America's Invisible Children: Latino Youth and the Failure of Justice
Publication year:
2009
| Cataloged on:
Oct. 07, 2010
ANNOTATION: Issues related to the overrepresentation of incarcerated Latino youth are discussed in this policy brief. The following sections comprise this document: overview; disparities and structural racism; Latinos invisible in the black-white paradigm; demographics; immigrants, crime, and racial and ethnic profiling; immigration consequences of justice system involvement; gangs; Latino youth in the adult justice system; difficulties completing education; difficulties gaining employment; national arrest statistics; national juvenile court processing statistics; language or linguistic needs; overincarceration of youth in juvenile facilities—Latino youth in detention centers and youth committed to residential placement; pathways to adult court; Latino youth incarcerated in adult facilities; federal and state laws fail to protect youth; culturally competent approaches to services; nationwide initiatives to reduce racial and ethnic disparities; effective community-based programs; and policy recommendations. “The policy recommendations included in this brief are clear action steps that policymakers can take today to reduce the harm caused by transferring Latino youth to the adult justice system and incarcerating them in adult jails and prisons” (p. 2).
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