A report from MacArthur’s Models for Change: Systems Reform in Juvenile Justice initiative reviews progress made toward reforming the juvenile justice system to be more responsive to adolescent development, and recommends further change to continue this momentum. According to the report, there are five priority areas in which current practice is still incompatible with healthy adolescent development: prosecution of youth in the adult criminal justice system, solitary confinement, confidentiality of juvenile records, registries for youth who commit sex offenses, and courtroom shackling. The report frames these policies in light of research on adolescent development, and asserts that reform is necessary to ensure a developmentally appropriate juvenile justice system.
