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Stories Extras About × The ununited state of juvenile justice in America For children in the United States, justice often depends on where you live, the color of your skin, which police officer arrests you, or which judge, prosecutor or probation officer happens to be involved in your case. Listen to the podcast Listen to our seven-part podcast series, which follows the path that America's kids take through the juvenile justice system, from childhood to freedom. Watch the videos Watch the videos, produced virtually through video conferencing, to see an intimate view of juvenile justice in America. ‘A disjointed system’: Policing policies fuel criminalization of youth After decades of police reform, kids of color are still vastly overrepresented in arrests and police use of force. The little to no youth-specific training in most law enforcement departments in the U.S. fuels this, experts say. Forced out: Schools feed the juvenile prison population Public schools continue to feed the school-to-prison pipeline through suspensions, expulsions, and school-based arrests. Kids suffer the consequences. Judged by two systems: 60% of incarcerated kids have child welfare background Both systems are meant to support the nation’s most vulnerable children, but by working in silos experts say they push kids from one system to the other. Street love: Why kids join gangs despite the risks of arrest and violence At-risk children across the U.S. are exposed to a variety of factors that increase their likelihood of joining a gang, which leads to higher rates of imprisonment and violence. ‘I can’t breathe’: Hidden abuse in some private detention centers For-profit companies make millions every year with the promise of safely rehabilitating kids in the juvenile justice system, but many kids say they leave worse than when they came in. How thousands of jurisdictions determine a young offender’s fate Youth can face very different outcomes throughout the juvenile justice system depending on the state or the county where they live. ‘Super-predator’ legacy: How children end up in the adult justice system Tens of thousands of kids are prosecuted as adults each year, and some serve out their sentences in prisons where most of the inmates are adults. Youth of color disproportionately represented in the justice system Teenagers and youth across the country commit the same types of crime, but disparities affecting young people of color have continued to grow. Native youth navigate complex, contradictory jurisdictions Burdened by generations of historical trauma, Native youth navigate a convoluted justice system that few other children face. ‘Hit twice as hard’: Children with disabilities face onslaught of challenges Harsh school environments and disciplinary practices often leave children with learning and behavioral disabilities more likely to be suspended, fall behind in schools and enter the juvenile justice system. LGBTQ youth confront inconsistent, unreliable patterns of incarceration Because of vague and inconsistent regulations, the experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex young people in the juvenile justice system vary dramatically across the country. Employee misconduct: The abuse and mistreatment of juveniles in lockup Detention is supposed to rehabilitate kids, but many are abused at the hands of staff members tasked with protecting them. ‘It’s never OK’: Sexual abuse persists in juvenile facilities despite years of reform Data shows a decline in juvenile facility sexual assaults since 2012, but the number of incidents that go unreported make experts wonder whether enough is being done. Use of solitary confinement often arbitrary and ‘all too common’ Despite denouncements of the practice, solitary confinement is still used in nearly every state, putting juveniles at risk for physical and psychological harm. Age, neglect and vandalism in facilities endanger some youth, critics say Some juvenile offenders live in prisonlike conditions that often are cramped, unsanitary, archaic and poorly ventilated, affecting their health and welfare. Patchwork education system in juvenile centers often falls short The lack of consistent and uniform policies, along with a dearth of available data, conceal how – or if – young people learn in juvenile detention facilities. Juvenile COVID-19 cases found in dozens of states COVID-19 affects the juvenile justice system with a rising number of positive cases, as juvenile detention facilities evolve their health care protocols to help slow its spread. Nearly three-quarters of youth behind bars suffer from mental health issues Kids in the juvenile justice system struggle with mental health issues at a rate over four times higher than the general youth population, yet they often don’t receive much-needed treatment. ‘A lifelong trajectory’: Three men navigate reentry after incarceration Incarceration as a juvenile, whether for weeks or years, has a lasting impact on a former offender’s life long after their release to society. Released juvenile lifer learns to live after 26 years in prison Darren McCracken, 14, was tried as an adult for murdering his mother and sentenced to life without possibility of parole. He’s free now, but is struggling to find his way in a world vastly different. A murder victim’s mother finds forgiveness after 27 years Terrence Sampson was 12 when he murdered his friend and neighbor, Kelly Brumbelow, 31 years ago in Texas. He spent decades in prison. Now he's free. Kelly’s mother has forgiven him. Forgotten families: Detention causes emotional, psychological and financial burdens Imprisoning children leaves families burdened with court fees, fines and extra costs, including lifelong emotional trauma that can tear families apart. Extras Dig deeper into the juvenile justice system in our Extras section. Fellows wrote 35 additional background and data-driven stories, including reporting on innovative solutions. About Kids Imprisoned,” an investigation into juvenile justice in America, is the 2020 project of the Carnegie-Knight News21 program, a multimedia reporting project produced by the country’s top journalism students and graduates. Prisonlike facilities. Racial disparities. Employee abuse. Follow the path of America’s kids in the justice system. SCROLL The ununited state of juvenile justice in America By Katherine Sypher and Anthony J. Wallace Listen to podcast Watch videos ‘A disjointed system’: Policing policies fuel criminalization of youth By Kimberly Rapanut, Brody Ford, Morgan Wallace, Kelsey Collesi and Jeff Uveino Forced out: Schools feed the juvenile prison population By Daja E. Henry, Patrick Linehan, Gabriela Szymanowska, Chloe Jones and Brody Ford Judged by two systems: 60% of incarcerated kids have child welfare background By Chloe Jones, Calah Schlabach and Daja E. Henry Street love: Why kids join gangs despite the risks of arrest and violence By José-Ignacio Castañeda Perez, Matthew Hendley, Byron Mason II and Braela Kwan ‘I can’t breathe’: Hidden abuse in some private detention centers By Franco LaTona and Jos Fox How thousands of jurisdictions determine a young offender’s fate By Sorell Grow, Delia C. Johnson, Mikhayla Hughes-Shaw, Jill Ryan, Ike Somanas and Gretchen Lasso ‘Super-predator’ legacy: How children end up in the adult justice system By Delia C. Johnson and Jill Ryan Youth of color disproportionately represented in the justice system By Mikhayla Hughes-Shaw, Nicole Sroka and Victoria Traxler Native youth navigate complex, contradictory jurisdictions By Calah Schlabach, José-Ignacio Castañeda Perez, Matthew Hendley and Layne Dowdall ‘Hit twice as hard’: Children with disabilities face onslaught of challenges By Daja E. Henry and Kimberly Rapanut LGBTQ youth confront inconsistent, unreliable patterns of incarceration By Molly Kruse, Braela Kwan, Abigail Hall and Jana Allen Employee misconduct: The abuse and mistreatment of juveniles in lockup By Franco LaTona and...