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Juvenile Detention

An illustration shows a portrait of a Black man, wearing glasses, a white cap with the letter "B," a silver chain necklace and white shirt. In the background, a book is floating, with portraits of male teenagers in blue uniforms on several pages.
Life Inside October 20, 2023
Here’s How I Use My Story to Teach Incarcerated Kids That Writing Matters
At 18, Bobby Bostic was sentenced to 241 years in prison. Now out on parole, he’s sharing the healing power of writing in juvenile detention centers.
By Bobby Bostic
A barbed wire fence surrounds a tan-colored building.
Closing Argument September 23
Juvenile Detention Centers Face One Scandal After Another
Despite repeated efforts at reform, allegations of mistreatment mount at youth facilities across the country.
By
An old picture of three boys and their mother smiling sits inside a frame with words about family and love.
The Frame September 7
Rebuilding Family After Foster Care
Bad timing and a stint in juvenile detention prevented Matthew and Terrick from accessing the foster care resources offered to their youngest brother, Joseph.
Photographs by Max Whittaker
A group of male teenagers dressed in gray sweaters and black pants are walking in two lines, with their hands behind their backs. A man in a dark blue collared shirt and tan cargo pants walks behind them.
Closing Argument April 15
How the Juvenile System Forces Minors Into Unsafe Institutions
Even in states with a drive for reform, many children and teens face long confinement and dirty, dangerous conditions.
By
A brick sign that reads "Louisiana State Penitentiary" and "Secretary James LeBlanc" located in front of the prison's entrance.
Closing Argument August 13, 2022
Confronting America’s ‘Cruel and Unusual’ Juvenile Detention Crisis
From Texas and Louisiana to communities in Iowa and Michigan, the way youth are being detained is prompting calls for change.
By
Khayr Muhammad leaps in the air with a cape in his right hand, streaming behind him.
The Frame January 14, 2022
“Wild: Bird of Paradise” Envisions a World Without Prisons or Police
The final installment of Jeremy McQueen’s dance film explores the challenges and fears of being a young Black man in New York City.
By
Life Inside October 21, 2021
I Was Sentenced to Life as a Juvenile. Now I Help Kids Build Brighter Futures.
Imprisoned for 25 years, Fred Weatherspoon was shocked to return to a Chicago he didn’t recognize. He found belonging in an unexpected way — working with vulnerable young people and their families.
By Fred Weatherspoon as told by
Teenagers at the Hillsborough County Juvenile Detention Center East in Tampa, Florida, in September 2020.
One Year Later: The Pandemic Behind Bars March 8, 2021
Many Juvenile Jails Are Now Almost Entirely Filled With Young People of Color
Thousands of kids were freed from juvenile detention during the pandemic. They were more likely to be White, data shows.
By
A juvenile at the Orleans Justice Center in New Orleans in 2018.
Coronavirus May 12, 2020
Solitary, Brawls, No Teachers: Coronavirus Makes Juvenile Jails Look Like Adult Prisons
Youth lockups are supposed to rehabilitate kids, not punish them. The pandemic is making that harder than ever.
By
Students at the Travis Hill School inside of the Orleans Justice Center in New Orleans, in 2018.
Coronavirus March 23, 2020
“I Want to See my Child.” Juvenile Lockups Cut Visits Over COVID-19 Fears
Families fret about isolated youth behind bars.
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