Research on juvenile crime continues to reveal the immense capacity of juveniles to rebuild their lives and move forward as productive members of society. The results of a comprehensive study of youth who have committed sex offenses in Illinois showed that these youth are highly responsive to treatment and unlikely to recidivate. The...
Youth Justice
The Dangers of Solitary Confinement and Isolation for Juveniles
Imagine being locked in a small, minimally furnished room with little or no natural light. There is limited human interaction, sometimes not even a book or school work to pass the time. In some places, this can last for hours, days, or weeks, even in Wisconsin. Local detention centers often use isolation as some version of a “time...
Finding Common Ground to Support Victims’ Rights
This week (April 6-12) is National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, a week to highlight the impact that crime has on victims and our community and to advocate for more resources to help serve those affected by crime. The National Juvenile Justice Network has just released A House Divided No More: Common Cause for Juvenile Justice Advocates,...
Brain Development, Young Offenders, and Ideas for Change
It’s not news that research has consistently shown that brain development is an on-going process that continues through adolescence and into the early 20s. The structures of the brain responsible for reasoning and cognitive functioning are often not fully developed until several years after reaching legal status as an adult. Given what...
Discipline Disparities: A Call for Discipline Reform in Schools
The Discipline Disparities: Research-to-Practice Collaboration recently released a series of briefing papers covering policies, interventions, and research aimed at reducing disparities in school discipline. The collaboration consists of 26 researchers, advocates, policy, analysts and educators working towards reducing discipline...
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