No More Children Left Behind Bars

by CHHIRJ

Public dollars spent on education and prevention are far more effective in stemming violence and discouraging gang affiliation than broadening prosecutorial powers or stiffening criminal penalties for young people accused of gang-related crimes. Public opinion data indicates that most of the American public also favors spending money on prevention and education over prosecution and incarceration. These are the findings summarized in a new policy brief, entitled “No More Children Left Behind Bars,” released by the Charles Hamilton Houston Institute for Race and Justice at Harvard Law School. The report reviews the most robust research on juvenile justice, child development and educational interventions in an effort to assess the most promising approaches to curbing youth violence and gang affiliation.