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DOJ: Research shows trying juveniles as adults increases recidivism

A couple of readers pointed me to this week to a New York Times editorial making "The Case for Juvenile Courts" (Aug. 13), which argued against state laws allowing juveniles to be tried as adults for serious crime:This country made a terrible mistake when it began routinely trying youthful offenders as adults. This get-tough approach was supposed to deter crime. But a growing number of government-financed studies have shown that minors prosecuted as adults commit more crimes ? and are more likely to become career criminals ? than ones processed through juvenile courts.The editorial takes as a starting point this recent publication from USDOJ, "Juvenile Transfer Laws: An effective deterrent to delinquency?" (pdf), which provides a good summary of the research surrounding whether transferring youth to adult correctional systems reduces recidivism...continue to full post

Full post as published by Grits for Breakfast on August 15, 2008 (boomark / email).