Crimes Against Humanity: The Mass Incarceration of Children in the United States

This report from Human Rights for Kids gathers a national snapshot of the individuals who are currently in prison who were “prosecuted, convicted, and incarcerated for crimes they committed as children,” finding that the U.S. is currently incarcerating 32,359 individuals in prison for crimes committed as children.

From the report: “The findings outlined in this report affords us an unprecedented opportunity to view the prevalence and impact of prosecuting and sentencing children as adults. This inhumane practice, which contravenes international law and universally accepted human rights norms, stretches back more than fifty years and continues to this day. Sadly, people who were incarcerated as children comprise a significant portion of our current prison population. We know that current, and laudable efforts to right size our adult justice systems will stall out without an approach that includes reforms for individuals who have committed violent offenses. Given that many of the children locked up in adult prisons have committed more serious offenses, policy shifts that provide relief for these children and prevent this practice from continuing will accelerate these larger criminal justice reform goals.”