Citation

Lyons VH, Danielson B. JAMA Netw. Open 2023; 6(4): e238846.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2023, American Medical Association)

DOI

10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.8846

PMID

37083672

Abstract

Nonfatal firearm injury and firearm mortality remain urgent public health and social justice crises in the US, and the latter is the leading cause of death in children and adolescents.1 Some populations are at particularly high risk, including those with a history of juvenile detention, as described in the study by Zheng et al.2 This study2 found a higher risk of firearm injury and mortality among adults with a history of juvenile detention in Cook County, Illinois, compared with their peers without a history of detention. They also found a significantly higher risk of firearm injury and mortality among Black and Hispanic male individuals compared with individuals from other racial or ethnic groups with a similar history of detention. These findings illustrate the consequences of structural racism in juvenile detention and the criminal legal system, as well as the importance of early, upstream interventions and systems change.

Beyond the risk of firearm injury and mortality, detention (ie, holding before trial or before sentencing) and incarceration (ie, confinement after sentencing) are costly, do not decrease the risk of arrest for offenses in the future (some studies3 instead suggest an increased risk), and actively harm neurological development during a particularly important developmental period.4 These punitive measures also harm youths' mental health, education, and employment opportunities, with consequences extending into adulthood.3 The severity of alleged juvenile crimes does not justify these harms, as approximately 70% of youths in detention are detained for nonviolent crimes.3 These harms are also not distributed equally through the general population; Black, Indigenous, and Hispanic youths are disproportionately detained and incarcerated, reflecting racism in arrests, filed charges, decision to detain, and sentencing ...

Keywords: Juvenile Justice

Language: en