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Sunday, December 11, 2011

Courts - "Status Offenders: Kentucky among nation's leaders in jailing children"

The Louisville Courier Journal today has a "Sunday exclusive" on Status Offenders. The intro:

Kentucky judges are jailing youths for truancy and other non-criminal offenses at one of the highest rates in the nation, side-stepping federal and state laws and ignoring the near-unanimous agreement of experts and advocates that it harms children.

Last year, more than 1,500 children were placed in juvenile jails for status offenses such as missing school or running away from home — acts that aren’t criminal under the law.

Although the number is declining — more than 1,700 such children were jailed the previous year — advocates say the number is far too high and no way to treat children whose problems may stem from abuse, neglect, poverty, mental illness, bullying or other social ills.

Unfortunately, "Sunday exclusive" seems to mean you have to subscribe to the paper or buy it at the newsstand to read it. However, there are a number of video clips and side-bars linked.

Posted by Marcia Oddi on December 11, 2011 04:19 PM
Posted to Courts in general