Every year dozens of Jamaican children appear before the courts for offences ranging from minor theft to violent crimes. Some are sent to children’s homes or juvenile correctional facilities, while others are remanded to police lock-ups, far from the nurturing environment they desperately need. Yet behind the courtroom drama lies an often-ignored truth: Many of these young people are battling undiagnosed or untreated mental health challenges.

As someone who has studied the intersection between mental health and juvenile justice, I have seen how untreated trauma, depression, and behavioural disorders can quietly dictate a young person’s path to delinquency. In my peer-reviewed research, I found that in the United States fewer than half of all states mandate mental health screening when youth first enter the juvenile justice system. The states that screen are better able to identify risk, connect youth to care, and ultimately reduce reoffending.

Jamaica has an opportunity to learn from these examples before it is too late.

The Invisible Wounds Behind Delinquency

Too often we treat juvenile offending as a matter of bad behaviour instead of a cry for help. But research consistently shows that justice-involved youth experience high rates of trauma, family instability, and abuse. International studies estimate that up to 90 per cent of incarcerated youth have experienced at least one major traumatic event, and many live with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or depression.

In Jamaica, our educators and social workers regularly encounter students struggling with grief, neglect, or exposure to violence. When these issues go unaddressed, they manifest as aggression, truancy, or conflict with authority — behaviour that can fast-track a child into the justice system. Without proper psychological assessment, the system risks punishing symptoms of trauma rather than addressing their root causes.

Where We Stand in Jamaica

While the Child Diversion Act represents a progressive step towards rehabilitation, mental health remains the missing link in many of our diversion and correctional programmes. There is currently no standardised psychological screening protocol for children who enter State custody. Screening is sometimes left to the discretion of overworked probation officers or external non-governmental organisations. This ad-hoc approach means many children pass through the system with undiagnosed disorders that continue to shape their behaviour long after release.

Some juvenile facilities within the Department of Corrections have made efforts to incorporate counselling, but without a national policy mandating screening at intake, the coverage remains uneven. As Jamaica seeks to strengthen its restorative justice and diversion frameworks, mental health assessment must become as routine as fingerprinting.

Why Early Screening Matters

Screening is not about labelling or excusing criminal behaviour, it is about identifying risk factors early and providing targeted interventions. When youth receive mental health support, whether counselling, trauma-informed care, or family therapy, they are more likely to complete education programmes, maintain stable behaviour, and avoid reoffending. In the US, research indicates that early screening, followed by treatment, reduces recidivism and improves rehabilitation outcomes. In Jamaica, where correctional resources are already stretched thin, prevention through mental health intervention is not just compassionate – it’s cost-effective.

A Call to Policymakers

Jamaica’s policymakers and justice stakeholders should make mental health screening mandatory for all youth entering the justice system, including those in remand or diversion programmes. This could be achieved through collaboration between the Ministry of National Security, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Health and Wellness, and the Child Protection and Family Services Agency (CPFSA). We already have local expertise. Hence, our clinical psychologists, guidance counsellors, and trained social workers could be certified to administer validated tools. With appropriate training and privacy safeguards, screenings could be implemented at police intake, children’s courts, and correctional facilities.

Healing, Not Just Punishment

If we are serious about giving children a second chance, we must look beyond punishment and invest in their mental well-being. A child who lashes out after witnessing violence or suffering abuse does not need another sentence. Instead, they need support, stability, and understanding.

Mandatory mental health screening is a small step that can lead to transformational outcomes. It allows us to see the whole child, not just the offence. And in doing so, it helps Jamaica build a justice system rooted in rehabilitation rather than retribution. Before we judge, let’s screen!

Dr Deneil D Christian is a Jamaican American criminal justice professor, researcher, and certified fraud examiner (CFE). Send comments to the Jamaica Observer or libertyphd2021@gmail.com