Juvenile Offenders with Mental IllnessThe juvenile justice system faces a significant challenge in identifying and responding to psychiatric disorders in young prisoners because research has shown that it is difficult to define the best means to use and enhance scarce mental health resources (Kessler & Kraus, 2007). According to Cocozza and Skowyra (2000) “The mental health needs of children and adolescents have historically been inadequately addressed in policy, practice and research and only the number of young people with mental illness and their level of unmet needs” (p 4) . Furthermore, the juvenile justice system has shifted from treatment and rehabilitation to punishment and punishment, and the prevalence is higher among system-involved youth suffering from mental health disorders than in the general population. In this article I will discuss juvenile detention pathways, the types of mentally ill juvenile offenders, the working alliance, available treatment/intervention options, the challenges of untreated mental illness, and research findings. Paths to juvenile detention There are two paths in which juvenile facilities are divided in the first there are detention centers and in the second there are correctional centers. Detention centers hold minors during the pre-judicial phase of the case or, in rare cases, post-judicial minors, for example, who are waiting to be placed in a residential program. Pre-adjudication refers to the court not hearing the facts to support the charges against the minor, while post-adjudication refers to a judge finding that he or she committed a delinquent act. Some reasons youth enter detention centers include: Perceived as high risk......middle of paper......ww.ncjrs.gov/html/ojjdp/9909-3/cli.html #1Tarolla, S.M., Wagner, E.F., Rabinowitz, J., & Tubman, J.G. (2002). Understanding and treating juvenile offenders: A review of current knowledge and future directions. Aggression and Violent Behavior, 7 (2), 125 - 143Teplin, L., Abram, K., Mc Clelland, G., Dulcan, M, & Mericle, A. (2002). Psychiatric disorders in youth in juvenile prison, Arch Gen Psychiatry, 59(12), 1133 - 1143Vitelli, R. (1996). Prevalence of childhood conduct and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in adult maximum security prisoners. International Journal of Offender Therapy & Comparative Criminology, 40, 263 – 271Underwood, L., Phillips, A., von Dresner, K. & Knight, P (2006) Critical Factors in Mental Health Programming for Juveniles in Corrections Facilities, International Journal of Behavioral counseling and therapy, 2 (1), 107 - 131