Reducing Youth Incarceration in the United States

Summary

Although the United States still leads the industrialized world in its incarceration rate of young people, the lock-up rate is rapidly declining. This 4-page snapshot presents statistics underscoring the sea change in how we treat juvenile offenders. 

Table of Contents

• Decline in Youth Confinement
• Most Youth Confined for Nonviolent Offenses
• Disparities in Confinement Rates by Race
• Youth Confinement Rates Declined in Most States
• Moving Forward

Key Takeaway

Since 1995, the lock-up rate for kids has dropped 41%, reaching all regions of the U.S.

In 2010 the lock-up rate for juveniles reached a 35-year low, even as crime fell sharply.