48 States
Kids of color were detained at a higher rate in 48 out of 50 states in 2003.
Having a disproportionate number of kids of color in jail is a real problem facing today’s justice system. Casey's Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative (JDAI) has achieved reduced rates of minorities in lock up by making the reduction of racial and ethnic disparities a priority.
Ethinc minorities represented 41% of the youth population in the United States, but more than 67% of those detained at the time of this report.
Kids of color were detained at a higher rate in 48 out of 50 states in 2003.
Kids of color make up 65% of young people detained for drug offenses.
Daily detention rates in Cook County, Illinois, were reduced by 44% for kids of color as a result of detention reforms.
It is no secret that kids of color are arrested and detained at higher rates and face harsher penalties than similarly situated white kids. JDAI’s core strategies have reduced this disparity and leveled the playing field for all youths.
