ABSTRACT
Juvenile detention, a separate placement for criminal offenders under 18 years old, was created by law in 1824. Since then, the number of juveniles in detention has fluctuated, with a peak of more than 115,000 in the late 1990’s, decreasing dramatically thereafter. A Justice Policy Institute paper states that “unmet mental and behavioral health needs” are at the top of the needs that administrators see in detained youth. Research shows that art therapy can help detainees reduce stress, increase self-esteem, express anger, and offer an empathic therapeutic relationship. Art programs restore choice and increase relaxation and engagement while detainees are incarcerated. Attachment, trauma, and emotional regulation are the core issues that juveniles in detention face and an enormous part of Clinicians' work in detention has to do with addressing them in therapeutic, ethical ways. Every detention center has different policies regarding confidentiality and disclosures of case-related material.
