Perils seen for juvenile justice
Anti-poverty groups are sounding the alarm on Kentucky's juvenile justice system, just a month before state public defenders plan to stop representing some kids who skip school, smoke or commit other offenses that aren't crimes for adults. Black and other minority youths in Kentucky were four times more likely than their white peers in 2006 to be placed in a juvenile detention center instead of a diversion or probation program, according to the Annie E. Casey Foundation's 2008 Kids Count Data Book, which measures child well-being in all 50 states. The report was released Thursday. Nationally, minorities are three times more likely to be placed in custody. Kentucky has the second-highest percentage of kids in custody for so-called status offenses, which are offenses that are not crimes for adults, said Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth...
2008 Youth Information. All rights reserved.