Healthcare Delivery in the Juvenile Justice System: A Practical Guide for Custody, Community Pediatrics, and Policy Professionals

Co-authored by Dr. Elizabeth Barnert, a physician-scientist and expert in youth justice health policy, the book offers a unique blend of implementation insight, clinical acumen, and systems-level thinking. This book is intended as a practical, field-tested guide for professionals delivering and shaping healthcare services in juvenile justice systems. As the first comprehensive resource of its kind, the book draws from the experience of Dr. Michelle Staples-Horne, who has led the Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice’s medical system for over thirty years and helped shape national best practices. Co-authored by Dr. Elizabeth Barnert, a physician-scientist and expert in youth justice health policy, the book offers a unique blend of implementation insight, clinical acumen, and systems-level thinking. The primary objective is to equip healthcare professionals, juvenile justice administrators, public health leaders, and policymakers with an actionable roadmap to build, strengthen, and reform healthcare systems for youth in custody. The book emphasizes how to operationalize trauma-informed, developmentally appropriate, and equitable care in confinement, while also addressing critical areas such as Medicaid coverage, workforce development, quality improvement, and reentry. While resources exist for adult correctional health or for clinical care in community pediatrics, no dedicated book addresses the full scope of pediatric care for youth in confinement. This book fills that gap, offering both a strategic blueprint and an educational resource to elevate practice, inform policy, and inspire reform.