Nearly half of U.S. states have made strides in the past eight years toward reducing the prosecution of juveniles in the adult criminal justice system or preventing youths from being placed in adult jails and prisons, according to a report from the Campaign for Youth Justice that reviews reforms among states nationwide. The report highlights reforms in 23 states that include limiting states’ authority to house young people in adult jails and prisons; raising the age for juvenile court jurisdiction to 18 so older teens are no longer automatically prosecuted as adults; revising laws so youths are more likely to stay in the juvenile justice system instead of being transferred to the adult system; and changing mandatory minimum sentencing laws. The Foundation's National Campaign to Reform State Juvenile Justice Systems is active in many of the states at the heart of the report.
