Juvenile Justice

Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden unveiled a wide-reaching plan on Tuesday with goals to reduce prison populations, create a more just society, and increase community safety.

The Supreme Court will weigh whether Lee Boyd Malvo, now 34, should have a lessened sentence for his role in this crime that he took part in when he was a minor.

Research has long shown that detention of youth can cause harm and is ineffective at preventing crime.

Lawyer Melissa Goemann says implementing restorative justice practices allowed New Zealand to end the wholesale incarceration of children—and the U.S. should follow suit.

Trump's call to modify Flores v. Reno follows similar gestures by the administration that could keep more kids in detention for longer.

Many states have banned or severely limited solitary confinement for juveniles because of its negative impact on youth. But Chicago's Cook County detention system has gone in the other direction.

After settling a lawsuit for conscience-shocking behavior, a youth detention facility in Sacramento is setting the course to end punitive solitary confinement nationwide.

Two landmark Supreme Court rulings made clear that juvenile life sentences are unconstitutional. Yet hundreds remain in prison, many of them without access to educational programs.

Investigators say the Eagle Creek Fire was likely started by a boy's misuse of fireworks. Now Oregonians are calling for criminal charges.

A working paper examines how welfare reform has affected the frequency of minor offense arrests among teenagers.

A new study evaluates whether California’s new specialized parole hearings live up to the Supreme Court’s mandate to give juvenile lifers a real shot at release.

Amid significant reforms, federal officials worry that sexual abuse in juvenile justice system remains prevalent and too often unpunished.

Health programs could stop problems before they start.

A new study from the U.K. finds emotional awareness training is a valuable tool in moderating the behavior of young toughs.

Meridian, Mississippi, is the latest district to face consequences for disproportionately punishing black students.

Pediatricians and psychologists say unnecessary restraints can traumatize kids and encourage worse behavior.

The only federal law that regulates detention conditions for juveniles is due for an upgrade.

Should kids be led out of class in handcuffs for being late to school?

A new Supreme Court case could affect thousands of prisoners serving life sentences without parole for crimes they committed as teens.

Texas A&M researchers explain how community-based programs rehabilitate juvenile offenders better, and for less money, than correctional facilities.

States pay hundreds of thousands of dollars every year to keep each juvenile offender behind bars. A new report calculates that long-term costs of incarceration could add up to $21 billion annually.

A new study finds an inconsistent patchwork of policies across states for how juvenile records are sealed and expunged.