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Among the landscape of incarceration institutions in the US, Juvenile detention centers exist to serve the needs of juveniles that get in trouble with the law. These types of detention centers can be quite different from prisons and jails that house adult inmates, and currently house just under 50,000 minors. The juvenile prison population in the US has been trending down dramatically, decreasing by 60% since 2000.
Juvenile detention centers are corrections institutions for those that are of a minor age. When individuals under the age of eighteen commit a crime or are arrested, they can end up serving time at a Juvenile Detention Center. It is possible for an offender under the age of eighteen to be charged as an adult, and thus be sent to regular prison for adults.
There are different types of Juvenile detention centers, including correctional facilities and residential ones:
Most juvenile detention centers are run by state agencies, but both private and public juvenile institutions exist. When a facility is public, it is run by the respective state agency. When it is private, the state contracts with a private corrections facility business, and pays the company to run the facilities. Currently, about 40% of incarcerated juveniles are in private facilities.
It is relatively rare to have juveniles in federal prisons, and there are no federal juvenile facilities. Federal prisons lack the developmental and educational services that minors need. In some cases, minors could end up in federal adult facilities, but then they are isolated from the general population for safety and proper accommodation of their needs.
Below are key statistics about juvenile incarceration in the US:
Serious concerns exist about the state of the US’s juvenile detention landscape. Because these systems serve minors, emphasis is placed on education and rehabilitation. Juvenile facilities must provide education that meets the standards for each grade level. It has been noted widely that there are racial disparities in juvenile detention centers, and certain jurisdictions struggle to provide appropriate placement for minors, with youth ending up in adult facilities. A high-profile legal case occurred in Pennsylvania, where a judge was found to give longer sentences to juveniles going to a private detention center in exchange for financial kickbacks.
Juvenile detention centers must meet standards that are different from those of adult institutions. The nuances of rehabilitating youth make the topic of juvenile detention a complicated one. In keeping the needs of minors in focus, the corrections systems in the US can improve the state of juvenile detention and allow young people the opportunity for a fresh start.