JLC, together with, In Our Daughters’ Hands, Inc., the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services, and The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, is developing and promoting a system to identify health issues of girls entering the juvenile justice system. A reliable and valid health screen—a set of questions that will identify the health problems young girls coming into the juvenile justice system have—will improve the health care these young women receive and will save lives.

Girls are the fastest growing segment of the juvenile justice system, accounting for 28 percent of all delinquency arrests and for one third of arrests of youth between the ages of 13 and 15. Studies of the needs of girls in the California and Florida juvenile justice systems revealed that 88 percent of girls interviewed reported between one and three serious health issues that were not adequately addressed.

The medical conditions found in examinations of detained girls bear a direct relationship to major public health concerns regarding infectious and communicable diseases. Many states require that juvenile justice facilities attend to the medical needs of children in custody; however, without proper training and a properly nuanced screening device, problems girls suffer may go undetected, leading to life-threatening health crises and even death. In addition, the public has an interest in treating medical conditions that may play a role in the entry and re-entry of girls into the juvenile justice system. The absence of research on the medical needs of this vulnerable population means that professionals and policy-makers lack guidance in how best to detect and meet the acute and long-term health needs and improve the well-being of these girls.

The study is now in the validation stage and the results of physical examinations are being compared to the responses to questions asked during screenings. Researchers have gained significant knowledge. The questionnaire will be refined in accordance with the findings. Once validated, the screening device will be offered for use to detention and other facilities across the nation allowing them to better serve the health needs of girls in the juvenile justice system.