Congressional Hispanic Caucus
Ashley H. Atwell	(202) 225-4831

CHC Calls for Fairer Treatment of Latino Youth Report 
Cites Serious Flaws in Juvenile Justice System

 

For immediate release: July 18, 2002                                                          

Washington D.C.- The Congressional  Hispanic Caucus (CHC) announced the release of a report today on Latino youth in the juvenile justice system.  The report, commissioned by  The Building Blocks for Youth Inititiative and entitled “¿Donde Está la Justicia?  A Call to Action on Behalf of Latino and Latina Youth in the U.S. Justice System” exposes disparities in the treatment of Latino youth in the criminal justice system , and points to inadequate data and the absence of bilingual services as two principal causes of this disparity.

 “This report is the first of it kind, and will likely be an invaluable asset to our community. ‘¿Donde Está la Justicia’ highlights the inequities of our current juvenile justice system and reveals that Latino youth are consistently receiving more punitive treatment that their non-Hispanic white peers.  We must provide our youth with equal opportunities and adequate bilingual services. The future success or failure of our youth will ultimately define the future of our nation, which is why we need to act now,”said Congressman Silvestre Reyes, Chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.

The report points out that the initial inequities in treatment of Latino youth are further compounded by later inequities.  For example, in Los Angeles between 1996 and 1998, Latino youth were not only arrested 2.3 times as often as non-Hispanic white youth, they were prosecuted 2.4 times as often as non-Hispanic white youth, and imprisoned 7.3 times as often. They are equally disadvantaged by the lack of a culturally sensitive environment and inadequate bilingual resources.  The report further points out that the true magnitude of these disparties is masked by the fact that many states do not have separate and accurate data on Latino youth. ‘¿Donde Está la Justicia?’ calls on the juvenile justice system to collect data in a way that accurately counts Latino youth by classifying them as a separate group.   

“This report is a necessary step towards addressing the needs of Latino youth in the juvenile justice system, and I commend the Building Blocks for Youth for their excellent work,” commented Congressman Charlie Gonzalez, Chairman of the CHC’s Census and Civil Rights Task Force.  “The system must eliminate racial profiling and reduce subjectivity in making decisions that affect our youth.  Latino youth must be recognized as a unique group with unique needs. Only then will justice be served.” 

For more information, please contact Ashley H. Atwell at (202) 225-4831.