CSG Justice Center © 2018
September 1, 2018
This publication from the Justice Policy Institute and the National Center for Victims of Crime examines the barriers to treating youth involved in violent crime in the community instead of incarceration as well as gauges support for proposed reforms through interviews with members of the victims’ community. The justice system treats youth charged with violent offenses in ways that are often expensive and ineffective even though research shows that many youth convicted of a violent crime are best treated in a community-based setting. Crime victims who offered input for the report expressed a belief that there should be no categorical bar on serving more young people involved in violent crime in the community, particularly because youth engaged in violence are overwhelmingly victims themselves and should receive appropriate services.