Mental Health
Substance Abuse
Criminalization Facts
Juveniles In the CJ System
100

What is Mental Health 

The emotional, psychological, and social well-being of a person 

100

substance abuse can be used as what mechanism

Coping Mechanism 

100

The percentage of people in County Jail that have mental health challenges

64%

100

What do Youth in the system suffer from 

Trauma 

200

Estimated that more than how many people  with serious mental illnesses are arrested and booked into jails and prisons each year

2 Million

200

How many people who were prescribed psychiatric medication before incarceration reported they did not receive their medications once behind bars

50%

200

The percentage of people in State Prison that have mental health challenges

54%

200

What do people call misunderstood youth behavior 

"acting out" 

300

On average how many days do people have to wait in order to access mental health or substance use services after being incarcerated 

48 days 

300

How many American aged 12 and older battled a substance use disorder in 2024

48.4 million

300

The percentage of people in Federal Prison that have mental health challenges

45%

300

3 factors of the school to prison pipeline 

ISS, Expulsion, Juvie 

400

The failed policies of deinstitutionalization, which began in the 1960s with a law commonly referred to as the Community Mental Health Centers Act required what?

The law required individuals with mental health conditions receive treatment within their communities in minimally restrictive settings

400

What are 2 major historical drivers of today’s crisis, shifting responsibility for behavioral‑health care from hospitals to police, courts, and correctional facilities.

Deinstitutionalization & the War on Drugs

400

How many states have more people with mental health conditions in prison/jail than in the largest remaining state mental health hospital

44

400

how many youths leaving care experience mental health challenge

two thirds 

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