Black and Tribal Youth Bear the Brunt of Rising Incarceration Rates
New data from the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention shows Black youth are nearly 6 times as likely to be incarcerated as their white peers.
Related to: Youth Justice
[Washington, D.C.]– Recent reporting from the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) shows the first consecutive annual increase in the one-day count of youth incarceration since 2000. Numbers hit historic lows due to COVID-related disruptions in 2020 and 2021. While the number of incarcerated youth grew in 2023 it remains 20% lower than pre-pandemic levels in 2019.
The deepening racial and ethnic disparities in youth incarceration are apparent in the report as well. In 2023, Black youth were 5.6 times as likely to be incarcerated as their white peers, up from 4.7 times in 2021. Tribal youth faced 3.8 times the risk, and Latino youth were 25% more likely to be incarcerated than their white counterparts. For Black and Tribal youth, these disparities are now at their highest levels since data collection began in 1997.
“Although the overall number of incarcerated youth remains lower than the pre-pandemic level of 2019, the widening racial and ethnic disparities signal an urgent need for systemic change,” said Josh Rovner, Director of Youth Justice at The Sentencing Project. “Underinvesting in programs and social services will leave our most vulnerable young people without the necessary resources to thrive– and Black, Latino and Tribal youth will bear the brunt of these policy failures. Instead of doubling down on youth incarceration, lawmakers must reinvest in proven community-based programs. Incarcerating our youth won’t deter crime, nor will it set them up to make better decisions – investing in their communities will.”
The Sentencing Project has long documented the deep racial disparities in youth incarceration, highlighting how systemic biases and policy choices disproportionately funnel Black, Latino, and Tribal youth into the justice system while advocating for reforms that prioritize rehabilitation over punishment.
