UCLA Latino Policy and Politics Initiative (LPPI) and the Alianza for Youth Justice have released a new “Call to Action” report titled “The Latinx DATA GAP in the Youth Justice System.” This report shows that inconsistent data collection methods complicate race and ethnicity tracking across different stages in the youth justice system.
“As our country undertakes a long overdue reckoning on race and justice, it is critical that Latinos be included in the conversation,” said Sonja Diaz, Founding Director of the UCLA Latino Policy & Politics Initiative and one of the report’s co-authors. “Far too often we are overlooked, but to effectively address inequities in the justice system, especially the egregious disparities facing Black Americans, policymakers and advocates need accurate data on Latinx youth. This new report details the challenges of collecting data on system-impacted youth and offers a way forward so that leaders can craft viable solutions based on facts as we reopen our economy and transform failed systems.”
Findings:
1. Today, Latinx youth represent 25%, or about 8.3 million, of the total U.S. youth population between ages 10-17.
2. State agencies involved in the criminal justice system collect data that identifies Latinx youth inconsistently if at all, creating an incomplete picture of Latinx ethnic data.
3. States report racial/ethnic data inconsistently across the 3 points of contact: arrests, detention, and probation.
- 42% of states did not report racial or ethnic data for arrests
- 30% of states did not report racial and ethnic data for detention
- 52% of states did not have racial or ethnic data for probation
To read the full report, click HERE.
To learn more about UCLA Latino Policy and Politics Initiative, visit: https://latino.ucla.edu/
