On any given day, about 900 kids are confined at a juvenile detention center in the Commonwealth – more half of them before they’ve had a trial.At a think tank called the Prison Policy Initiative, Wanda Bertram says many are also locked up for things that are not a crime.
“You’ve stayed out past when you’re supposed to stay out. You missed an appointment with your probation officer. It’s stuff like running away, truancy, violating curfew," Bertram says. "Most states have no children in confinement for these offenses.”
Studies show being incarcerated can be traumatic and put children at risk for a life of crime.
“Being locked up leaves kids worse off in terms of their physical and their mental health, and makes it more likely that they’re going to return to the legal system again and again. It’s not helping,” Bertram says.
The Prison Policy Initiative also finds that youngsters who are Black are more likely to face official criminal proceedings than white children whose cases may be settled informally, without confinement.
“In Virginia, Black kids are about a quarter of kids in the state. They represent over 60% of kids in confinement, so this is not a problem that affects all families equally,” Bertram explains.
The report comes at a time when members of the Trump administration are calling for tougher legal penalties on children who commit crimes.