Juvenile Justice

For nearly ten years, NCLR has worked to increase public awareness of the juvenile justice issues that impact Latino youth.  Research shows that Latino youth who encounter the justice system are treated unfairly at all stages of the process, including being stopped by law enforcement, arrest, detention, waiver to adult criminal court, and sentencing.  Moreover, the further Latino youth go through the process, the more challenging it becomes to completely separate the child from the system.  The problem is further compounded by the lack of data on Hispanic youth who are in the justice system, since many states do not capture ethnicity during the intake process.  This has left many Latino youth virtually invisible, making it more difficult to provide necessary services.  However, policy analysis has indicated that culturally and linguistically appropriate alternatives to incarceration exist within the community to rehabilitate young offenders, such as case management services as well as substance abuse and other forms of counseling.  Through the Latino Juvenile Justice Network, local leaders have organized to engage the Latino community in local and state juvenile justice reform advocacy, educating decision-makers and the public about the impact that the system has had on young Latinos.  With research, policy analysis, and advocacy, NCLR believes that a more fair and just system can be achieved to ensure that current and future generations of Latino youth are able to prosper and give back to their communities.

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