The Crime Report (https://thecrimereport.org/category/juvenile-justice/youth-detention/)
Many youth facilities are increasingly holding almost entirely Black and Latino populations of teens, according to interviews with more than a dozen juvenile justice officials and attorneys in seven states.
The case in which the court cannot agree upon the sentencing involves a 14-year-old boy, only identified as J.M.A., who pleaded guilty to stealing a gun, a car, and an iPhone. It raises the questions of whether, under Illinois law, a judge must clearly outline in the court record that committing a juvenile to a detention facility must be the “least restrictive” sentencing option.
A Case Western Reserve University study found that of 5,300 Ohio criminal juveniles enrolled in a behavioral health program, almost all completed the program and avoided detention, proving to researchers that there is a better way to treat youth than incarceration.
A complaint filed by two groups with the U.S. Justice Department is the latest criticism filed with Gov. Greg Abbott in more than a decade of chronic understaffing, abuse and scandal in Texas youth facilities
An Urban Institute study of Kentucky’s landmark youth justice reform law passed in 2014 found that nearly nine out of 10 youth completed diversion programs and avoided formal court involvement. Nevertheless, race and ethnic disparities in the diversion programs were “significant and persisted,” and recidivism rates didn’t statistically change.
The number of Latinx youth in juvenile detention centers across America is severely underestimated and, in some cases, ignored — leading to “misguided policies and a lack of resources to support that population,” according to a report released Tuesday by the UCLA Latino Policy and Politics Initiative and Alianza for Youth Justice.
More than 40 youth correctional administrators joined prosecutors from over 30 jurisdictions in a call for the closure of youth detention facilities across the country. A report accompanying their statement Thursday said the over-incarceration of young people increases their likelihood of recidivism, damages their health, and stunts their ability to find employment.
A 15-year-old in Michigan was incarcerated in May during the height of the coronavirus pandemic after a judge ruled that not completing her online schoolwork violated her probation. Some, including her mother, believe it was the result of systemic racial bias: her daughter was one of the few Black students in her community.
The American Academy of Pediatrics says in a policy statement that the coronavirus pandemic is a compelling reason to rethink how authorities deal with justice-involved youth. “Those incarcerated for substance use or other nonviolent offenses…may be better off remaining in their community with services in place,” wrote Dr. Mikah C. Owen, the lead author.
North Dakota, Colorado, and Idaho are the newest states accepted into the “Restoring Promise” program piloted by the Vera Institute of Justice. The program is modeled on incarceration strategies used in Europe that provide less rigid environments for young offenders.