EP16: Juvenile Justice / Youth Transfer

NASW Social Work Talks Podcast

An NASW social justice brief reports that Black youth make up about 14% of the total youth population, but comprise 47.3% of the youth who are transferred to adult court by juvenile court judges.

Guests Mel Wilson, NASW's social justice and human rights manager, and Jeree Thomas, policy director at the Campaign for Youth Justice, discuss this unjust practice.

They encourage social workers to get involved in action-oriented coalitions to make changes in their communities, and to hold their elected officials accountable.

Published October 30, 2018

Read a transcript of Episode 16

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The Color of Juvenile Transfer: Policy & Practice Recommendations

NASW Social Justice Brief, 2017
In the United States, in every state, youth under age 18 are eligible to be transferred from juvenile court to adult court. In adult court, youth receive public criminal records, get locked behind bars in adult jails, and receive lengthy sentences in facilities that were not made to take their social or brain development into account.

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• Black Boys Viewed as Older, Less Innocent Than Whites, Research Finds - American Psychological Association
• The Essence of Innocence: Consequences of Dehumanizing Black Children - American Psychological Association
• Study: Black girls viewed as ‘less innocent’ than white girls
• Girlhood Interrupted: The Erasure of Black Girls' Childhood - Georgetown Center on Poverty and Inequality