Native American Youth In The Juvenile Justice System

Juvenile Justice Resources
for Native-American Youth
The violent crime rate among American Indians is twice that of the United States as a
whole. Tribal communities are also beset by high rates of domestic violence, child
abuse and neglect, alcohol abuse, and gang involvement. Given such factors, it is not
surprising that tribal youth are exposed to multiple risk factors for delinquency. Indeed,
while the violent crime rate for U.S. youth has steadily declined over the past several
years, the rate of violent juvenile crime in tribal communities continues to grow. Risk
factors for delinquency for the nearly 2 million American Indians who live on or near
tribal lands are compounded by a lack of social services.
Tribal communities are challenged by inadequate resources for their juvenile justice
systems, resulting in insufficient training of law enforcement and other justice personnel
and a dearth of programs that comprehensively combat juvenile delinquency through
appropriate prevention, intervention, and sanction activities.
The Tribal Law and Policy Institute and the Coalition for Juvenile Justice have co-written
a brief entitled, "American Indian/Alaska Native Youth & Status Offense Disparities: A
Call For Tribal Initiatives, Coordination & Federal Funding," which examines the
disparities faced in the state system by AI/AN youth who are charged with status
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