft and robbery. I believe diversion can still work with juveniles involved in more dangerous behavior to move them away from continued criminal behavior. A lot of this can start in the schools by providing programs like social competence, conflict resolution, violence prevention, social competence and mentoring programs to teach juveniles that their social dynamic does not define them (Youth.gov, 2000). Besides programs that can be provided in schools or for minor offenses I believe the diversion programs should include intensive programs for repeat offenders that are not a safety risk for the community. As an example, a juvenile who has been arrested multiple times for auto theft could be entered into an intensive program to work towards reducing future recidivism.

One issue that has been identified is the lack of consistency among diversion programs and that every state has a different approach to how diversion is utilized. This includes when diversion takes place, who decides eligibility of diversion, if services will be provided, if a juvenile must admit guilt before being admitted to a program and if sanctions can be imposed for failing to complete diversion (Foundation, 2020). Some argue that imposing sanctions for violated rules is counterproductive to the diversion process and results in a formal delinquency record (Foundation, 2020). I would argue that diversion needs to have consequences associated with failing a program. I don’t know if that means they receive the full punishment for the offense they committed or if it should increase the intensity of the program, they are a part of, but we cannot just expect them to complete a program without an incentive.

Equity is another issue that has come up regarding diversion. How does the diversion process ensure consistent equity among offenders selected for a program? In an article by the Annie E. Casey Foundation minorities are given diversion much less than their white counterparts (Foundation, 2020). There are policies in place that should maintain that equity, but due to the way diversion is decided by individual decision makers this disparity seems to be prevalent starting in the selection process (Foundation, 2020). This is one area having consistent regulations can assist in promoting racial equity. The offense should play a greater role in the juvenile system when it comes to diversion and more attention should be given to offenders and their individual needs. This could easily be accomplished by the use of assessments similar to what is used during entry into probation.

Ultimately, there is no argument that diversion has its purpose and can be a very effective tool, but improvement is needed in the selection and compliance processes. More effort should be placed on understanding a juvenile offender's specific needs and the diversion program providing subjects that will help offenders succeed. I don’t know if there is a perfect answer, but diversion programs should include mental health assistance, and addiction treatment along with the current available programs. Diversion has to adjust to the current juvenile culture and find ways to not only succeed with juveniles who commit minor offenses, but also include the juveniles who have a more significant history as long as they do not present a risk to society. I firmly believe that no juvenile is completely lost to a life of crime and law enforcement, policy and law makers along with the judicial system can work together to save as many juveniles as possible.

Resources:

(2017, February). Diversion from Formal Juvenile Court Processing [Review of Diversion from Formal Juvenile Court Processing]. Https://Ojjdp.ojp.gov/. https://ojjdp.ojp.gov/model-programs-guide/literature-reviews/diversion_from_formal_juvenile_court_processing.pdf

Diversion in the Juvenile Justice System. (n.d.). Www.ncsl.org. https://www.ncsl.org/civil-and-criminal-justice/diversion-in-the-juvenile-justice-system

Foundation, T. A. E. C. (2020, October 23). What Is Juvenile Diversion? The Annie E. Casey Foundation. https://www.aecf.org/blog/what-is-juvenile-diversion#:~:text=Does%20juvenile%20diversion%20work%3F

Youth.gov. (2000). Prevention & Early Intervention | Youth.gov. Youth.gov. https://youth.gov/youth-topics/juvenile-justice/prevention-and-early-intervention

War on Drugs

Lyly Mai

February 26, 2023

MET CJ 752 O1 Forensic Behavior Analysis.

Blog Post - War on Drugs

The war on drugs within the United States became prevalent leading up to the 1970s. Since then President Richard Nixon decided to declare war against drugs to eradicate the illegal use of drugs. In the following decades, there have been military and police teams dedicated to fighting this war. In 1971, Nixon tells Congress that, "If we cannot destroy the drug menace in America, then it will surely in time destroy us." After saying this, it was like Nixon had predicted the outcome of how dire this situation would entail and the results would be deemed catastrophic if not dealt with.  The drug war led to many other consequences that led to violence around the world.

Here are a few impacts that affected the U.S. negatively:

1. mass drug offense incarcerations
2. proliferated violence
3. Smuggling/illegal trading
4. overdoses/drug-related deaths

Although you can crackdown on drug use on one area, because of the market is prevalent for making profit on selling drugs, another area will certainly pop up to take its place instantly. Someone else will take up the job to manufacture and distribute somewhere else. The U.S. had put in over $1 trillion to the war on drugs thus far. But nothing has made a serious dent on improving the conditions. The results were but failures to improve on the four impacts stated above. Many drug policy experts attempted to call for reforms. Some of these reforms to appease the conditions are as follow:

• focus on rehabilitation programs
• decriminalization of some illicit substances
• legalization of certain drugs

In 1973 and then again in 1977, eleven states took the initiative to decriminalize marijuana possession. However in the 1980s, during the Ronald Reagan presidency period the rate of incarceration for drugs drastically increased by tenfold. The number of people who were arrested and incarcerated during this time period went from 50,000 to 400,000 from 1980 to 1997. Everywhere around the word, the prisons and jails were overcrowded with inmates in for this offense. This led to another huge problem within the prison system. There weren't enough beds and housing to place these inmates. Violence increased, tension amongst the prisoners and toward the officers increased in hostility.

According the to text, in 2010 there were nearly 8 million individuals who needed to be treated for illicit drug use. However only 1.5 million people actually received the necessary treatment at a facility for drug use. It was stated that about 65% of inmates are addicted or currently abusing drugs. On top of that, in 2010 65% of inmates had met the criteria for substance abuse. That's an alarming percentage of the population of inmates. Some possible solutions could be:

• Dealing with the drug crisis in the prison sentence; crackdown on drug users, heavier penalties on those dealing drugs in prison
• Rehabilitating those inmates who are currently addicted to drugs
• Counseling/Therapy
• Courses on life skills in order to work their way back into society

Resources

Rousseau,  2023. Module 2.

Lopez, G. (2016, May 8). The War on Drugs, explained. Vox. Retrieved February 27, 2023, from https://www.vox.com/2016/5/8/18089368/war-on-drugs-marijuana-cocaine-heroin-meth

A history of the Drug War. Drug Policy Alliance. (n.d.). Retrieved February 27, 2023, from https://drugpolicy.org/issues/brief-history-drug-war

Trauma in Law Enforcement Professionals

Joshua Hoskins

Blog Post

CJ725

How to Support Law Enforcement Professionals That Deals with Distressing Material

Law Enforcement professionals are often exposed to terrible atrocities. Whether it be a dead body, child pornography, vehicular accidents, etc., law enforcement professions are often exposed to secondary trauma (Denk-Florea et al. 2020).

Researchers stationed in the United Kingdom expanded on the research into the effects of secondary trauma on law enforcement professionals. They interviewed and studied 22 law enforcement professionals on how they felt and coped (Denk-Florea et al. 2020). Additionally, they discussed the personal strategies these individuals attempt to mitigate the high chances of falling into disassociation mindsets.

The researchers primarily concentrated on the effects of child pornography on the mental fortetitude of the law enforcement profession. What they discovered was that over time was that they were becoming apathetic towards the material they were viewing (Denk-Florea et al. 2020). The researchers discovered there existed an increase need for mediation in the field to better develop recilient law enforcement professionals (Denk-Florea et al. 2020). In conjunction with apathetic mindset, burnout was an increase risk factor for most of the test subjects.

The subjects discussed their personal approaches to selfcare and what helped them before they had to view the material. Some discussed they mentally prepared; while others felt better after talking to a trained professional or a close friend about the incident (Denk-Florea et al. 2020).

When asked what the subjects wished to see for improvement, they wanted an increased in supervision involvement, better psychological help, and other methods to build resiliency. (Denk-Florea et al. 2020).

The study was thorough and a quick read. It shone light on different methods to mitigate risks for mental health issues within law enforcement personnel. It was interesting to see that other countries had similar issues to that of the U.S.A when it regards secondary trauma for our first responders.

References:

Denk-Florea C-B, Gancz B, Gomoiu A, Ingram M, Moreton R, Pollick F (2020) Understanding and supporting law enforcement professionals working with distressing material: Findings from a qualitative study. PLoS ONE 15(11): e0242808. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0242808

Trauma in Female Juvenile Inmates and Delinquents

Yasmin Sobrinho

February 26, 2023

MET CJ 752 O1 Forensic Behavior Analysis.

Blog Post

For my blog post I am going to discuss trauma in juvenile inmates, more specifically, female juvenile inmates. In module 4 of the course, we discussed female inmates and how treatment differs from males to females in the prison system. I mentioned in the discussion board for Module 4 that effective treatment for female inmates is unique because policy makers need to consider several factors: “mental illness, trauma, substance abuse, and relationship issues” (Rousseau 2021). The same applies to female juvenile involved in the justice system. According to Bartol & Bartol (2020), “justice-involved girls have been shown to have higher rates of trauma, more mood disorders, and sometimes more substance misuse than justice-involved boys” pp. 176). As most research and statistics has supported, there is a disparity among gender in our criminal justice system. According to the Federal Bureau of Prisons (2021), there is a major gender imbalance in our system, with females accounting for only 7% of inmates and males 93%.

I came across a study by Salisbury & Van Voorhis (2009), which highlights the difficulties women face that cause them to offend: unhealthy relationships, trauma, mental illness, and substance abuse. The first pathway based on childhood victimization showed that child abuse does not directly affect women’s recidivism, but it did indirectly affect five pathways to continued offending due to psychological and behavioral effects. Researchers found that symptoms from depression and anxiety coupled with substance abuse did have a direct effect on imprisonment for women, regardless of the measure of childhood victimization.

The first pathway discussed in this study was based on childhood victimization, which has policy implications to address these issues for young women to help reduce imprisonment or offending in women. This model implies that the most effective treatment for women who struggle with child abuse along with mental illness and/or substance abuse are programs that help them develop strong coping skills from past trauma. When the effects of early victimization are left untreated, it is easy to assume that those women will most likely never recover from their mental illness or substance abuse and place them at a higher risk for engaging in criminal behavior or recidivism. If policies are set in place to have women go through therapeutic programs that focus on prior trauma, then it’s important to ensure that the woman is emotionally prepared for that process and not forced into it (Salisbury & Van Voorhis 2009). Most of the policy implications for this gender-specific pathway can also be based on the ideas discussed from strain theory (pp.5).

The relational model shows a similarity on the findings of social bond and strain theories discussed in Module 1. This model suggests that it is important to increase a woman’s ability to self-manage unhealthy relationships, because it would stabilize their emotions and reduce substance abuse. If the goal is to reduce overall offending or the likelihood of imprisonment, then programs that target addiction and mental illness should also consider a more holistic approach (addressing underlying life circumstances) such as childhood trauma. As mentioned before, based on strain theory, family-based programs can play a positive role in dealing with previous trauma.

Overall, the research I have done indicates the importance of changing our current criminal justice system to merge both evidence-based applications with gender-specific responses. If gender-specific theories are developed, we can analyze the gendered experiences that are critical in helping us understand how trauma effects criminality. There is overlap in the variables that explain the reason for committing crime for both genders, such as delinquent peers, criminal subculture or environment, lack of social skills, social strains, or the perceived cost and benefit of crime. However, there is still a need for reforming those approaches to reduce recidivism among young women. Most research does support the idea of women committing crimes based on emotional/mental issues, gender inequality, and relational/sexual abuse; meaning that policies should be reformed to address those underlying issues that are more likely to encourage crime in women when compared to men.

References:

Bartol, C. R., & Bartol, A. M. (2020). Criminal Behavior: A Psychological Approach (12th ed.). Pearson Education (US).

Federal Bureau of Prisons. (2021, October 16). BOP Statistics: Inmate Gender. Retrieved February 2023, from https://www.bop.gov/about/statistics/statistics_inmate_gender.jsp

NO ONE SIZE FITS ALL IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM. Danielle Rousseau. (2021, April 27). © 2023 Boston University. https://sites.bu.edu/daniellerousseau/2021/04/27/no-size-fits-all-in-the-criminal-justice-system/

Rousseau, D. (n.d.). Module 1. Learn.bu.edu.

Rousseau, D. (n.d.). Module 4. Learn.bu.edu.

Salisbury, E. J., van Voorhis, P., & International Association for Correctional and Forensic Psychology. (2009, June). Gendered Pathways: A Quantitative Investigation of Women Probationers’ Paths to Incarceration (No. 6). Criminal Justice and Behavior. https://doi.org/10.1177/0093854809334076

Self-care is Important in our Busy Life!!

I think that mental health is important for anyone and it will affect our emotions, actions, thinking, making a choice, and relation to other (NIMH, 2022). Self-care is the best way for me to decrease pressure and relax because we are graduate students and some of us might work and study at the same time. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, if we spent some time in self-care, we can improve our physical and mental health. On the other hand, some self-care methods do not need too much time and also can let people relax and calm down.

I have some experience to decrease pressure based on self-care. When I was 16 years old, I came to the US to study. At that time, my English is very poor, and it is difficult to communicate with someone. I feel stressed and nervous, I always cried at night. Since I came to the US by myself only, no one can help me or support me. Assignments, essays, grammar, and speaking are the worst part of my learning. I tried some types of self-care to help me cross this challenge at that time, for example, physical self-care, recreational self-care, and social self-care (Beard, 2022).

First, physical self-care is a good way to let me decrease my pressure because at that time I went to play rugby at school, and as we know that tackle is the way to defend the competitor. At that time, if I can tackle one competitor really hard, it let me feel more confident, and I know that no matter how hard the assignments or essays are, I also can do it. NIMH (2022) mentions that small amounts of exercise also can let people boost their mood and improve their health.

Second, recreational self-care is the way that I really like because I do not need to do anything and just relax. Watching some TV shows or movies is a way that enjoys our life because when you focus on the movie, you won't think about anything about stress. Also, I like playing computer games to create my own world and build some houses, and adventure in the game. Next, having a pet also is a way to self-care because research proves that having a pet can "provide a huge boon to lonely individuals, pets can be a serious mood lifter, even if you’re not experiencing feelings of isolation (Drewis, 2017)".

Third, social self-care is my favorite way to relax because I really missed my friends and parents when I studied in the US. I almost called my parents every day to talk about what I experienced at that time and asked them for some advice about sometimes I feel stressed about and what should I do. On the other hand, I also hung out with my friends whom I met in the US, and we went to eat sushi, and play bowling. keep in touch with parents and friends can provide emotional support and practical help (NIMH, 2022).

Even though this course wants the student can have a better understanding of forensic psychology, however, self-care also can help people who have trauma. Like service dogs for a veteran that has PTSD, or people who have panic disorders, anxiety disorders, major depression, or autism spectrum disorders (DAV, 2022) because service dog can help people to become positive and good for their emotional health (Rousseau, 2022). On the other hand, Yoga also is a good self-care for people who have trauma. Rousseau (2022) and Fenneld (2023) also mention in different resources that yoga can effectively help our brain and muscle relaxation, and can help us to slow down.

Reference Material

Beard, C. (2022). The 7 Pillars of Self-Care and How to Use Them. The Blissful Mind. Retrieved February 20, 2023, from https://theblissfulmind.com/pillars-of-self-care/.
Drewis, D. (2017, October 5). Why having a pet is officially the best ever form of self-care. Collective Hub. Retrieved February 25, 2023, from https://collectivehub.com/2017/10/why-having-a-pet-is-officially-the-best-ever-form-of-self-care/
DAV. (2022, December 5). Service animals. Retrieved February 26, 2023, from https://www.dav.org/get-help-now/veteran-topics-resources/service-animals/
Fenneld. (2023, January 16). What is trauma-informed yoga? . Cleveland Clinic. Retrieved February 26, 2023, from https://health.clevelandclinic.org/trauma-informed-yoga/
Rousseau, D (2022). Lecture note, Trauma, and Crisis Intervention
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2022). Caring for your mental health. National Institute of Mental Health. Retrieved August 14, 2022, from https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/caring-for-your-mental-health

Mental Health and Crime: The Issue of Misdiagnosis and Overdiagnosis

Emily Larsen

Mental Health and Crime: The Issue of Overdiagnosis and Misdiagnosis. 

February 24, 2023

Mental health and crime are complex issues that are often interconnected. One issue that arises is the potential for overdiagnosis and misdiagnosis of mental health conditions in the criminal justice system. Overdiagnosis occurs when a mental health condition is diagnosed when it may not be present or when the diagnosis is too broad and not specific enough (Morrison, 2016). Misdiagnosis occurs when a mental health condition is diagnosed incorrectly, leading to improper treatment or inappropriate consequences (Morrison, 2016). Overdiagnosis and misdiagnosis can have serious consequences for individuals involved in the criminal justice system. 

For example, if someone is incorrectly diagnosed with a mental health condition, they may be prescribed medication or treatment that is unnecessary or potentially harmful. If under the wrong treatment plan it could impact an individual's perception of reality and actions (Rousseau, 2023). Alternatively, if someone with a mental health condition is not properly diagnosed, they may not receive the treatment they need, leading to further negative consequences. With the criminal justice population, trauma is another factor that can go hand in hand. Research has found that approximately 75% of incarcerated adults report histories of trauma exposure (Fretz, 2023). That is statistically significant, with more than half of the incarcerated population having connections to trauma. Not only does this population have major connections with trauma, and mental health but also can have influencing factors of substance abuse. In the United States, those who have suffered from addiction and committed crimes relating to drugs or alcohol have made up 85% of the prison population (Rousseau, 2023). There are so many factors that contribute to who an individual is. The criminal justice population is more susceptible to crime with different influencing risk factors, which is why it is so important that they receive the right diagnosis. 

There are several factors that contribute to overdiagnosis and misdiagnosis in the criminal justice system. One issue is the lack of training and expertise among some professionals in the criminal justice system, such as police officers or judges, in recognizing and diagnosing mental health conditions. Another issue is the stigma surrounding mental health, which can lead to biases and stereotypes that influence diagnoses (Rousseau, 2023). Additionally, the pressure to quickly resolve cases in the criminal justice system can also lead to hasty diagnoses and inaccurate conclusions (Morrison, 2023). 

To address the issue of overdiagnosis and misdiagnosis in mental health and crime, it is important to increase education and training for professionals in the criminal justice system. This could include providing specialized training for police officers, judges, and other professionals in recognizing and responding to mental health conditions. Additionally, reducing the stigma surrounding mental health and improving access to mental health care could also help to address this issue. Finally, it is important to ensure that mental health diagnoses are based on sound evidence and not influenced by biases or stereotypes.

References

Morrison, M. (2016). Overdiagnosis, medicalization and social justice. Journal of Medical Ethics. 42 (705-714). Retrieved from; http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/medethics-2016-103717

Fretz, R. (2023). What is the impact of trauma in the criminal justice population?. MHS Assessments: Public Safety. Retrieved from; What is the impact of trauma in the criminal justice population? - MHS Assessments

Rousseau, D. (2023). Modules 1-6. Boston University.