Young people are being locked up to reassure a fearful public that the cause of social unrest has been identified and that politicians and government have taken action to restore order and provide safety. Our society incarcerates children and youth at a greater rate than any other industrialized country on earth. More than 400,000 people under the age of eighteen are confined each year. In addition, youth are increasingly tried and punished as adults. Over 14,400 youth are incarcerated in adult jails and prisons.
Imprisoned children figure prominently in the rise of the prison industrial complex.
Media images and political rhetoric depict incarcerated youth as violent and irredeemable, yet the vast majority have not committed violent crimes. Less than 20 percent of those detained in the juvenile system prior to trial have been accused of violent offenses, and only one-fourth of those imprisoned after trial have been found guilty of violent offenses. The majority of youth are incarcerated for property and drug offenses. Incarcerated youth are disproportionately poor, male, and people of color. Although minorities comprise about 32 percent of the youth population, they are the majority, about 68 percent, in prison.