State Trends: Legislative Victories from 2005 to 2010 Removing Youth from the Adult Criminal Justice System
Publication year:
2011
| Cataloged on:
Mar. 28, 2011
ANNOTATION: Reforms that return youth back to juvenile courts, actions supported by public opinion and cost savings, are described. States looking to cut budget deficits will find useful strategies for dealing with these fiscal difficulties. Sections of this report include: how a youth ends up in the adult justice system; overview; understanding the consequences of trying youth as adults—teen brains are not fully developed, most youth are convicted of minor crimes, they are housed in adult facilities, such prosecution leads to more crime, youth face lifelong barriers to employment, and disproportionate impacts on youth of color; four trends to watch—removal of youth from adult courts and facilities, age of juvenile court jurisdiction is raised, transfer laws are changed, and youth sentencing laws are reconsidered; and recommendations for policymakers. "[R]eturning youth to juvenile court jurisdiction will result in a $3 savings benefit for every $1 spent" (p. 4).
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