From 2001 to 2013, the rate of committing juvenile offenders to prison dropped an average of 53 percent around the U.S., say data from the U.S. Justice Department’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. Connecticut led the states with a 75 percent drop, followed by North Carolina and Massachusetts at 73 percent. In all, commitment rates fell in 49 states.
The Pew Charitable Trusts published a chart showing how each state’s rate changed. Pew says the nationwide reduction reflects a 42 percent drop in arrests of juveniles for violent offenses between 2001 and 2012.