Alternatives to Detention

Adopting a Trauma Informed/Healing Informed Approach in Juvenile Justice Settings

The Tribal Youth Resource Source Center strives to support Tribal and State Juvenile Justice systems who are seeking to reduce Native youth incarceration by building their capacity to provide alternatives to detention and better understanding the prevalence of trauma with incarcerated Native Youth:

Up to 50 percent of youth and adults who are incarcerated have experienced four or more childhood traumatic events compared with approximately 12 percent of the general population (Baglivio et al., 2014).
Trauma exposure, particularly during childhood, increases the risk for contact with the justice system in adolescence and adulthood (Graf et al., 2021). For example, childhood trauma is associated with arrest, recidivism, and incarceration (Graf et al., 2021; Testa et al., 2022; Yohros, 2022).
Using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health, Testa et al. (2022) found that experiencing four or more childhood traumatic events was significantly associated with arrest, incarceration, and multiple incarcerations in young adulthood (ages 24– 32) and middle adulthood (ages 33–43).

Increased awareness and understanding of the prevalence and impact of trauma has prompted the call for a trauma informed/healing informed approaches across justice settings. Adopting such an approach ensures that all staff have the knowledge and skills needed to understand and best serve youth exposed to trauma prior to incarceration and to avoid unintentionally causing additional harm. Integrating a trauma-informed/healing informed approach requires a sustained, concerted effort to cultivate a shared understanding of trauma and healing.

Please contact the Tribal Youth Resource Center at [email protected] if your Tribal or State Juvenile Justice system is interested in learning more about Trauma Informed/Healing Informed training and technical assistance.

State Tribal Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative (JDAI) Workgroup and Tribal Youth Resource Center (TYRC)

This is a collaborative workgroup whose goal is to reduce disparities in youth justice and is focused on creating diversion opportunities and detention alternatives for Tribal youth involved in the justice system in South Dakota. The impact includes increased collaboration among Tribal and State stakeholders, Truancy Prevention Partnership, Reentry support, Indigenous Reconnection for Tribal Youth; and Family and Youth Engagement. In December of 2023, a Tribal Peer to Peer Summit held in Rapid City SD focused on diversion and collaboration and was well attended by State and Tribal Juvenile and Court staff. The event was sponsored by the State Tribal JDAI Workgroup and South Dakota Unified Judicial System with technical assistance from the TYRC.

Think Trauma: Working with Justice Involved Youth

Three years ago, the Pennington County Juvenile Court Services (Rapid City, S.D.) requested training and technical assistance from the Tribal Youth Resource Center as Native youth were disproportionately represented in their justice system. In response to the request the National Native Children’s Trauma Center at the University of Montana, a partner of the Tribal Youth Resource Center provided a multitude of virtual and in-person trainings for the Pennington County Court Juvenile Services staff (Rapid City, South Dakota):

Think Trauma: A Training for Working with Justice-Involved Youth: A National Child Traumatic Stress Network curriculum for training juvenile justice agency staff to be responsive to the traumarelated needs of the young people in their systems. The NNCTC has developed adaptations for Tribal systems, including interactive case studies set in Tribal communities.
Historical Trauma and Its Current Impacts: An overview of the history, theory, and research related to the collective traumas experienced by AI/AN populations and the ongoing effects of these traumas, coupled with a focus on local resilience and strategies for promoting collective healing.
Trauma and Resilience in Tribal Communities: An introduction to research on trauma as it relates to AI/AN people and Tribal communities, including trauma types, brain science, developmental and behavioral effects, and the interconnected nature of historic and current traumas. Also includes practice scenarios and significant attention to resilience strategies.
Sry Traumatic Stress and Self-Care: An introduction to Secondary Traumatic Stress (STS) experienced by those in the helping professions, coupled with best practices for mitigating STS at the individual and the organizational levels.

Tribal Youth -Trauma, Grief and Healing

In December 2024, staff and consultants from the Tribal Youth Resource Center gathered with youth detained in the Pennington County Juvenile Services Center in Rapid City SD for sessions on responding to grief and loss from a Lakota Tribal perspective. Approximately, 48 youth (36 males and 12 females) participated in a Wiping of Tears healing sessions and also learned about the impact of grief and loss and how it is connected to being involved in the justice system. The participation by the youth was overwhelming and highlighted the need for consistent attention to the needs of youth in the justice system who have experiences of trauma, grief and loss.