A recent article in the New York Times highlighted that in the past decade the rate of juvenile offenders that are held in detention facilities has dropped by 25 percent, in some states the rate has decreased by more than 50 percent. This is due in part to states addressing the policies that have led to young people being detained.
Research states that many youth are detained because of status offenses, violations of court orders related to status offenses and probation violations. Young people who experience detention have higher rates of attempted suicide and psychiatric disorders; that often go untreated or are inappropriately treated. Youth who are held in detention also have higher recidivism rates and are more likely to engage in adult criminal behavior than youth who are not detained. Reducing the inappropriate or unnecessary use of juvenile detention improves public safety and reduces the likelihood that youth will engage in adult criminal behavior.
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