A juvenile with a substance abuse or co-occurring disorder has an illness and should be treated as such. The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) declares addiction to be a disease of the brain. Treatment should follow the diagnosis of a disease, according to what is available. Treatment options are limited for juveniles; this unmet need leaves the sick without care (Chassin, 2008). The ways our society, especially in Oklahoma, have chosen to deal with substance abuse disorders in the past has been questionable. Much of the focus towards drug abuse prevention in children and teens has been social inoculation, i.e. programs such as the D.A.R.E campaign or “Just Say No” (Smith & Stevens, 2018, P. 321). Programs such as these do not consider all the aspects that may contribute to a person’s propensity towards drug abuse. Biological, environmental, and personal characteristics together play a part in …show more content…
2 in the United States for incarceration and No. 1 for incarceration of females (State of Oklahoma Department of Corrections, 2016). A number of those incarcerated are serving time for crimes committed due to addiction and are not receiving treatment. It is known that drug access while incarcerated is as easily accessed just as it would be on the streets. According to JAMA, an estimated one-half of all prisoners meet the criteria for diagnosis of drug abuse or dependence (2009). About 29% of inmates in local jails are under influence during the time of the crime. However, only about 7% receive treatment (JAMA, 2009.) These statistics demonstrate that treatment is not adequate and continuing to place a juvenile in detention centers is not only detrimental to their self-worth, but it is also not conducive to recovery. By the Juvenile Bureau focusing on treating mental health and substance abuse issues rather than solely punishing for criminal behavior, this pattern could be