Iowa — Juvenile Incarceration — Galsworthy Criminal Justice Reform Program

Juvenile Incarceration

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.

Consider the effects of trying juveniles as adults

“I’ve been studying the juvenile justice system in my high school, learning what happens to kids who make mistakes and commit crimes. Even though kids sometimes make very bad choices by getting involved in very bad crimes (maybe the worst choices of their lives, so far), kids’ brains are not yet developed. As a result, the lack of impulse control from their developing brains contributes to children making very bad choices for a variety of reasons. Any adult who interacts with kids knows what I’m talking about.“

The Gazette

June 16, 2019

Juvenile IncarcerationPhillip ReevesJune 16, 2019The Gazette, IowaComment

He may not have pulled the trigger, but teen still gets a life sentence, Iowa Supreme Court rules

"The defendant, Keyon Harrison, argued his sentence of life with the possibility of parole was unconstitutional. Harrison's argument relied partly on a string of Iowa and U.S. supreme court decisions in recent years that have changed the way courts handle juvenile sentencing. In recent years, the Iowa Supreme Court has struck down life sentences without parole and mandatory minimum sentences for juveniles. But the court on Friday said Harrison's sentence does not constitute cruel and unusual punishment."

Des Moines Register

June 25, 2018

Juvenile IncarcerationAnthony BradleyJuly 30, 2018Des Moines Register, Life Sentence, Iowa

Juvenile Incarceration

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