WASHINGTON — Youth incarceration has declined significantly in Virginia and around the country since 2000, according to a new report but disparities and challenges persist.
Arrest rates for people under 18 peaked in the late 90s and have dropped by about 80% since then.
Josh Rovner, director of youth justice for The Sentencing Project, said the numbers go against public perception crime is going up.
“It’s surprising to many people in the country that believes that things are always getting worse, that believes that this generation of kids is worse than any generation that came before it, when the evidence doesn’t back that up,” Rovner observed.
The number of people in juvenile justice facilities has also declined but Black youths are more than two times more likely to be arrested than their white counterparts, despite only modest differences in behaviors.
Rovner pointed out some communities over-police their children and argued limiting law enforcement in most situations could reduce racial disparities. Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin vetoed several bills earlier this year related to crime, including one which would have restricted prosecutors from pursuing charges for those under 11.
Rovner contended sending a child to a detention facility is usually a policy failure. It does not reduce delinquent behavior because it puts people in contact with other dangerous people and impedes success in education, employment and health.
“We still see a huge proportion of kids who are locked up, who are not there on violent offenses or other serious charges,” Rovner explained. “What we need to do is take a look at the child and not the charge, and to find what the best response is on an individual basis.”
Virginia’s youth incarceration rates have seen similar declines compared to national trends and the state began a plan in 2021 to reform its correction centers with a greater focus on juvenile education. Rovner recommended continued investment in alternatives to incarceration, like mentorship and therapy programs.
