In 2008, 9.3 percent of youths aged 12 to 17 were current illicit drug users: 6.7 percent used marijuana, 2.9 percent engaged in nonmedical use of prescription-type psychotherapeutics, 1.1 percent used inhalants, 1.0 percent used hallucinogens, and 0.4 percent used cocaine.^F1

In 2008, 1 in 30 youths aged 12 to 17 reported they had carried a handgun at least once; an estimated 3.0 percent had sold illegal drugs, and 4.6 percent had, at least once, stolen or tried to steal something worth more than $50.^F2

In 2008, 2.11 million people younger than age 18 were arrested by law enforcement agencies in the United.^F3

Overall, there were three percent fewer juvenile arrests in 2008 than in 2007, and juvenile violent crime arrests fell two percent, continuing a recent decline.^F4

The Problem

For four out of five kids aged 10-17 in the juvenile justice system, one or more of the following is true: they are under the influence of alcohol or drugs while committing their crimes; they test positive for drugs; they are arrested for committing an alcohol or drug offense; or they admit to having substance abuse problems.^P1

Nearly 85 percent of youth treated for substance abuse problems, also have a mental health disorder.^P2

Teens in the juvenile justice system are more likely to commit crimes as adults because delinquent behavior is "contagious", according to a 20-year research project in Canada.^P3

Nearly half of all teens entering publicly-funded substance abuse treatment are referred from the juvenile justice system.^LT1

In 2008, 23.1 million people ages 12 or older needed treatment for an illicit drug or alcohol use problem. Of these, only 2.3 million (0.9 percent of persons aged 12 or older and 9.9 percent of those who needed treatment) received treatment at a specialty facility.^LT2

Research suggests that treatment can cut drug abuse in half, drastically decrease criminal activity, and significantly reduce arrests.^TW1

Youth participating in the national Adolescent Treatment Models initiative showed reduction in substance abuse three months following treatment, particularly among youth in residential treatment.^TW2

When you ask the people who work in the juvenile justice system what is the best way to address youth crime, their top answer is effective substance abuse treatment.^TW3

Longer stays in juvenile facilities do not appear to reduce offending. However, continued probation supervision and community-based services provided after a youth is released do make a difference, at least in the six months following release.^TW4

Substance use is strongly related to continued criminal activity in this group [of juveniles who committed serious crimes], and it makes sense to focus on this behavior for intervention. In fact, the study shows that treatment for substance use can reduce offending.^TW5

For every dollar spent on addiction treatment programs, $4 to $7 is saved on drug-related crimes.^TS1

Every dollar spent on drug treatment is estimated to return more than $18 in benefits to the community.^TS2

Communities that piloted the Reclaiming Futures approach to helping teens overcome drugs, alcohol and crime reported significant improvements in juvenile justice and substance abuse treatment.^RF1

Eight communities that piloted the Reclaiming Futures model have improved the social networks that juvenile justice and substance abuse agencies use to communicate and cooperate with one another.^RF2

^F1 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2009). Results from the 2008 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: National Findings (Office of Applied Studies, NSDUH Series H-36, HHS Publication No. SMA 09-4434). Rockville, MD.

^F2 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2009). Results from the 2008 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: National Findings (Office of Applied Studies, NSDUH Series H-36, HHS Publication No. SMA 09-4434). Rockville, MD.

^F3 Federal Bureau of Investigation. (2009). Crime in the United States 2008.

^F4 Federal Bureau of Investigation. (2009). Crime in the United States 2008.

^P1 (The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University. (2004). Criminal Neglect: Substance Abuse, Juvenile Justice and The Children Left Behind. [On-line]. Retrieved July 8, 2008 from the World Wide Web: http://www.casacolumbia.org/ViewProduct.aspx?PRODUCTID={5E764135-2E2E-449c-9BDB-4075D2B6CB64)

^P2 Huang, L.N. (2004). Transforming mental health care for children and families, [Networks. Special Edition, Volume 8, Issues 3 & 4]. Available online. Alexandria, VA: National Technical Assistance Center for State Mental Health Planning.)

^P3 Gatti et al. Latrogenic effect of juvenile justice. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 2009; DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-7610.2008.02057.

^LT1 Treatment Episode Data Set, 1992-2005 (Concatenated), accessed at http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/cgi-bin/SDA/SAMHDA.

^LT2 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2009). Results from the 2008 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: National Findings (Office of Applied Studies, NSDUH Series H-36, HHS Publication No. SMA 09-4434). Rockville, MD.

^TW1 The National Treatment Improvement Evaluation Study (NTIES): Highlights. DHHS Publication No. (SMA) 97-3159. Rockville, MD: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Center for Substance Abuse Treatment, Office of Evaluation, Scientific Analysis and Synthesis, pp. 241–242. 1997.

^TW2 Dasinger, L, Shane P, Martinovich Z. Assessing the Effectiveness of Community-Based Substance Abuse Treatment for Adolescents. Journal of Psychoactive Drugs. 36(1): 85-94, 2004.

^TW3 Mears, Daniel P., Tracey L. Shollenberger, Janeen B. Willison, Colleen Owens, and Jeffrey A. Butts (forthcoming, 2009). Practitioner views of priorities, policies, and practices in juvenile justice. Crime and Delinquency. A journal from Sage Publications.

^TW4 Models For Change, Systems Reform in Juvenile Justice. December 2009. Research on Pathways to Desistance. Available online at http://www.modelsforchange.net/publications/239.

^TW5 Models For Change, Systems Reform in Juvenile Justice. December 2009. Research on Pathways to Desistance. Available online at http://www.modelsforchange.net/publications/239.

^TS1 National Institute on Drug Abuse. 2006. NIDA InfoFacts: Treatment approaches for drug addiction. pgs 1-2.Online at http://www.nida.nih.gov/PDF/InfoFacts/Treatment06.pdf

TS2 Aos, Steve, Marna Miller, and Elizabeth Drake. 2006. Evidence-based public policy options to reduce future prison construction, criminal justice costs, and crime rates. Olympia: Washington State Institute for Public Policy. Online at http://www.wsipp.wa.gov; Aos, Steve. 2003. The criminal justice system in Washington State: Incarceration rates, taxpayer costs, crime rates and prison economics. Olympia: Washington State Institute of Public Policy.

^RF1 Butts, Jeffrey A. and Roman, John. Changing Systems: Outcomes from the RWJF Reclaiming Futures Initiative on Juvenile Justice and Substance Abuse. A Reclaiming Futures National Evaluation Report. Portland, OR: Reclaiming Futures National Program Office, Portland State University, 2007.

^RF2 Yahner, Jennifer and Jeffrey A. Butts. Agency Relations: Social Network Dynamics and the RWJF Reclaiming Futures Initiative. A Reclaiming Futures National Evaluation Report. Portland, OR: Reclaiming Futures National Program Office, Portland State University, 2007.