Report Reviews Research on Pre-Adolescents in the Criminal Justice System
August 28, 2009
The Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at The University of Texas at Austin has released the report “From Time Out to Hard Time: Young Children in the Adult Criminal Justice System.”
The report analyzes available data to provide a comprehensive look at how the nation treats pre-adolescent children who commit serious crimes and offers related recommendations for the consideration of policymakers. It finds that more than half the states permit children age 12 and under to be treated as adults for criminal justice purposes. In 22 states, plus the District of Columbia, children as young as 7 can be prosecuted and tried in criminal courts, where they may be subject to severe sanctions, including long prison terms, mandatory sentences, and placement in adult prisons.
Resources:
“From Time Out to Hard Time: Young Children in the Adult Criminal Justice System” is available online at www.utexas.edu/lbj/news/images/file/From%20Time%20Out%20to%20Hard%20Time-revised%20final.pdf.
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