Justice-Involved Youth: The Newest Target for Health Equity Approaches?

Abstract

* Abbreviations: JIY — : justice-involved youth JI — : justice involvement In 2015, over 900 000 US youth <18 years of age were arrested. This is a 68% decrease from the peak in 1996 but still represents 1 in every 36 youth between the ages of 10 and 17, 1 in every 26 boys, and 1 in every 16 African American youth.1 In their article “Preventive Care Use Among Justice-Involved and Non–Justice-Involved Youth,” Aalsma et al2 use a novel linkage of Medicaid claims data and juvenile justice records to test the relationship between juvenile justice involvement (JI) and use of health care services. Despite a few notable limitations described in the article, they make a strong case that Medicaid-enrolled youth who have been arrested at least once have less frequent use of primary care, more frequent use of the emergency department, and lower Medicaid coverage continuity. These health care disparities experienced by justice-involved youth (JIY) are concerning and deserving of attention, but they must be considered within the context of a system that draws such a high number of teenagers (particularly poor, urban, and minority teenagers) into contact with the justice system. Simply put, the best … Address correspondence to Deena J. Chisolm, PhD, Pediatrics and Public Health, The Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, 700 Children’s Dr, Room FB3322, Columbus, OH 43205. E-mail: deena.chisolm{at}nationwidechildrens.org