NCJ Number
182503
Date Published
October 2000
Length
139 pages
Annotation
This report assesses conditions of juveniles in adult prisons and jails.
Abstract
Since 1992, 45 States have passed or amended legislation making it easier to prosecute juveniles as adults. As a result, the number of youth under 18 confined in adult prisons has more than doubled in the past decade. This report is intended to help policymakers and criminal justice practitioners form an effective response to the problem of juveniles in adult correctional facilities. Specifically, the report examines the extent of juvenile confinement in adult facilities; the types of facilities used to house juvenile offenders; what happens to juveniles in the adult system; whether juveniles in adult facilities are educated, treated for substance abuse and taught skills that will help them find a job after their incarceration; whether prisons and jails protect young offenders from physical, sexual and psychological abuse; and alternative strategies for housing young offenders sentenced to long terms in adult facilities. The report discusses legal issues relating to conditions of confinement for youth in adult facilities, characteristics of juveniles housed in adult jails and prisons, management issues and alternative strategies and technical assistance. Tables, figures, cases cited, appendixes, references