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Juvenile Detention

A photo of a small red building situated on a grassy landscape dotted with trees is overlaid on a monochrome photo of a campus dotted with buildings and trees.
Feature July 14
Dozens of Teens Who Spent Time at Abusive Florida Reform School Ended Up on Death Row
At least 34 boys from the Dozier School were later sentenced to death. Did abuse make them more violent?
By Leonora Lapeter Anton
In 2020, Los Angeles County approved reforms meant to close the Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall, pictured here in 2023, but this week local officials declared an emergency in order to assign other workers to help staff the facility.
Closing Argument December 21, 2024
While Youth Detention Numbers Rise, States Begin to Roll Back Reforms
Los Angeles County is one of many places that have struggled to maintain safe conditions for youth and seen reform efforts stall or be abandoned.
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An aerial view of Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall in Downey, California.
Closing Argument September 7, 2024
The Seemingly Endless Cycle of Reforms in Juvenile Justice
As Ohio considers closing youth detention facilities, recent efforts in other states have hit roadblocks.
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A collage illustration shows a photo of a building with a sign that says “Cuyahoga County Juvenile Justice Center,” photos of other youth care facilities and silhouetted illustrations representing youth.
Cleveland August 1, 2024
These Private Centers Lack Oversight. Cuyahoga County Judges Send Kids Anyway.
Courts are increasingly sending children to private youth care centers, spending millions while detention center overcrowding persists.
By and
A photo of a Black woman with her hair in a bun speaking into a microphone while sitting on a panel.
Jackson July 9, 2024
Jackson, Mississippi, Wants Curfew Centers to Cut Crime. Here’s What Other Cities Learned.
After a teen’s murder, city officials hope a curfew and youth centers will get kids off the street. Young people are skeptical.
By
An illustration shows a portrait of a Black man, wearing glasses, a white cap with the letter "B," a silver chain necklace and white shirt. In the background, a book is floating, with portraits of male teenagers in blue uniforms on several pages.
Life Inside October 20, 2023
Here’s How I Use My Story to Teach Incarcerated Kids That Writing Matters
At 18, Bobby Bostic was sentenced to 241 years in prison. Now out on parole, he’s sharing the healing power of writing in juvenile detention centers.
By Bobby Bostic
A barbed wire fence surrounds a tan-colored building.
Closing Argument September 23, 2023
Juvenile Detention Centers Face One Scandal After Another
Despite repeated efforts at reform, allegations of mistreatment mount at youth facilities across the country.
By
An old picture of three boys and their mother smiling sits inside a frame with words about family and love.
The Frame September 7, 2023
Rebuilding Family After Foster Care
Bad timing and a stint in juvenile detention prevented Matthew and Terrick from accessing the foster care resources offered to their youngest brother, Joseph.
Photographs by Max Whittaker
A group of male teenagers dressed in gray sweaters and black pants are walking in two lines, with their hands behind their backs. A man in a dark blue collared shirt and tan cargo pants walks behind them.
Closing Argument April 15, 2023
How the Juvenile System Forces Minors Into Unsafe Institutions
Even in states with a drive for reform, many children and teens face long confinement and dirty, dangerous conditions.
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A brick sign that reads "Louisiana State Penitentiary" and "Secretary James LeBlanc" located in front of the prison's entrance.
Closing Argument August 13, 2022
Confronting America’s ‘Cruel and Unusual’ Juvenile Detention Crisis
From Texas and Louisiana to communities in Iowa and Michigan, the way youth are being detained is prompting calls for change.
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