Service Provision Discrepancies in the Juvenile Justice System: Evidence from the Idaho Department of Juvenile Corrections

Background: Little research on referrals and access to social services in various state juvenile justice systems exist.  Research that has been conducted suggests that a low percentage of adjudicated youth in need of services actually access them.  Furthermore, there is even less literature on the mental health diagnoses, type of offenses, and demographic characteristics that are associated with either referrals for or access to mental health and other social services.   Research that has been conducted has found that female adjudicated youth are more likely to utilize services than their male counterparts.  However, the literature to date has not examined discrepancies between the numbers of referrals to service against the number of services actually received by offense, characteristics, or mental health status. 

To examine the potential for discrimination based on these factors, the investigators examined four years of administrative data (2011-2014) provided by the Idaho Department of Juvenile Corrections for all youth that were remanded to their facilities.  In this study, we examine the number of referrals for various types of social and mental health services, the number of these services actually received, and the difference between them by various demographic characteristics, types of juvenile offenses, and differing mental health diagnoses. 

Methods: Data and Samples: We utilized administrative records from the Idaho Department of Juvenile Corrections for all youth remanded to their facilities between the years 2011-2014.   This data set represented 4720 unique individuals who were remanded during that timeframe. 

Measures:The data set included measures for mental health using the Alaska Mental Health Score Code and Alaska Substance Abuse Score Code as well as the preliminary diagnoses.  Measures in the data set also included the number of social and mental health services recommended by staff and the number of services actually received.  Demographic characteristics of the youth, along with the type of juvenile crime, were also recorded.

Results:Using multivariate linear and logistic regressions, results indicate that gender and the type of mental health diagnoses are associated with a difference in the amount of services received relative to the number referred.  Girls, those with dual substance abuse and mental health diagnoses, those with only a substance abuse disorder, and those with any other type of mental health diagnoses received less than the referred number services relative to boys or those without any mental health diagnoses.  Logistic regression showed that girls were 16% more likely to not receive the number of referred services relative to boys.  Compared to those without any mental health diagnoses, youth diagnosed with a dual disorder were 3.5 times more likely to not receive the number of recommended services, while those with a SUD were 3.1 times more likely, and those with any other diagnoses were 2.6 times more likely. 

Implications: Findings indicate there are substantial differences by diagnoses and gender on the number of services received relative to the number referred.  Social workers in the juvenile justice system should be sensitive to these differences and policies placed that tackle the potential for discrimination on service provision.