By Lars Almquist and Sarah C. Walker, Juvenile Justice Information Exchange, September 20, 2019
Public health experts recognize that as little as 10-20% of our individual health may be attributed to treatments received from the health care system. Meanwhile, the contexts in which we live and our health behaviors have the greatest influence over our health outcomes. These factors are commonly referred to as social determinants of health, and they have a tremendous impact on the short- and long-term health of individuals, families, and communities.
The U.S. criminal justice system has not traditionally considered social determinants of health in legal and programmatic decision-making. Court systems are rarely equipped to alleviate the social determinants that may lead to an individual’s court contact or contribute to their recidivism. This applies to juvenile courts as well, despite general knowledge about the important role families, surrounding support systems and neighborhood contexts play in the long-term health and well-being of youth. Housing stability, in particular, is a critical asset for supporting youth emotional and physical health, but is rarely addressed as part of court services.
More than half of all youth homelessness is directly preceded by a family conflict resulting in the youth running away or being told to leave the home. Additionally, both housing instability and justice involvement are particularly acute for LGBTQ+ youth, who comprise 20-40% of the homeless youth population, often as a result of caregivers rejecting their sexual orientation.
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