KIDS DESERVE BETTER: WHY JUVENILE DETENTION REFORM MATTERS
Summary
Detention is a pivotal decision point in the juvenile justice process. It takes youth who are awaiting a court hearing or a move into a correctional or treatment facility and temporarily confines them instead of allowing them to return home or enter an alternative supervision program. Each year across the country, more than 200,000 young people are admitted to detention facilities and approximately 16,000 youth are held in detention on any given night.
In the United States, the average length of stay is 27 days, yet research indicates that even a short turn in detention can have an outsized influence on court outcomes. It can also mean profound and potentially lifelong negative consequences for the young people involved.
Source: The Annie E. Casey Foundation (2018). Kids Deserve Better: Why Juvenile Detention Reform Matters.