America's Invisible Children: Latino Youth and the Failure of Justice
Published May 20, 2009, Neelum Arya with Francisco Villarruel, Cassandra Villanueva, and Ian Augarten
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From the National Council of La Raza (NCLR) and the Campaign for Youth Justice, the report examines the most recent information available about Latino youth in the justice system, with a particular focus on youth tried as adults. The report finds that Latino youth are treated more harshly by the justice system than white youth, for similar offenses, at all stages in the justice system.
Each year, an estimated 200,000 youth under age 18 are tried as adults in courts nationwide. As a result, thousands of Latino youth are prosecuted in the adult criminal justice system every year, depriving them of rehabilitative opportunities, including education, mental health services, and other age-appropriate services that make it more likely that youth will become law-abiding, productive citizens.
