The following report, entitled "Gender Injustice: System-Level Juvenile Justice Reforms for Girls", released by the National Crittenton Foundation and written by national expert Francine Sherman and co-author Anna Balck, provides a stark account of the unfortunate state of juvenile justice for girls in the United States. The report shares the unfortunate setbacks girls in the system have experienced over the past two decades and calls for immediate reform.

Some key facts from the report:

Over the past 20 years:

Arrests of girls have increased 45%
Detention of girls has gone up by 40%
Court caseload involving girls has also gone up by 40%

Additionally, it is crucial to note that:

31% of these girls experienced in-home sexual abuse
84% of these girls experienced family violence.

As a result, the report calls for us to:

Stop detaining girls for environmental factors, who pose no safety risk
Use health related funds to ensure that these girls are getting the trauma related services they need
And more.

The full report, its executive summary, and related info-graphic can all be found at the following link:

http://www.nationalcrittenton.org/gender-injustice/

Marisa Mascolo Halm, J.D.

Director, TeamChild Juvenile Justice Project

Center for Children's Advocacy

65 Elizabeth Street

Hartford, CT 06105

P: 860-570-5327 ext. 228

C: 860-566-0764 F: 860-570-5256

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