[link removed] [[link removed]]
Dear John,
The Sentencing Project released an in-depth analysis [[link removed]] about the juvenile justice system’s unequal and limited use of diversion from court involvement, particularly for Black youth. Nationwide in 2019, 52% of delinquency cases involving white youth were handled informally (diverted), far higher than the share of cases diverted involving Black youth (40%). The glaring disparity between Black and white youth can be seen within every major offense category.
The report, “ Diversion: A Hidden Key to Combating Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Juvenile Justice [[link removed]] , ” examines decades of research showing how educational, career, and public safety outcomes are better for youth diverted away from juvenile courts. It provides a primer on diversion and its impact on racial equity. Specifically, the report shows that:
*
Compared
to
youth
who
are
formally
involved
in
court,
youth
diverted
from
court
have
far
lower
likelihood
of
subsequent
arrests,
are
far
less
likely
to
be
incarcerated,
commit
less
violence,
have
higher
rates
of
school
completion
and
college
enrollment,
and
earn
higher
incomes
in
adulthood.


*
Disparities
in
diversion
result
both
from
subjective
biases
against
youth
and
families
of
color
and
from
seemingly
neutral
diversion
rules
and
practices
that
cause
disproportionate
harm
to
youth
of
color
either
by
unnecessarily
limiting
eligibility
for
diversion
or
by
making
it
difficult
for
youth
of
color
to
complete
diversion
successfully.


*
A
number
of
states
and
localities
in
recent
years
have
adopted
new
strategies
to
expand
and
improve
diversion,
many
of
which
show
substantial
promise.


*
However,
efforts
to
expand
diversion
opportunities
to
date
have
most
often
lacked
an
explicit
and
determined
focus
on
reducing
racial
and
ethnic
disparities
–
an
essential
ingredient
for
success.
Overwhelming research finds that diverting youth from the court system yields better outcomes for young people’s futures and for public safety. Yet diversion remains sorely underutilized, especially for youth of color, and unequal treatment in diversion is a key driver for even larger disparities in confinement later in the process.
The full report is available here. [[link removed]]
We need your voice! Help us spread the word by sharing this report on social media.
Click to Tweet the report! [[link removed].]
[[link removed]] Richard Mendel
Senior Research Fellow
Youth Justice
email: [email protected]
Donate [[link removed]]
[link removed] [[link removed]] [link removed] [[link removed]] [link removed] [[link removed]] [link removed] [[link removed]] The Sentencing Project
1705 DeSales St. NW
8th Fl
Washington, DC 20036
United States
www.sentencingproject.org [[link removed]] If you believe you received this message in error or wish to no longer receive email from us, please unsubscribe: [link removed] .