The Teenage Brain and the Justice System

1. The Teenage Brain and the Justice System Lynsey M. Heffernan Department of Youth Services JDAI Detention Reform Specialist Mental Health and Law Enforcement Conference

3. Stages of Growth There are three major stages of brain growth in humans: • In the womb • In the first two years of life • In the teenage years Adolescence Brain Development focused on the massive growth and transformation in the brain which happens approximately from 12 through 25 years of age.

4. Basic Brain Development- It takes 25 years! From childhood, though adolescences and into adulthood, the brain is in a state of major transformation. Red- Least Developed Yellow/Green- Early Development Dark Blue- Half Developed Purple- Most Developed Thompson, et al. International Review of Neuro Biology, 2005

5. All parts of the brain do not develop in perfect rhythm In the teenage years there is a war in the brain regarding what will control behavior: Limbic System: Centered in the Amygdala Fight or flight, survival system Controls drives, instincts, sensations and feelings Pre-Frontal Cortex: Rational/ Logical Weigh pros and cons Responsible for Cognitive and Executive Functioning V.S.

6. Adolescent Brain Development • Scientific research tells us that much delinquency behavior is based in the brain science. • Early development of the amygdala, which controls sensation-seeking, often reckless, behavior. • Last part of the brain to develop: the frontal lobe, responsible for decision making and executive functioning • “[C]hanges in the socioemotional system at puberty may promote reckless, sensation-seeking behavior in early and middle adolescence, while the regions of the prefrontal cortex that govern cognitive control continue to mature over the course of adolescence and into young adulthood.” *

7. How the researchers say this: • “This temporal gap between the increase in sensation seeking around puberty and the later development of mature self-regulatory competence may combine to make adolescence a time of inherently immature judgment.”* *Lawrence Steinberg, Adolescent Development and Juvenile Justice, ANNU. REV.CLIN.PSYCHOL. 2009. 5:47–73 at 55.

8. Peer Influences: Peers are important to teenagers!

9. Peer Influences • The driving study: exposure to peers doubled the risk taking behavior of adolescents. • “[T]he presence of peers makes adolescents and youth, but not adults, more likely to take risks and more likely to make risky decisions.” Gardner & Steinberg, 41 Dev. Psychology 625 (2005)

10. Trauma and Teenage Brain • A traumatic experience can be a single event or repeated/chronic distressful situation. • Traumatic experiences can overwhelm one’s ability to cope with the situation. • When exposed to trauma, or when needs are not being met, the limbic system kicks into gear. Generates Norepinephrine hormone: which releases adrenalin and cortisol.

11. Trauma and the Teenage Brain • Stress hormones remain in a juvenile’s system longer than in adults. • These same hormones reduce the brain’s ability to access the Pre-Frontal Cortex, the rational thinking part. • Biologically, therefore, when stressed teenagers are not as able to think through situations.

12. Trauma and Teenage Brain So what does this look like in society: • When exposed to trauma and stressors, teenagers are not good at calming down easily or quickly. • Biologically, their system gets exhausted since they stay at a hyper-sensitive place for a longer time than adults. • Sadly, elevated stress hormone actually change the brains neurons.

13. National Trends: Youth In Custody Incredibly High rates of Emotional Problems or Traumatic Experiences* • 45% have a hard time paying attention at school or work • 14% having seen things that other people say are not there • 68% say that they have been easy to upset * Taken from Survey of Youth in Residential Placement (SYRP); 10-20 yo, N: 7,073 youth in custody

14. National Trends: Youth In Custody • 52% had nervous or worried feelings that kept them from doing things they wanted to • 52% felt lonely much of the time • 70% had something very bad or terrifying happen to them in their life • 67% had seen someone severely injured or killed (in person, not in media) • 22% had previously tried to kill themselves

15. National Trends: Prior Abuse • 25% report prior physical abuse by a caregiver • 12% report prior sexual abuse by an adult • Higher rates for females: Only 46% of females report no past physical or sexual abuse.

16. National Trends: Substance Abuse History • 72% of youth in custody report using both alcohol and drugs before incarceration, as compared to 35% of youth in the community. • 30% report using crack/cocaine; versus 6% in community • 22% report using crystal meth; versus 2% in the community

17. Juvenile Population in our programs • Poorly executive decision making abilities • High rates of mental health history • Very high rates of past traumatic experiences • Challenging school settings: difficult placements, bullying, low expectations • High rates of substance abuse Very High Need Youth ≠ Deep Criminal Activity

18. Dangers of Detention • Exacerbates mental illness • Increases self-harming behaviors for those already struggling with poor mental health • Reduces educational success • Reduces future earning potential, and creates less-stable future employees

19. Detention Population In Massachusetts, the detention population is comprised predominantly of low-level offenders and technical probation violators. In 2013, 75% of all detained youth were held on low level offenses.

20. Massachusetts: 2012 17,505 delinquency complaints ↓ 7,414 youth were arrested ↓ 5,828 youth arraigned on delinquency ↓ 1,990 youth were admitted to bail ↓ 386 youth were committed to DYS

21. Declining Detention Admissions Females are not seeing the same declines in detention compared to males.

22. Alternatives to Detention within DYS

23. JDAI Seeks Alternatives to Secure Detention The Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative (JDAI) of the Annie E. Casey Foundation provides a framework for engaging stakeholders to reduce the reliance on secure detention though collaboration and targeted data-driven solutions. The Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative in Massachusetts works to assure that the “the right youth, is in the right place, for the right reason.”

24. Detention Reform Wheel: Eight Core Strategies Massachusetts JDAI

25. JDAI Structure JDAI Massachusetts

26. What can you do? • Come to the local, or any state-wide, JDAI meeting learn more about JDAI and how you can play a role in reforming our system. • Engage local stakeholders to establish diversionary programs for low-level young offenders to keep them out of the juvenile justice system. • Be a teaching tool: tell other juvenile justice stakeholders that detention is not a place for most young people!

27. Questions Lynsey M. Heffernan JDAI Detention Reform Specialist, DYS 508-475-2716 Lynsey.heffernan@state.ma.us