“Hidden Injustice: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Youth in Juvenile Courts"

Many juvenile justice professionals are unaware that a significant percentage of youth in detention facilities – up to 13 percent in some jurisdictions – identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT). The result is that LGBT youth are often treated unfairly in the system.

The report, which is based on extensive surveys and interviews with youth and juvenile justice professionals, explores the multiple ways in which LGBT youth experience bias, a lack of understanding by juvenile court professionals, denials of due process rights and a lack of services. It details how LGBT youth are targeted and subjected to unnecessary detention and incarceration and emotional, physical and sexual abuse within detention and correctional facilities. To this end, it offers detailed recommendations for those working within the juvenile justice system and suggests ways in which the system can work more effectively with LGBT youth.

The report was produced by the Equity Project, a collaboration of the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR), Legal Services for Children (LSC), and the National Juvenile Defender Center (NJDC).
 

Read the report.