Methodology
In 2023, The Council of State Governments (CSG) Justice Center conducted a 50-state landscape analysis of how all states handle youth who commit status offenses as well as minimum age of juvenile court jurisdiction (the youngest age at which someone is subject to the jurisdiction of the juvenile court system). To conduct the scan, we reviewed state statute and court rules and spoke with state juvenile justice, court, and agency leaders in every state to review and discuss their policies and practices.
The findings detailed in “By the Numbers” reflect state policy as authorized in statute and court rules regardless of how often such authority is used in practice (e.g., whether youth can be legally detained for a status offense). We also use approximations rather than exact numbers and don’t identify specific states for the following reasons:
- Some states’ laws can be interpreted in multiple ways.
- States’ laws are continuously in flux.
- More generally, some states have confusing, even conflicting laws and court rules related to these populations leading to different interpretations even among state leaders and practitioners.
To complement the 50-state scan, we conducted listening sessions with national organizations, researchers, advocates, state and local leaders, youth justice practitioners and providers, and youth and families with lived experience of the juvenile justice system. We obtained their feedback on challenges, opportunities for system improvement, and best practice approaches on youth who commit status offenses and minimum age of juvenile court jurisdiction. We also hosted a half-day national virtual convening with a wide range of stakeholders to solicit their insights and recommendations. Our brief, guiding principles, and state models are all informed by these discussions.
Project Credits
Writing: Josh Weber and Nina Salomon, CSG Justice Center
Research: Josh Weber, Nina Salomon, Christina Gilbert, Stephanie Ueberall, Emily Rogers, Rebecca Cohen, CSG Justice Center
Editing: Leslie Griffin, CSG Justice Center
Design: Michael Bierman
Web Development: Nick Gehring, eleventy marketing group
Public Affairs: Sarah Kelley, CSG Justice Center
We would like to thank the Prudential Foundation for their support of this work and Director for Inclusive Solutions, Tiffany Jackson, for her time, leadership, and commitment to improving outcomes for youth.
