Youth and Young Adults
Recent studies have shown that between 50 to 70 percent of youth in the juvenile justice system have a behavioral health condition compared to 9 to 13 percent of youth who are not in the justice system.
Among this population, only a small percentage receive needed treatment and some studies suggest that Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) and LGBTQ+ youth may be even less likely to receive care that is tailored to their needs. With JMHCP support, communities can adopt and more effectively implement policies and practices shown to halt the “school-to-prison pipeline” and improve outcomes of youth and young adults of all races, genders, and sexual orientations who come into contact with the juvenile and criminal justice systems.
How to Use an Integrated Approach to Address the Mental Health Needs of Youth in the Justice System
Selected Resources
Improving Outcomes for People in Contact with the Criminal Justice System Who Have Intellectual or Developmental Disabilities
Correctional Facilities
FY2020 Planning and Implementation Guide for Juvenile Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program
Mental Health
Key Staff
Jazmone Wilkerson
Project Manager, Behavioral Health
Dr. Jazmone Wilkerson provides project support and technical assistance (TA) for the Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program. Previously, Jazmone worked as adjunct faculty at Antioch University in its Clinical Mental Health Counseling (CMHC) Program and as a legislative assistant for the DC Council Committee of the Judiciary. Jazmone has advocated and provided TA on a range of issues, including the school-to-prison pipeline, educational equity, and behavioral health. Jazmone earned a BA/BS from Purdue University, a JD from the University of the District of Columbia, an MA in CMHC from Argosy University, and a PhD in counselor education and supervision from Lindsey Wilson College.
Ryan Carlino
Senior Policy Analyst, Behavioral Health
Ryan Carlino provides technical assistance and policy guidance to counties participating in the States Supporting Familiar Faces initiative. Before joining the CSG Justice Center, Ryan worked at the University of Chicago Crime Lab where he supported government agencies in designing, testing, and scaling programs and policies that address criminal justice and behavioral health system challenges. Prior to that, Ryan worked as a research analyst with the Travis County Juvenile Probation Department. In 2020, Ryan was appointed as a commissioner on the inaugural City of Austin Community Police Review Commission, which provides civilian oversight of police activities in Austin. Ryan earned a BA in anthropology from Grinnell College and an MPP from the University of Texas.
Felicia Lopez Wright
Senior Policy Analyst, Behavioral Health
Felicia Lopez Wright provides behavioral health technical assistance to Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program grantees with projects focused on implementing or enhancing diversion, pretrial, juvenile justice, mental health courts, jails, and/or reentry programming. Additionally, she contributes to various behavioral health-criminal justice projects, such as gender-responsive services for justice-involved women and crisis system enhancements. Felicia is a licensed clinical social worker with over a decade of combined experience providing mental health therapy to demographically diverse populations in various care settings, special education case management in a public school district, and short-term counseling at a community court program. She earned a BA in psychology from The College of New Jersey and an MSW from Rutgers University.