Piloting an Evidence-Based Assessment Protocol for Incarcerated Adolescents.

Although evidence-based assessment is considered an essential component of evidence-based practice, few adolescents have access to evidence-based assessment. Despite experiencing high rates of mental health disorders, incarcerated justice-involved adolescents are rarely able to access evidence-based psychiatric care. In this article, we discuss the components of an evidence-based assessment protocol designed and piloted with incarcerated adolescents involved in Rhode Island's juvenile justice system. In particular, we describe the components of our evidence-based protocol, ways in which evidence-based assessment may need to be modified when working with this population, and discuss policy and clinical implications relevant to increasing access to evidence-based assessment among incarcerated adolescents.

Adverse Psychiatric and Health Impacts of Restrictive Housing for Adolescents in Juvenile Correctional Settings.

The use of solitary confinement for incarcerated adolescents has been criticized widely, including by the National Commission on Correctional Health Care, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.1-3 Currently, 29 states prohibit the use of punitive solitary confinement in juvenile correctional facilities, and 15 others place time limits on solitary confinement of juveniles.4 However, the use of "restrictive housing," which is broadly defined as an intervention involving removal from the general inmate population, placement in a locked room, or inability to leave the room for the majority of the day, is still commonly practiced. Limited research and guidance exists around this practice and its health impacts on incarcerated adolescents, especially mental health and suicide risk.