Racial disparities in youth incarceration are the widest they've been in decades

This image made from video shows the Orleans Parish Juvenile Court in New Orleans, Monday, April 10, 2023. Across the U.S., there have been steep declines in the number of youth in juvenile detention, but racial disparities are widening.

The number of American children and teenagers in juvenile detention has sharply declined over the last few decades, but as overall numbers decrease, data shows Black and Native American youth are far more likely to be incarcerated than white children.

(Image credit: Stephen Smith)