In Support of Restorative Justice for Youth
Adopted at the in 2020
WHEREAS, young people from disadvantaged settings face a greater risk of becoming involved in the juvenile justice system, and a disproportionate number are youth of color; and
WHEREAS, being arrested and incarcerated at a young age is associated with a host of negative health outcomes, and the longer a child is detained, the greater the likelihood of mental, physical, emotional harm; and
WHEREAS, the link between childhood trauma and juvenile offending is well-established, and 9 in 10 children in the juvenile justice system have experienced trauma in their lives, according to the National Child Traumatic Stress Network; and
WHEREAS, it is the right of every child in the United States to receive a high school education, and involvement in the juvenile justice system substantially interferes with a child's ability to attend and thrive in school; and
WHEREAS, Kentucky spends $72,000 per year to detain a juvenile offender, but only $7,000 to educate a child - making it cheaper in many cases to send a young person to college for four years than to support a juvenile in detention for one year; and
WHEREAS, restorative justice practices have been shown to reduce recidivism of offenders and increase victim satisfaction within the judicial process, building a healthy and strong community for years to come by prioritizing rehabilitation, not punishment, of youth offenders; and
WHEREAS, mayors understand the success of young people is intrinsically connected to the level of support provided by families, schools, and community organizations, and local governments are in a unique position to strengthen these ties; and
WHEREAS, adopting restorative justice practices for youth would be in keeping with our policy in support of the My Brother's Keeper Initiative, a resolution adopted by The United States Conference of Mayors at the 83rd Annual Meeting, to address persistent opportunity gaps faced by boys and young men of color and to ensure that all young people can reach their full potential; and
WHEREAS, Members of Congress from both sides of the aisle have supported reforms to the criminal and juvenile justice systems in recent years to decrease the number of incarcerated people in the United States, reduce recidivism rates, and address racial and ethnic disparities,
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors encourages all policymakers working on juvenile justice issues to prioritize rehabilitation over the punishment of youth offenders; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the nation's mayors support the widespread adoption of restorative justice as a guiding philosophy for our courtrooms and local governments across the United States; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors encourages further reforms at the local, state, and federal levels aligned with restorative justice practices, such as expanding diversion programs, conducting trauma-informed training, and amending state sentencing laws.