Disparities in Juvenile Justice

Resolve Racial and Ethnic Disparities

CJJ believes that all children deserve to be treated fairly – regardless of race, ethnicity, or other factors. Youth of color receive harsher sanctions than their white counterparts at every stage of the juvenile court system, from the point of surveillance (including racial profiling) to disposition/trial, sentencing, and incarceration. Youth of color comprise more than two-thirds of the juveniles held in confinement, but less than one-third of the U.S. youth population.

DMC Fact Sheet

African American youth are six times more likely to be locked up for person offenses and nine times more likely to be locked up for violent offenses, as compared with white youth charged with the same types of offenses. Latino youth represent approximately 12% of the U.S. population, yet they represent 15% of the youth population sentenced to adult prisons. Such inequalities are startling, prevalent, and well documented. CJJ urges policymakers to craft solutions that motivate police, officers of the court, and correctional providers to ensure unbiased and rehabilitative treatment of all youth who come into contact with the justice system.

                                         

   African American Youth Fact Sheet           Latino Youth Fact Sheet                            American Indian Youth Fact Sheet

Mental Health Needs

CJJ believes that children require effective and culturally sensitive assessment, diagnosis, and treatment, not incarceration, if they suffer with mental health needs. CJJ advocates for non-institutional, community-based, and family-centered services and supports for children with mental illnesses. The juvenile court system is largely ineffective at identifying – much less treating – mental health problems. Yet, fifty to seventy-five percent of kids in juvenile detention facilities have diagnosable mental illnesses. To the extent that court professionals serve children with mental health needs, they must use culturally sensitive and comprehensive assessments and, whenever viable, engage in family-centered and community-based interventions to recognize and treat childhood mental illnesses.

Mental Health Needs of Youth and Young Offenders Fact Sheet