Minor Transgressions, Major Consequences: A picture of 17-year-olds in the Massachusetts criminal justice system

Group: Citizens for Juvenile Justice

URL: http://www.cfjj.org/minortransgressions.php

Description

Minor Transgressions, Major Consequences examines Massachusetts' policy of sending all 17-year-olds accused of a crime to the adult criminal justice system, a practice that makes kids more likely to reoffend and threatens their safety. The report points to numerous national studies that find youth sent to the adult system are more likely to reoffend and to escalate to more serious crimes than those in the juvenile system. Research also shows that minors held in adult facilities are at high risk of committing suicide and of being physically or sexually assaulted. In the report, Massachusetts teens recount being strip searched in adult facilities and learning to look up to adults imprisoned for serious crimes, including murder.

Tags

juvenile, corrections, recidivism, criminalization

Other Attributes