Justice Policy Institute
Pretrial detention of youth before they are found delinquent is commonly misapplied and can lead to future delinquent behavior, according to this report.
Although detention centers are meant to temporarily house offenders who may repeat an offense or not show up for trial, most youth detainees do not meet these criteria. This report focuses on the 70 percent of youth who are in detention for nonviolent charges, such as property offenses or probation violations, and outlines the negative consequences of keeping delinquent youth together. The report cites studies showing higher recidivism rates among incarcerated youth than among those supervised in alternative settings. Free. 24 pages. 202-558-7974, http://www.justicepolicy.org/reports_jl/11-28-06_dangers/dangers_of_detention_report.pdf.
