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Juvenile (under 18)

OJJDP Is Taking Action To Achieve an Equitable Juvenile Justice System

By Chyrl Jones, Acting OJJDP Administrator

When President Biden proclaimed October 2021 as National Youth Justice Action Month, he noted that far too many young people have been "sidelined by unnecessary encounters with the justice system." Citing the adverse effects of system involvement, the President called for a national shift from incarceration to prevention.

National Youth Justice Action Month supports intervention and prevention strategies...

Youth Arrests Drop to Lowest Level in 40 Years

Juvenile Arrests, 2019

OJJDP and the National Institute of Justice have released "Juvenile Arrests, 2019." This  bulletin shows juvenile arrests rates have dropped to their lowest level in 40 years.

Findings show that in 2019, law enforcement agencies made an estimated 696,620 arrests of youth under age 18—the lowest number since at least 1980. In addition, juvenile arrests overall fell 58 percent between 2010 and 2019, although patterns vary by...