Health Services to Adolescents in Adult Correctional Facilities National Commission on Correctional Health Care Health Services to Adolescents in Adult Correctional Facilities Background Judicial and correctional authorities have always been challenged with the problem of adolescents committing crimes. The rise in the number of violent crimes committed by adolescents, political pressures, and community reaction have resulted in increased placement of adolescents in adult correctional facilities. Furthermore, incarcerating adolescents in adult correctional facilities ignores the fact that the growth and developmental changes that occur in adolescence are substantially different from those that occur in adults. Adolescence is a period of rapid physical, nutritional, cognitive, and social growth and development. These changes are influenced by a variety of factors including genetic, nutritional, environmental, family, and social experiences.
Adolescents are at an increased risk for developing depressive symptoms and anxiety symptoms.
Confinement in any correctional facility can have a major impact on the ultimate outcome on this developmental process. Adult facilities are not able to deal with these and other needs of adolescents, and rarely are staff in adult facilities trained or prepared to work with the problems unique to adolescents. The same studies also indicate a much lower rating of counseling programs efforts to improve family relations and medical care in adult facilities. Given these facts, it is imperative that correctional programs caring for adolescents be designed specifically to meet their needs. The National Commission on Correctional Health Care believes the incarceration of adolescents in adult correctional facilities is detrimental to the health and developmental well-being of youth.