nvolvement with the US criminal justice system has multiple implications, including disruption in the environment, schooling, and employment. People of color are disproportionately represented due to harsher sentencing and racism. What is less known is the racial disparity in juvenile justice systems. Incarceration of youth does little to reduce crime and instead instigates an endless vicious cycle of recidivism, disruptions, and detrimental effects.

The federal guidelines for caring and treating youth in juvenile and criminal justice systems are provided by the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974 (JJDPA). JJDPA noted the racial disparity in systems and, from 1988, required participating states to determine and address respective levels of disproportionate minority confinement. However, the problem has been far from addressed – incarceration rates for youths of color at three to four times greater than rates for their white peers. In addition, youths of color were more likely to be confined in secure, public facilities, receiving more punitive treatments and sentences in general. Society’s perception of youths involved with justice systems also differs according to race – involved youths of color have often been attributed to individual character, personality, or personal values. On the other hand, delinquent behaviors of white youths have been attributed to external factors, such as environment, circumstances and peer pressure.

The consequences of youths being engaged with the justice systems, both juvenile and criminal, are stark and lasting. Involvement negatively affected youths’ physical and mental health, including an increase in depression, suicide ideation and attempts, and drug and alcohol abuse. Education in facilities is often of lower quality and fragmented, although academic success is shown to reduce crime. Youths incarcerated with adult offenders are encouraged and instructed by adult offenders on committing crimes and evading consequences. Finally, incarceration affects youths’ transition into adulthood and social relationships, crucial as they re-engage with communities post-sentence. Thus, youths of color are left particularly vulnerable, facing the stigma disrupting social networks, opportunities, and employment without support. 

As incarceration rates continue to climb and we seek to address different facets of racism in our communities, racial disparity in juvenile justice systems is an obstacle to a more equitable society. With our unprecedented times and economic challenges, racism, crime, and curtailed opportunities for youths of color will only exacerbate without immediate solutions.

Key Takeaways 

• Incarceration rates for youth of color are 3-4 times greater than rates for their white counterparts 
• Societal perceptions of youths involved with justice systems differ according to race, with delinquent behaviors of youth of color attributed to individual character, personality, or personal values. 
• Incarcerating youth does little to reduce crime and yields several detrimental effects, affecting mental and physical health, transition into adulthood, and education. 

Anne Teigen, Karen McInnes. Racial and Ethnic Disparities in the Juvenile Justice System, www.ncsl.org/research/civil-and-criminal-justice/racial-and-ethnic-disparities-in-the-juvenile-justi…

Lambie, Ian, and Isabel Randell. “The Impact of Incarceration on Juvenile Offenders.” Clinical Psychology Review, vol. 33, no. 3, 2013, pp. 448–459., doi:10.1016/j.cpr.2013.01.007. 

McCoy, Henrika, and Emalee Pearson. “Racial Disparities in the Juvenile Justice System.” Encyclopedia of Social Work, 23 May 2019, oxfordre.com/socialwork/view/10.1093/acrefore/9780199975839.001.0001/acrefore-9780199975839-e-1288.
 Rovner, Joshua, and Kevin Muhitch and Nazgol Ghandnoosh. “Racial Disparities in Youth Commitments and Arrests.” The Sentencing Project, 14 Apr. 2016, www.sentencingproject.org/publications/racial-disparities-in-youth-commitments-and-arrests/.