Bill Overview
Title: Reducing Racial and Ethnic Disparities in the Juvenile Justice System Act of 2022
Description: This bill modifies provisions under the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Program in order to more specifically address racial and ethnic disparities with respect to arrests, secure detentions, and other decision points.
Sponsors: Sen. Whitehouse, Sheldon [D-RI]
Target Audience
Population: Juveniles subject to racial and ethnic disparities in the justice system
Estimated Size: 1000000
- The bill specifically targets racial and ethnic disparities, which implies it pertains to minority groups that are disproportionately represented in the juvenile justice system.
- Statistical data from the U.S. suggests that minority youth, such as Black and Hispanic youth, are often overrepresented in the juvenile justice system.
- The legislation will impact those involved in the juvenile justice system, including juveniles themselves, their families, and potentially the communities they come from.
- Modified provisions under the bill will likely affect policies and practices that determine arrests and detentions, impacting the procedures and experiences of juveniles.
- The bill focuses on U.S. juveniles, given that it modifies provisions under the U.S.-based Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Program.
Reasoning
- The policy aims to affect a group of approximately 1,000,000 juveniles that are racially and ethnically diverse and currently interact with the juvenile justice system, meaning it will primarily benefit minority groups such as Black and Hispanic youth who are overrepresented in these statistics.
- Given the annual $5,000,000 budget, and the $50,000,000 over a span of 10 years, the impact will likely be low to medium per individual due to the large size of the target group. Extensive systemic changes might be slow to manifest due to limited direct funding spread across so many involved individuals and organizations.
- I included interviews from diverse backgrounds to reflect realistic expectations of how the policy might play out in various settings and its different levels of impact, recognizing that some individuals feel a direct benefit, others a structural one, and some might not notice a change in their day-to-day life under the policy.
Simulated Interviews
student (Chicago, IL)
Age: 15 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 3/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I feel that being Hispanic sometimes means I'm treated more harshly by the justice system.
- I'm hopeful that a policy addressing these disparities will lead to fairer treatment.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 5 |
student (Los Angeles, CA)
Age: 17 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 4
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I witness firsthand how my sibling was treated compared to others, and it's clear there were biases.
- I want to see changes that prevent this from happening to others.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 4 |
student (New York, NY)
Age: 13 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 2.0 years
Commonness: 8/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I haven't been involved in the justice system, but I've seen how it impacts my friends differently.
- Any policy that can bring fairness is good, even if it doesn't change things for me directly.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 7 |
unemployed (Miami, FL)
Age: 19 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 3
Duration of Impact: 7.0 years
Commonness: 2/20
Statement of Opinion:
- As someone who was detained, I felt I was not treated fairly.
- This policy holds the potential for change, and that alone is encouraging.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 4 | 3 |
| Year 2 | 5 | 3 |
| Year 3 | 5 | 3 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 3 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 3 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 3 |
student (Houston, TX)
Age: 16 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- It's crucial for policies to address disparities.
- As a volunteer, I see how systemic changes can ripple through communities.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 6 |
student (Atlanta, GA)
Age: 14 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 6/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I've heard from my family that the system is supposed to be fair, but I hope this policy can help make it true.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 6 |
student (Detroit, MI)
Age: 18 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 4/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Being part of a leadership program, I've seen the inequalities we face vocationally and systematically.
- This policy gives me hope that younger teens won't face the same injustices.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 5 |
student (Seattle, WA)
Age: 12 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 8
Duration of Impact: 3.0 years
Commonness: 9/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I think fairness is important even if it doesn't affect me directly.
- This policy seems like a good step for my friends who might face these challenges.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 8 |
community activist (Phoenix, AZ)
Age: 20 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 4
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 2/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This policy could address layers of systemic bias in our communities.
- It's just the beginning, but it's a meaningful start.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 4 |
student (New Orleans, LA)
Age: 15 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Being involved in a diversion program, I'm constantly reminded of how similar cases are handled differently based on race.
- I hope this policy levels the playing field.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 5 |
Cost Estimates
Year 1: $5000000 (Low: $3000000, High: $7000000)
Year 2: $5000000 (Low: $3000000, High: $7000000)
Year 3: $5000000 (Low: $3000000, High: $7000000)
Year 5: $5000000 (Low: $3000000, High: $7000000)
Year 10: $5000000 (Low: $3000000, High: $7000000)
Year 100: $0 (Low: $0, High: $0)
Key Considerations
- The involvement of a large target population results in significant potential impact but also requires considerable implementation resources.
- Monitoring the policy's success and measuring actual savings or impact over time will be crucial.
- Collaboration with federal, state, and local juvenile justice departments will determine the effectiveness of the changes.