Just the Facts: A Snapshot of Incarcerated Hispanic Youth

Latinos represent 19 percent of all 10- to 17-year-olds living in the United States, yet they represent 25 percent of incarcerate American youth. This fact sheet, by National Council of La Raza (NCLR), examines the racial and ethnic backgrounds of young people in the juvenile justice system.

The statistics sound an alarm about the sharp growth rate for Latino youth being held in adult facilities. The U.S. Department of Justice Bureau of Justice Statistics reports that from 2000 to 2008, the number of Latino youth under 18 years of age in adult prisons rose from 12 to 20 percent, even as the rates for black and white youth declined. On any given day, at least 18,000 Hispanic youth are incarcerated in the United States.

Given that Hispanics will account for about 30 percent of the U.S. population by 2050, the fact sheet argues that it is important to address the overrepresentation and treatment of young Latinos in the justice system.

Read the report.