This national report from the Coalition for Juvenile Justice (CJJ) finds that a quarter million youth under the age of 18, charged with both minor and major criminal offenses, are sent into adult criminal court each year -- with decidedly negative results. Re-offense rates increase for youth handled in the adult system versus the juvenile system; age-appropriate rehabilitative services are scarce and substandard in adult jails and prisons; physical, emotional and sexual abuse risks escalate for youth jailed with adults; and youth of color are more often transferred and sentenced to adult court -- as compared with white youth who have committed the same offenses.
The report cites exemplary efforts -- like those in Connecticut, New Hampshire and Vermont, and several other states -- that seek to restore the authority of the juvenile court judge, as well as common sense, to the way we handle juvenile offenders.
Childhood on Trial: The Failure of Trying and Sentencing Youth in Adult Criminal Court
Contributing Organization(s): Coalition for Juvenile Justice
Author(s)/Creator(s): Coalition for Juvenile Justice
Publishing Date: 2005-03-01
Issue Areas: Children and Youth; Crime and Safety
Ownership/Rights Info: Copyright 2005 Coalition for Juvenile Justice. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system without permission in writing from the publisher.
File info: 109 pages; 650.4 KB file size
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