Photo by Efkan Senturk on Unsplash
Prince Afari-Agyei
University of New Haven
Youth incarceration continues to be at the center of criminological and policy debates, particularly regarding the compelling implications it poses for future outcomes of youth in the justice system. While proponents of youth incarceration argue it is essential for public safety, research indicates its benefits (in terms of outcomes) are minimal and cost-ineffective (Lambie & Randell, 2013). Nonetheless, the significant number of young people who experience confinement through the juvenile justice system demonstrates how little research in this area has impacted policy. Even though young offenders in the United States are on a decline, incarcerated juveniles remain significant. This is evident in the 2022 National Report by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), emphasizing youth contact with the system declined by 74% over the past two decades (Puzzanchera et al., 2022). Nevertheless, the number of youths held in juvenile justice facilities, adult prisons, and adult jails in the same year stood significantly at 31,800.