Juvenile Justice Settings

Involvement with the juvenile justice system has been linked to an increased suicide risk among youth. Factors that may increase suicide risk in this population include mental health and/or substance use disorders, the loss of a friend or family member or friend to suicide or another cause of death, social isolation, relationship problems, and separation from family.  

Administrators, staff, and others in the juvenile justice system can play an important role in suicide prevention. Adopting suicide prevention protocols, guidelines, and tools will help improve the juvenile justice system’s intervention standards and mental health care, thereby contributing to suicide prevention and to the overall health and well-being of justice-involved youth.

Prevention Resources and Tools
The Action Alliance (Youth in Contact with the Juvenile Justice System Task Force) has developed several resources aimed at supporting suicide prevention in juvenile justice settings. See Featured Resources below for links.

Featured Resources

• Preventing Suicide: Working with Youth Who are Justice Involved: Executive Summary
• Suicide Ideation and Behavior among Youth in the Juvenile Justice System: A Review of the Literature
• Screening and Assessment for Suicide Prevention: Tools and Procedures for Risk Identification and Risk Reduction among Juvenile Justice Youth
• Guide to Developing and Revising Suicide Prevention Protocols for Youth in Contact with the Juvenile Justice System
• Preventing Juvenile Suicide through Improved Collaboration: Strategies for Mental Health and Juvenile Justice (Summary)
• Need to Know: A Fact Sheet Series on Juvenile Justice
  • For Juvenile Court Judges and Staff
  • For Juvenile Detention and Secure Care Staff
  • For Juvenile Probation Staff