Justice Deferred: Detaining Youth

According to the ACLU, an estimated 250,000 youth are prosecuted in adult criminal courts and subjected to the consequences of adult criminal convictions. In addition, 36 states continue to incarcerate youth under 18 in adult jails and prisons, where young people are at greater risk of degrading mental health, dying by completing suicide and both physical and sexual assault.

The over-representation of youth of color in youth detention centers and adult prisons remains a persistent and troubling dynamic. Nowhere is that more present than in the state of Georgia, where many are still seeking the unfulfilled promises of bi-partisan juvenile reform that prioritizes raising the age, ending juvenile life without parole, and reexamining sentencing youth as adults.

Join us for legislative solutions we know will honor the humanity of young people and prove not only cost-effective but work in transforming safety for our families and communities.