Kids in Prison

A New York Times editorial today calls on Congress to use its purse strings to regulate more closely the way states handle juvenile justice. Every state currently allows children to be tried as adults, and more than 20 states allow kids as young as seven to be tried in adult courts.

The Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act, which is up for reauthorization in Congress this year, provides federal funding to states that comply with minimum standards to offer alternatives to incarceration in some juvenile cases and to keep most juveniles out of adult prisons. Learn more about the act here.

Harsh sentences for kids aren't just cruel, they're also ineffective. A new study from Michelle Deitch at the University of Texas finds that "the research unequivocally shows that children prosecuted as adults are more likely to re-offend and to pose a threat to society."

From the Times:

The study’s authors rightly call on lawmakers to enact laws that discourage harsh sentencing for preadolescent children and that enable them to be transferred back into the juvenile system. Beyond that, Congress should amend the juvenile justice act to require the states to simply end these inhumane practices to be eligible for federal juvenile justice funds.