AUSTIN – Marc Levin, Director of the Texas Public Policy Foundation’s Center for Effective Justice, was featured in Rolling Stone. "Five Offenses That Can Land Kids (But Not Adults) In Jail" discusses status offenses — behavior that is considered criminal based solely on the age of the offender — and TPPF’s recently released report, "Kids Doing Time for What's Not a Crime." The article outlines the five most common status offenses, as Levin provides alternative solutions to juvenile incarceration.
"The reason [status offenses are] not crimes for adults is that they typically don't impact public safety," Levin told Rolling Stone. "It illustrates the need to take a more rehabilitative approach that can avoid confinement.
“Detaining or committing a child for non-criminal behavior remains a fairly common occurrence, one more likely to affect children who are already in vulnerable situations. From when a child misbehaves to the moment they are committed to a juvenile facility, there are numerous opportunities to address the behavior using an approach other than confinement."
Marc Levin is the Director of the Center for Effective Justice at the Texas Public Policy Foundation.
The Texas Public Policy Foundation is a non-profit free-market research institute based in Austin.
Primary website: www.TexasPolicy.com
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