U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff and Congresswoman Jen Kiggans recently revealed a troubling trend: children with special needs are being locked up in juvenile detention centers due to a lack of mental health care. This investigation uncovered that these facilities often hold kids who need care, not punishment.
Senator Ossoff described this situation as a “national crisis.” He noted that kids are behind bars not because of their actions, but because they can’t get the help they need. The findings showed that 75 facilities across 25 states are detaining children who could be released to mental health programs if those services were available. Alarmingly, some of these kids have never been charged with any crime or would typically not even qualify for detention.
In a press conference, Ossoff mentioned Georgia’s struggles with mental health care. He pointed to past testimonies from juvenile justice judges who indicated the state’s foster care system often resorts to locking up children simply due to a lack of options.
A mother from Georgia, Amandy Figures, shared her son’s story. He suffers from multiple mental health issues and has faced significant challenges in school. Figures stated that her son did not get the care he needed, leading to behaviors that resulted in multiple stays in juvenile detention. Her heartbreaking experience highlights the desperate need for accessible mental health support. “He deserves quality mental healthcare,” she said.
Dr. Rebecca Fix from Johns Hopkins echoed these concerns. She noted that many mental health professionals aren’t adequately trained to work with the unique needs of these children, causing them to cycle through facilities without proper help. Fix said some kids wait for mental health care for months, even up to a year, trapped in a system not designed to support them.
This investigation fits into a bigger picture. A Senate Finance Committee probe criticized residential treatment centers as “warehouses of neglect” and highlighted how profit motives often overshadow effective care.
The plight of these children raises an important question: How can society ensure that kids receive the mental health services they need? Recognizing this issue could lead to real change for the most vulnerable in our communities.
For more information on youth mental health challenges, you can explore reports from sources like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
