Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative Brochure

Youth are detained because they have frustrated or angered system personnel who want to “teach them a lesson” or “get their attention,” or because no parent is available to take them home. Increasingly, kids are detained because other systems – like schools or mental health – won’t or can’t provide the appropriate services. These are, at best, highly questionable reasons for putting a youth in a juvenile jail.

Every year, hundreds of thousands of youth are inappropriately or unnecessarily detained in dangerous, overcrowded detention centers which increases their risk of recidivism, severs fragile ties to families and schools, and costs taxpayers millions of dollars.

Research shows that on average, youth who have been detained work fewer hours for less money for years to come. Most importantly, youth who have been detained are more likely to reoffend than youth who have never been locked up.