Dieter Cantu testifies before the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights on mental healthcare in juvenile justice facilities

Last week, the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights held a briefing to “investigate mental health care and consequences in juvenile justice facilities.” As the briefing description explained, “The federal government has an obligation to uphold the civil rights of all youth in juvenile justice facilities, including by providing physical and mental health care. Briefing panelists [discussed] potential violations of these civil rights, as well as racial disparities in access to mental health care during confinement.”

“Many incarcerated youth have mental health issues that are left untreated during confinement. Inadequate mental health care, coupled with abuse and violence in some youth facilities, can create an unsafe environment for children and adolescents sentenced to serve time in residential facilities. A recent report from the Texas Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights finds that 69% of youth confined in the Texas Juvenile Justice Department have moderate to severe mental health needs, and that self-harm and suicide are increasing.

“At this public briefing, the Commission [heard] from subject matter experts, such as federal and state government officials, community advocates, and impacted persons who have lived and worked in juvenile facilities.”

Watch the full video (TW: graphic testimony and images of self-harm):

Among those who testified on the third panel that day were Dieter Cantu (Leading with Conviction™ 2020), former JLUSA team member Lester Young, Samuel Quiles (Program Coordinator for the Newark Community Street Team), and John Bunn (Founder of A Voice for the Unheard).

If we can recognize when a youth breaks a rule, we should be able to recognize when a youth is asking for help.

As Dieter Cantu testified on June 12, “At the age of 16, I was sentenced to 10 years for my first, last, and only arrest. … Over the course of my sentence, I spent time in three facilities. Two of those three facilities have been closed due to abuse, corruption, and poor living conditions.

“I was sent eight hours away from home to a prison where temperatures exceeded 100 degrees during the summer and snow during the winter. … When I became sick with illnesses such as strep throat or staph infections, I was only offered faucet water as a solution. …

“I witnessed kids go through extortion, sexual acts through intimidation, and public humiliation used to establish power or control. For these children, the damage was not limited to what happened to them physically. It was the psychological impact of learning that their safety, dignity, and humanity could be taken from them without consequence. And I can wholeheartedly say that now as an adult, I’m still healing from experiences that no child should ever have to endure.

“What I know to be true is that youth are not asking for another prescriptive “check the box” counseling session. They’re asking for connection, guidance, and a safe space to tell the truth about what they’re carrying. They’re asking for someone to take their pain seriously, before it becomes a disciplinary issue or criminal charge or a prison sentence. More than anything, they’re asking to be seen before their pain turns into a permanent part of their identity.

“Mental health care should not be viewed as a supplemental service within correctional facilities. It should be treated with the same level of urgency and institutional commitment that is given to discipline and compliance. We have entire systems dedicated to tracking misconduct, documenting violations, and enforcing compliance. We should be equally committed to identifying trauma and emotional distress.

“If we can recognize when a youth breaks a rule, we should be able to recognize when a youth is asking for help. Every young person who enters a facility is telling us something is wrong through their behavior. The question is whether we’re willing to listen before that behavior follows them into adulthood.”

Watch Dieter’s emotional testimony:

The Commission will accept written materials from the public for consideration as it prepares its report. Written materials may be submitted to juvenilejusticebriefing@usccr.gov no later than July 13, 2026.