Christopherson: Utah Has a Chance to Make the Juvenile Justice System More Compassionate
Nine in 10 children in the juvenile justice system report experiencing trauma of some kind, and 70% struggle with mental health disorders — rates much higher than the general population, though depression and anxiety, unfortunately, remain common among Utah kids. The high likelihood is that a child involved in criminal activity has already suffered far beyond their fair share. It seems obvious — and the continuing horrors of Trump’s immigration policies demonstrate — that the stress associated with prosecution and detainment can only serve to traumatize them further.
