Data from The Sentencing Project showed the share of crimes in the U.S. committed by young people has fallen by more than half in the past two decades.

The findings are in contrast to what the youth-advocacy group calls "false narratives," suggesting a youth violence movement has swept the country since the start of the pandemic.

Sierra Ludington, communications manager for New Mexico Child Advocacy Network, said the state's emphasis on intervention programs has limited the number of juveniles going to correctional facilities.

"Keeping kids with their families and their communities, putting them in restorative justice programs, really indicates that even young people who make a mistake can really become successful adults who contribute to our communities," Ludington asserted.

After most states adopted a "get tough" approach for young offenders in the 1980s, an estimated quarter-million minors were charged as adults each year by the early 2000s, according to Pittsburgh's National Center for Juvenile Justice. The center said the number dropped to about 53,000 in 2019.

Richard Mendel, senior research fellow for The Sentencing Project and the report's author, said stress over the past two years could affect future data and perhaps show a pandemic-era increase in youth crime. But he contended returning to outdated correctional methods would be counterproductive.

"This is not a moment to be panicking about youth crime," Mendel asserted. "Especially if that panic is going to lead us to embrace solutions that we know the evidence shows does not work."

Last month, the Child Advocacy Network debuted a series of videos explaining New Mexico's juvenile justice legal process and how young people and families can navigate the system.

Ludington pointed out the videos stress the state code for juveniles is designed to provide a program of supervision, care and rehabilitation.

"Preventing children from facing adult consequences for typical adolescent behavior, as well as giving them an opportunity for rehabilitation, is key," Ludington emphasized. "I can't say it enough, that positive youth development is key."

The new report suggested stronger investments in social and mental health supports in schools and communities could help continue the trend of fewer crimes committed by youth.

Minnesota is about to implement several juvenile justice system reforms that are being cheered by advocates.

The public-safety omnibus bill approved by lawmakers this spring includes several changes. A key provision puts strict limits on the use of solitary confinement in juvenile detention centers.

Sarah Davis, director of the children and families division at the Hennepin County Attorney's Office, said it means the practice can't be used as a form of punishment, and called it a critically important move in seeking improvements.

"Solitary confinement -- in particular, solitary confinement of youths -- is a fundamental human-rights violation," she said, "and many other states have already banned or significantly limited the practice."

Other changes include limiting strip searches and prohibiting life sentences without parole for defendants who were minors at the time of the offense. Addressing these matters has sometimes resulted in tension in Minnesota, including a recent Hennepin County case that involved a controversial plea deal for two teens. But Davis said these reforms still leave plenty of room for meaningful accountability.

Davis said the timing of these reforms is also important because some law-enforcement agencies are handling cases involving defendants as young as 10 and 11 years old.

"The behaviors that they're engaging in are a form of communication about unmet needs," she said, "and we want to make sure that we are engaging in practices and that we have policies grounded in what we know to be evidence-based about supporting youth and positive youth development."

The public-safety bill also creates the Office of Restorative Practices for youths, which provides technical support and training for implementing these models. Restorative justice often involves participation from those harmed by the crime, family members and the community to determine a proper way for the young defendant to make amends. Defendants have to articulate how an agreement will deter them from getting in trouble again.


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Attorneys, state employees and juvenile justice reform advocates will gather virtually Friday to receive updates on county pretrial juvenile detention centers in Illinois, and discuss the findings.

In 2021, the Illinois Legislature authorized inspections at all 17 county-based detention centers across the state.

Luis Klein, executive director of the Juvenile Justice Initiative of Illinois, said the summit will, for the first time, evaluate the effectiveness of the state standards for the facilities.

"They're incredibly important because there's not a whole lot of oversight on these detention centers," Klein explained. "There are standards, which they are expected to meet, but there's no ombudsperson for these detention centers, and they really are allowed to police themselves."

John Albright with the Illinois Department of Justice will present the report on the inspections. Participants will also hear from Richard Mendel with The Sentencing Project, on his study of youth incarceration. And Lisa Jacobs with the Loyola University School of Law will lead a discussion of the report.

Klein pointed out each of the 17 detention centers is not run or managed directly by the Department of Juvenile Justice, but by the counties where they are located. He emphasized the study is critical because, in past years, there has been a lack of transparency and lack of oversight over conditions in the centers.

"These reports are really important because it's the first time that we really get a standard by which these detention centers are being judged," Klein noted. "And then, a look at how are they doing, based on these basic and rudimentary standards."

South Dakota has been looking at ways to improve the state's juvenile-justice system. Recommendations could be considered in the new legislative session, with mental health serving as one of the overarching themes.

Proposed solutions began to surface in recent months following the work of a task force last summer. One idea calls on the state to set aside $20 million to fund scholarships for those considering the mental-health field.

State Rep. Taylor Rehfeldt - R-Sioux Falls - served on the committee and said the state needs to address its shortage of counselors.

She said intervention could help troubled youth overcome Adverse Childhood Experiences, or ACES.

"Ninety percent of juvenile detainees reported experiencing one or more traumatic event," said Rehfeldt. "So, how that really links together is that when we have these ACES happen to kids - we're intervening and then in the long term, hopefully, prevent these kids from entering into the juvenile-justice system."

Rehfeldt, also a board member for the Center for the Prevention of Child Maltreatment, said adding licensed counselors is vital because the wait time to meet with a provider is four to six weeks.

The assistant majority leader acknowledged that while South Dakota has a budget surplus, there will be a lot of competing interests for state funding.

Another item that came from the committee was a resolution to continue researching childhood mental health and services available to kids across the state.

Rehfeldt said they've barely scratched the surface. For example, she said educators are being asked to juggle a lot with more students showing a need for mental-health intervention in a school setting.

"Not that they don't want to help kids when they can," said Rehfeldt, "but when they're bogged down with all of those mental-health needs, it's really hard to be an effective teacher and then also have your kids in your classroom be effective learners."

She said the state needs to strike a balance in helping kids in and out of school when they're in need of counseling while making sure staff members aren't vulnerable to burnout.

Researchers who provided testimony suggest delaying action could create more ripple effects, with nearly 20% of South Dakota children having two or more Adverse Childhood Experiences.