Abstract
Psychologists, criminologists, lawyers, and other professionals have made and continue to make important contributions to the structure and functioning of the juvenile justice system in the United States. Within the modern-day juvenile justice system-which generally seeks to be developmentally sensitive and balanced as to accountability and rehabilitation-several issues arise in the processing and management of youth’s cases in juvenile and criminal courts that prompt referrals for forensic mental health assessments. These referred evaluations inform preadjudication (transfer to or from adult court and competence to proceed), adjudication (waiver of Miranda rights and reliability of confession evidence), and postadjudication decision-making (juvenile disposition or adult sentencing). This chapter reviews seminal and contemporary research and legal precedent as relevant to these juvenile forensic mental health assessments. In addition, future directions for research, policy, and best practice are discussed.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | The Oxford Handbook of Psychology and Law |
| Publisher | Oxford University Press |
| Pages | 273-288 |
| Number of pages | 16 |
| ISBN (Electronic) | 9780197649169 |
| ISBN (Print) | 9780197649138 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - 1 Jan 2023 |
Keywords
- family court
- forensic mental health assessment
- juvenile dispositions
- juvenile justice
- juvenile transfer
- juveniles
