Turning the Tide on Juvenile Justice: Resources for Reform, Equity and Public Safety

Juvenile justice in the United States continues to evolve in response to complex challenges surrounding youth development, equity, and public safety. This resource brings together a wide range of recent and reputable materials—from scholarly research and news coverage to books, podcasts, and videos—to offer a well-rounded view of the current juvenile justice system. Whether you’re an educator, policy advocate, student, or practitioner, these carefully selected resources provide insights into the systems, policies, and stories that shape how we treat and support young people involved in the justice system.

The articles and news pieces featured here examine urgent issues such as youth incarceration reform, diversion programs, and systemic racial disparities. They include perspectives from legal experts, researchers, journalists, and government agencies, covering real-time developments such as statewide investigations, reform commissions, and community-led efforts to support at-risk youth. The research section has peer-reviewed studies that examine everything from trauma-informed care and recidivism to the long-term outcomes of system-involved youth. We've also curated a list of books, podcasts, and videos to help you further engage with this topic. You'll hear personal stories and experiences from those who have been in the system and those who have worked in it.

General Information Resources

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention
Provides national leadership, coordination, and resources to prevent and respond to youth delinquency and victimization, helping states and communities develop effective juvenile justice systems.

Juvenile Justice | Wex | US Law | LII / Legal Information Institute
Explains the area of criminal law applicable to individuals not old enough to be held fully responsible for criminal acts, focusing on state laws and juvenile codes.

Juvenile Justice Information System Overview
Details Oregon’s statewide, integrated electronic database, which provides comprehensive information about youth involved with the state’s juvenile justice agencies.

The Juvenile Justice System – The National Academies Press
Discusses the history and evolution of the juvenile justice system in the U.S., emphasizing rehabilitation over punishment since the establishment of the first juvenile court in 1899.

Youth Violence and Juvenile Justice – Sage Journals
An interdisciplinary journal providing academics and practitioners with research on juvenile justice and related fields.

What Is Juvenile Justice? – The Annie E. Casey Foundation
Explores the purpose of the U.S. juvenile justice system in responding to young people accused of breaking the law, with a focus on rehabilitation over punishment.

Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention | NC DPS
Outlines services provided by North Carolina’s Juvenile Court Services, including intake, diversion, supervision, and post-release services for juveniles.

National Center for Juvenile Justice
The research division of the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges offers studies and data on juvenile justice.

Youth Justice – National Institute of Justice
Provides research on risk and protective factors influencing youth involvement in the juvenile justice system, aiming to inform prevention and intervention strategies.

The Coalition for Juvenile Justice: CJJ
A nationwide coalition dedicated to preventing youth from becoming involved in courts and upholding the highest standards in juvenile justice.

Journals

The Long-Term Collateral Consequences of Juvenile Justice Involvement for Females
This study examines the enduring effects of juvenile justice involvement on women, revealing high adult arrest rates and mental health challenges among those previously system-involved.

Protect and Redirect: America’s Growing Movement to Divert Youth Out of the Justice System
This report discusses the expansion of diversion programs as alternatives to arrest or prosecution, highlighting their effectiveness in reducing recidivism and promoting positive outcomes for youth.

Editorial: Rethinking Juvenile Recidivism: Towards a More Holistic Understanding of Youth Behavior
This editorial challenges the reliance on recidivism as the primary measure of success in juvenile justice, advocating for a more comprehensive approach to understanding youth behavior.

Philadelphia’s Shifting Juvenile Justice Paradigm: An Economic Analysis
This technical report analyzes Philadelphia’s juvenile justice system, revealing high public spending with poor outcomes and suggesting reforms for a more cost-effective model.

Trends in Juvenile Offending: What You Need to Know
This article examines recent trends in juvenile crime, noting a 65% increase in homicides by juveniles from 2016 to 2022, alongside significant declines in property crimes.

Achieving the Possible on Behalf of Dual Status Youth
This article reviews research on dual status youth programs and describes collaborations in Ohio aimed at improving outcomes for youth involved in both child welfare and juvenile justice systems.

Caregiver and Juvenile Justice Personnel Perspectives on Caregiver Involvement in the Juvenile Justice System
This study explores facilitators and barriers to caregiver involvement in the juvenile justice system, suggesting a peer-based navigator program to support caregivers.

Risk and Protective Factors and Interventions for Reducing Juvenile Delinquency
This article evaluates literature on factors influencing juvenile delinquency, identifying family conflict and neglect as primary predictors, and highlighting effective family- and community-based interventions.

The Effectiveness of Trauma-Informed Youth Justice: A Discussion and Evaluation
This paper argues that assessing trauma-informed approaches in youth justice requires more than recidivism data, emphasizing the need for comprehensive effectiveness indicators.

Why Youth Incarceration Fails: An Updated Review of the Evidence
This report reviews evidence showing that youth incarceration undermines public safety, harms young people’s health, and impedes their educational and career success.

News

A riot broke out during a boxing match at Philadelphia's juvenile detention center. Now it's on a provisional license
State regulators revoked and then provisionally reissued the license of Philadelphia’s juvenile detention facility following a riot during a boxing event that endangered children.

Justice Department Announces Civil Rights Investigation into Conditions at Kentucky Youth Detention Centers
The Justice Department launched a statewide investigation into Kentucky’s youth detention centers, examining potential violations of children’s rights due to alleged excessive force and inadequate protection.

Louisiana law meant to fight teen violence is sweeping 17-year-olds arrested for lesser crimes into adult court
A Louisiana law intended to combat teen violence is resulting in 17-year-olds being prosecuted as adults for lesser offenses, raising concerns about its broad application.

Helping Adolescents in the Juvenile Justice System Heal from Trauma
Fordham’s Keith Cruise discusses efforts to integrate trauma-informed care into the juvenile justice system, emphasizing the importance of addressing adolescents’ mental health needs.

Two States Return to Prosecuting More Teens as Adults
Louisiana and North Carolina have rolled back juvenile justice reforms, now allowing more teenagers to be prosecuted as adults, citing increases in violent crimes committed by youth.

UNO Joins Federal Initiative to Prevent Juvenile Crime, Promote Youth Success
The University of Nebraska at Omaha joins a federal initiative focusing on holistic approaches to prevent juvenile crime and support youth success through tailored interventions.

Governor DeWine Announces Findings of Ohio Juvenile Justice Working Group
Ohio’s Juvenile Justice Working Group released 26 recommendations aimed at improving the state’s juvenile justice operations and partnerships with community facilities.

Governor Moore Announces Inaugural Meeting, Chair, and Members of the Commission on Juvenile Justice Reform
Maryland Governor Wes Moore announced the inaugural meeting of the Commission on Juvenile Justice Reform, tasked with reviewing and reporting on the state’s juvenile services.

Juvenile Justice Reform Moves Forward with Status Offense Diversion Project
Michigan introduces the Status Offense Diversion Project, a grant program supporting pilot projects aimed at diverting low-risk youth offenders from formal judicial proceedings.

Justice Department Finds Unconstitutional Conditions at Five Texas Juvenile Justice Facilities
The Justice Department found that Texas’ Juvenile Justice Department violated the U.S. Constitution and disability rights laws in five facilities, citing abuse and inadequate services.

Books

The Evolution of the Juvenile Court: Race, Politics, and the Criminalizing of Juvenile Justice
Barry C. Feld provides a comprehensive historical analysis of the U.S. juvenile justice system, emphasizing the impact of race and politics on its development.

Reforming Juvenile Justice: A Developmental Approach
This report discusses adolescent development and recommends reforms in juvenile justice policies to better align with youths’ developmental needs.

Juvenile Crime, Juvenile Justice
This publication examines patterns of juvenile crime and offers recommendations for addressing youth offenses in the United States.

The Supreme Court and Juvenile Justice
This book analyzes how the U.S. Supreme Court has shaped the juvenile court system, focusing on key cases that brought juvenile justice under constitutional scrutiny.

Choosing the Future for American Juvenile Justice
This collection explores recent trends in juvenile justice and proposes reforms and policy changes for the future.

The Criminalization of Black Children
Tera Eva Agyepong examines how Black youth have been disproportionately criminalized within the juvenile justice system.

Juvenile Justice: A Guide to Theory, Policy, and Practice
This textbook offers an in-depth look at the theories, policies, and practices that shape the juvenile justice system.

The Juvenile Justice Anger Management (JJAM) Treatment for Girls
This manual provides a structured intervention aimed at addressing anger and aggression in adolescent girls within the juvenile justice system.

The Rage of Innocence: How America Criminalizes Black Youth
Kristin Henning explores the systemic criminalization of Black youth in America and its profound consequences.

Podcasts

Reflections on Reentry Podcast: Youth MOVE National
This episode features a discussion about peer support processes during reentry, highlighting the roles of Youth MOVE representatives John Delick and Brittany Wiley.

Juvenile Justice Part 1—Past, Present, & Future
Explores historical perspectives of juvenile justice, models for addressing youth in crisis, youth incarceration, and alternatives, with insights from experts at the University of Maine School of Law.

Youth Justice Transformation in Action Podcast
Focuses on topics that impact youth and family-serving systems, featuring interviews with leaders and practitioners navigating youth justice transformation within their communities.

Justice Today Podcast
Explores cutting-edge research and practices in public safety, offering in-depth looks at efforts to meet contemporary public safety challenges.

Caught: The Lives of Juvenile Justice
Shares stories from kids about their encounters with the juvenile justice system and how these experiences have changed their lives.

Reimagining Justice Podcast
Features conversations with Texas mental health stakeholders, delving into their personal stories, experiences, and insights in the field of mental health and justice.

Children in the Juvenile Justice System Face Serious Health Risks
Discusses findings from the Northwestern Juvenile Project about health risks and premature deaths of delinquent youth, shaping services and programs that support juvenile detainees.

NCJFCJ Podcast Network
A series on youth confinement decision-making, including episodes on youth detention trends and changes in decision processes to reduce the use of confinement.

The Future in Focus
An informative journey about juvenile justice at the Ohio Department of Youth Services, discussing various aspects of the department’s work and initiatives.

Podcasts Explain Latest Trends in Youth Justice
Lemonada Media releases episodes exploring different aspects of the juvenile justice system, highlighting connections between community safety and positive youth development.

Videos

Juvenile Justice in the United States: A Video History
This video traces the 200-year history of juvenile justice in the U.S., highlighting major reforms up to the 1980s.

Videos and Webinars | Center for Juvenile Justice Reform
A collection of webinars and spotlight videos on various juvenile justice and child welfare topics, produced by the Center for Juvenile Justice Reform.

Real Life Real Issues: Juvenile Justice
A behind-the-scenes look into Pennsylvania’s juvenile justice system, following a juvenile offender through the system in Cumberland County.

Division of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) Historical Videos
Documentary and interviews detailing the history and development of juvenile justice in California from 1890 to 2023.

CUTLINE | Spotlight on Juvenile Justice
An in-depth exploration of Connecticut's juvenile justice system, discussing reforms, youth advocacy, and crime data analysis.

Youth Justice and Juvenile Treatment Courts with Jacqueline van Wormer, Ph.D.
An interview discussing differences between juvenile and adult treatment courts and the importance of tailored programs for juveniles.

Juvenile Justice | FRONTLINE
A comprehensive look at the U.S. juvenile justice system, examining teen crime, system history, and the ‘adult vs. child’ debate.

Juvenile Justice Video Explains Ways to Elevate Care for Youth in Custody
A video outlining eight principles for juvenile justice systems to enhance care standards for youth in custody.

Juvenile Detention Orientation Video – Connecticut Judicial Branch
An orientation video providing an overview of the juvenile detention process in Connecticut.

Sending Kids to Court Doesn’t Help Them. Here’s What Will.
A video discussing how diverting youth from formal court proceedings can hold them accountable without disrupting their lives.