Processing juvenile offenders in the traditional justice system can lead to a range of negative health and social consequences. However, health and public health perspectives are often absent in conversations about the juvenile justice system. In this June 13 seminar, Lauren Gase, chief of health and policy assessment in the Division of Chronic Disease and Injury Prevention at the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, draws from her work with the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health to discuss results from a recently published study examining the impact of Teen Courts — a popular juvenile justice system diversion model in which youths are judged by their peers and given restorative sentences to complete during a period of supervision. Did this alternative justice solution prevent recidivism, which is linked to life-long negative health consequences?
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