NCJ Number
231598
Date Published
2008
Length
12 pages
Annotation
This document provides a summary of the major findings of the opening essay in the 2008 Kids Count Data Book from the Annie E. Casey Foundation.
Abstract
The opening essay of the 2008 Kids Count Data Book listed six key challenges faced by those who are involved in juvenile justice reform efforts. These challenges include: 1) trends in juvenile justice blur or ignore the well-established differences between youth and adults; 2) indiscriminate and wholesale incarceration of juveniles is proving expensive, abusive, and bad for public safety; 3) juvenile justice systems too often ignore the critical role of families in resolving delinquency; 4) the increasing propensity to prosecute minor cases in the juvenile justice system harms youth, with no benefit to public safety; 5) juvenile justice has too often become a dumping ground for youth who should be served by other public systems; and 6) system policies and practices have allowed unequal justice to persist. Key facts regarding each of these challenges are discussed in this report, along with proven solutions and system reforms that would improve outcomes for youth, families, taxpayers, and communities. Figures