Juvenile offenses

You probably still remember what it was like to be a teenager, and you know that it was not easy. Like most people in Washington, you probably made your fair share of mistakes during your teen years but were still able to move forward with your life. Unfortunately,...

Police questioning is routine in Washington, but it can be overwhelming and scary in the moment -- especially when that questioning involves a minor. This is partly because minors are not always aware of what rights they have when in police custody or being...

Your teenager’s trajectory may differ from the one you had set them on. Bright and talented, you likely expected that they would be college-bound. Yet, they may have experienced challenges that have prevented them from thriving in the way you had hoped. If your...

For juvenile offenders who have been sentenced to detention centers, finding a way to regain some sense of freedom is often a priority. However, probation usually comes with strict terms, any violation of which may send a minor back into detention. According to...

The juvenile justice system should treat all youth equally and fairly. However, there are actually a number of factors that influence how juvenile offenders are treated in Washington. The outcome of a teenager’s experience with the justice system often comes down to...

The juvenile justice system is supposed to treat all youthful offenders equally, but this is sadly not always the case. Hispanic and Latino juvenile offenders face higher rates of court-ordered placement and are detained twice as much as their white peers. The exact...

Parents of teens who have been arrested generally expect their children to face charges as juveniles. However, it is possible that a judge may decide that a Washington teenager should be tried as an adult if he or she is accused of committing a more serious offense....

Sending Washington teenage offenders to juvenile detention facilities is a long standing practice, but not necessarily an effective one. Data and research indicate that youth prisons actually have the opposite of the intended effect. Here is why some advocacy groups,...

Mistakes and lapses in judgments are important learning opportunities for teenagers on the path to adulthood. For many Washington teens, those mistakes have little effect on their futures. Unfortunately, others are not so fortunate and face charges as teenage...