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Punishment to Potential:
A Landscape Analysis of Georgia's Juvenile Justice System
November 2024
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| WANT TO RECEIVE THIS REPORT DIRECTLY IN YOUR INBOX?
Georgia’s juvenile justice system is at a crucial juncture, facing both significant challenges and promising opportunities for reform. In fiscal year 2023, the Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice supervised more than 7,000 youth daily, with secure facilities admitting more than 6,000 individuals and maintaining an average daily population of nearly 1,000 youth.
| What You'll Learn in This Report:
Gain a comprehensive understanding of Georgia's juvenile justice system, its structure, and the critical issues it faces. This analysis delves into the system's complexities, highlighting disparities in practices and policies across the state. It also sheds light on several pressing issues, including:
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the overrepresentation of Black youth;
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troubling trends in behavioral health among justice-involved youth; and
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how the education system plays a significant role in the incarceration of our youth.
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This extensive analysis explores the intersections of education, family dynamics, and community resources, revealing how adverse childhood experiences and systemic inequalities contribute to juvenile justice involvement. Learn about workforce challenges within secure facilities, data collection limitations, and policy gaps impacting justice-involved youth.
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Finally, we conclude with actionable recommendations and outline strategies for enhancing racial equity, expanding community-based alternatives, improving interagency collaboration, and supporting rehabilitation efforts.
| WHAT GEORGIA LOOKS LIKE
Population and Demographics
Georgia is experiencing rapid growth and increasing diversity, especially among Hispanic, Asian, and Multiracial youth. With a population of about 11 million, nearly 2.5 million children under the age of 18 live in the state. While half of the state's population is non-Hispanic White, Georgia has a higher percentage of Black children than the national average and a lower percentage of non-Hispanic White and Hispanic children.
Rural v. Urban
Though most counties are rural, over 75% of residents live in urban areas, with recent population growth concentrated in Metro Atlanta, North Georgia, and coastal regions.
Children Living in Poverty, 2022
Income and Home Ownership
About 13% of Georgians live below the poverty line, with poverty rates notably higher among Black (28%) and Hispanic (23%) children compared to non-Hispanic White children (10%). Poverty is most concentrated in rural southern Georgia, though families in poverty across the state face similar challenges, including limited access to healthcare and higher rates of low birth weight.
Georgia’s homeownership rate is 66.1%, slightly above the national rate, with Black homeownership at 24.3%, nearly three times the national rate for Black households. However, renters in Georgia generally have lower incomes, with 41% earning 50% or less of the HUD Area Median Family Income, compared to 17% of homeowners. Renter households are also three times more likely to live in poverty than homeowners.
Child Health Insurance Status
Georgia has 166,000 uninsured children, the fourth-highest number in the nation, with Latino and American Indian/Alaska Native children disproportionately affected. Nearly half of Georgia’s teens struggle to access mental health treatment, highlighting a critical gap in behavioral health services. While recent federal and state policy gains may expand coverage, ongoing shortages of health providers statewide hinder timely access to quality care.
| HIGHLIGHTS OF THIS LANDSCAPE ANALYSIS
| KEY RECOMMENDATIONS
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