"From Time-Out to Hard Time: Young Children in the Adult Criminal Justice System"
This report by the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs provides a comprehensive look at policies on pre-adolescent children (primarily those age 12 and under) who commit serious crimes. It finds that more than half of U.S. states permit children age 12 and under to be treated as adults for criminal justice purposes. In 22 states, plus the District of Columbia, children as young as 7 can be prosecuted and tried in adult court where they would be subject to harsh adult sanctions, including long prison terms, mandatory sentences and placement in adult prisons. The report finds that youths held in adult facilities face vastly higher risks of physical and sexual assault and suicide than they would face in juvenile facilities.
The report examines international practices and offers policy recommendations. Ultimately, it argues that the adult criminal justice system is a poor and dangerous fit for young perpetrators. Rather, the authors argue that children should be handled in the juvenile justice system, where they can obtain the rehabilitative services and programs necessary to help them become productive adults.
