Lawsuit Claims Widespread Sex Abuse at Illinois Youth Detention Centers - The New York Times

Jeffery Christian, a plaintiff in the lawsuit, said he had been abused at two Illinois youth detention centers where he was held as a teenager. At one, he said, a guard forcibly masturbated him repeatedly when he was 13 or 14. At another, he said, a counselor made repeated sexual comments toward him.

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/06/us/illinois-youth-prison-abuse.html

Michigan Enacts Laws to Reform Its Juvenile Justice System — ProPublica

In the aftermath of revelations from ProPublica, a government task force pushed for changes. New laws aim to keep low-level offenses out of court, provide more resources to young offenders and eliminate fines...

https://www.propublica.org/article/michigan-enacts-laws-reform-juvenile-justice-system

Michigan Proposes Juvenile Justice Reforms After Locking Up Teen for Not Doing Homework — ProPublica

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer created the Task Force on Juvenile Justice Reform in June 2021 to analyze state and local data and gather individuals from across the state who have insight into the system. The task force's goal was to try to understand why Michigan incarcerates so many young people for noncriminal offenses — and suggest ways to reduce the number. The task force was led by the nonprofit Council of State Governments and included the lieutenant governor, judges, court officials and families affected by the justice system…
https://www.propublica.org/article/michigan-proposes-juvenile-justice-reforms-after-story-of-teen-locked-up-for-missing-homework-exposed-gaps-in-system

Juvenile (In)justice (Reveal podcast)

Larissa Salazar grew up in Wyoming, and when she was in eighth grade, she got in a fight on a school bus. That snowballed into her spending 16 months in a state juvenile facility.

Reporter Tennessee Watson follows Larissa’s experience in the juvenile justice system in Wyoming, which locks up kids at one of the highest rates in the nation. Larissa’s mom says that instead of helping her daughter, the system made things worse.

Then Watson explores why Wyoming is clinging to its “get tough” approach to juvenile justice, even as many other states are moving away from punishing kids – especially for low-level or nonviolent offenses. Research shows that locking kids up doesn’t change their behavior and often creates a new set of problems.

We end with Watson visiting South Dakota, a state that in the past few years has changed how it deals with kids who get in trouble. South Dakota’s juvenile justice system recognizes that kids who are incarcerated are more likely to get in trouble again, whereas kids who are held accountable and receive support close to home are not.
Interview: 

https://www.podbean.com/ew/dir-jjdb6-f81d8b6