Sending Kids to Court Doesn't Help Them. Here’s What Will.

Current juvenile justice practices routinely undercut the stability of families, communities, and the economy. How? By removing kids from home, disrupting their education, and spending significant taxpayer money on interventions that aren't effective and can actually lead to increased recidivism.

But there's a better way: diversion.

In this video, experts explain how the current system is failing our kids and how diverting them from courts—which can range from community service to writing a letter of apology—can hold kids accountable without upending their lives.

"When you have a young man coming before you, 13 to 17 years of age, if you formally process this young man, if you get really tough, if you do the punitive response, our research is showing you're actually going to make that young man worse five years later," explains Dr. Elizabeth Cauffman of the University of California, Irvine.

Learn more about how to improve the juvenile justice system