Nationally, on any given night, approximately 81,000 youth are confined to juvenile facilities and 10,000 children are held in adult jails and prisons. Approximately 1 in 10 young male high school dropouts is incarcerated or in juvenile detention. For African Americans, that number is 1 in 4. Research shows that just over two million youth under the age of 18 were arrested in 2008. Of these two million, about 95 percent had not been accused of violent crimes. In 2010, of the nearly 100,000 youth under the age of 18 who were serving time in a juvenile residential placement facility, 26 percent had been convicted of property crimes only, such as burglary, arson, or theft. Access to education both stems the tide of incarceration and improves inmates chances of re-acclimating to society after their release.
“Seventeen-year-olds are still maturing and developing their ability to reason, which makes them particularly amenable to rehabilitative programs. Indeed, unlike the adult system, the juvenile justice system allows these youth to receive age-appropriate services while staying connected with their family and community. In addition, when 17-year-olds are treated as minors, it guarantees parents the right to be involved in their child’s legal proceedings.“
Detroit News
October 1, 2018
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