Juvenile competency to stand trial in criminal court and brain function

Abstract

Current estimates indicate that approximately 200,000 juveniles are transferred to the (adult) criminal court system each year and it is often required that the juvenile's ability to function in adult criminal proceedings be assessed by a mental health professional. We review the literature on the assessment of juvenile competency to stand trial in criminal court, adolescent brain development, and related cognitive skills. We conclude that integrative developmental theories are needed to guide research and provide theoretical pathways to apply neuropsychological information to juvenile competency behaviors and the assessment of these behaviors.

Keywords:

• adolescence
• cognitive functioning
• criminal procedure
• developmental
• forensic