IN-DEPTH: Juvenile Detention Bed Shortage Leaves Violent Minors on Streets to Offend Again

By federal law, juveniles cannot be placed in adult prisons. Juveniles may be detained in a jail or lockup for adults for no more than six hours during processing, and in that time, they must have no sight or sound contact with adult inmates according to the Juvenile Justice Reform Act of 2018. The policy went into effect in December 2021. Add to that a huge decline in juvenile detention facilities. In 2000, the Unites States had 3,047 facilities holding 108,802 youth. In 2020, just 1,323 facilities were still open, housing 25,014 youth according to the federal Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. In many cases, law enforcement has no choice but to send violent offenders back home.

Camp Scott, an all-girls juvenile facility in Los Angeles County, Calif., in 2015. Barbara Davidson/Los Angeles Times/TNS

When two teens, ages 16 and 17, were picked up for a drive-by shooting in June in New Roads, Louisiana, Pointe Coupee Parish Sheriff’s detectives immediately knew this was not their first offense.

One teen wore two electronic ankle monitors, the other wore three. Both were already charged with attempted murder in another parish, and one may have an additional attempted murder offense.