The Evolution of Substance Abuse Treatment in Juvenile Justice

ABSTRACT This paper discusses the scope of substance abuse and related problems among juvenile offenders, and describes three models of addressing the problem based on a review of current approaches, ranging from Treatment Alternatives to Street Crimes programs (TASC), to juvenile drug courts, to an integrated treatment network model. The relevant strengths and weaknesses of each in supporting lasting change in substance-abusing juvenile offenders and their families are presented, and a call to action is offered for communities wishing to aim their interventions innovatively and precisely in the direction of substance abuse among their delinquent youth.