Juvenile Justice

Racial Disparities in Youth Commitments and Arrests, The Sentencing Project

Between 2003 and 2013 (the most recent data available), the rate of youth committed to juvenile facilities after an adjudication of delinquency fell by 47 percent.1 Every state witnessed a drop in its commitment rate, including 19 states where the commitment rates fell by more than half.2 Despite this remarkable achievement, the racial disparities endemic to the juvenile justice system did not improve over these same 10 years. Youth of color remain far more likely to be committed than white youth. Between 2003 and 2013, the racial gap between black and white youth in secure commitment increased by 15%.

Racial-Disparities-in-Youth-Commitments-and-Arrests