"Donde esta la justicia?" A Call to Action on Behalf of Latino and Latina Youth in the U.S. Justice System. Building Blocks for Youth

This report documents the disparate and unfair treatment of Latino/a youth in the U.S. justice system, describing barriers to collection of comprehensive information and potential means for overcoming these barriers. Data came from surveys of juvenile justice system directors in several states and the District of Columbia. The report describes how states fail to appropriately address issues related to bilingualism, ethnicity/race, cultural competence, and immigration status when working with Latino communities. It notes that Latino/a youth are significantly overrepresented in the justice system and receive harsher treatment, and it outlines how Latino/a youth specifically are disadvantaged by certain juvenile justice system procedures. Next, it offers examples of counties whose efforts to eliminate racial bias in system decision making and improvements in data gathering and recording systems, policies, and procedures have been effective in reducing the number of Latino youth in the system and improving the experiences of youth involved with the system. Finally, it presents strategies for Latino communities, parents, youth, law enforcement, the justice system, advocates/grassroots organizers, public officials, policymakers, and researchers. (Contains 98 references, 13 tables, and 6 figures.) (SM)