Nobody wants to put runaways in detention — but what do we do?

It’s not uncommon that the parents cannot be found or won’t take back their children, leading to at-risk youth being held in detention centers.

Op-Ed (Washington)

Helen Halpert
Seattle Times
November 30, 2015
READ THE FULL STORY HERE

Tags: Foster Youth, Juvenile Justice

Organizations mentioned/involved: Columbia Legal Services (Washington State)


DETAILS

Although reasonable people can disagree about what types of criminal behavior warrants incarceration, no one believes that locking up children for not attending school or for running away from home or foster care will improve their prospects for the future. These behaviors are often referred to as “status offenses” — and, sadly, Washington locks up more status offenders than any other state.