Philly teens, as a percentage of...
For every 10,000 white teens in Philly, from 2019 to 2023 on average,
21 were charged, 14 were detained, and 1.4 were sentenced to placement.
For every 10,000 Black teens in Philly,
203 were charged, 173 were detained, and 29 were sentenced to placement.
7,086 abuse allegations in residential facilities since 2014 ↴
↲ 266 cases substantiated by DHS (3.8%)
Despite recent spikes in gun violence by minors, youth arrests for violent crimes overall have fallen to historically low levels — and cities and states across the country have acknowledged the harms and abuses of juvenile institutions.
In turn, they have developed strategies to reduce the use of facilities and to keep more kids in their homes.
In 2023, Los Angeles County incarcerated 27 teenagers in juvenile detention or an institution for every 10,000 youths in the county.
New York City incarcerated 33.
Cook County, home to Chicago, incarcerated 45.
But Philadelphia detained or committed 141 per 10,000, one of the highest rates in the country.
- Youth Justice
Out of Step
Cities nationwide are turning away from juvenile institutions, noting widespread abuses. Philly has fallen behind.
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In 2021, a state task force concluded that cutting use of institutions was the best path forward. Despite this, Philadelphia’s youth incarceration rate remains the highest in Pennsylvania.
Philly has 12% of the state’s teens…
…but in 2023, Philly alone accounted for nearly half of all juveniles detained in the state, pending a proceeding in juvenile court.
Our kids also account for one in five youths sentenced to state placement. But because of lengthy sentences, they make up nearly 60% of the population in state juvenile institutions.
And our Black kids are at the greatest risk of being incarcerated.
They are nine times more likely than white kids to be charged with a crime…
…13 times more likely to be put in a juvenile detention center while awaiting court...
…and 20 times more likely to be sentenced to placement in state juvenile institutions.
Once in juvenile facilities, kids have been sexually assaulted, beaten, forced to fight, or otherwise tormented, The Inquirer found in a review of 650 allegations of abuse in Pennsylvania facilities.
One in 14 teens in state facilities nationwide reports being sexually harassed or assaulted.
At least 40 staff members have been criminally charged in the past 15 years for sexual misconduct or physical abuse at Pennsylvania residential youth facilities.
But this is a mere fraction of the harm.
The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services has investigated more than 7,000 abuse allegations at residential facilities in the past decade.
They substantiated less than 4% of the allegations.
Next steps?
City and state leaders have acknowledged that the system is not working to keep kids safe. Philadelphia has pulled youths out of at least eight facilities in the last nine years.
And locking up kids doesn’t make our communities safer. A 2023 analysis by the District Attorney’s Office shows that within five years, 57% of those arrested are arrested again.
The more times youths return to the system, the worse their outcomes. Rearrest rates hit 80% for teens with two or more prior arrests.
The state juvenile justice task force concluded: “Research shows most youth are not on a path toward adult crime, and over-involvement in the system can increase their likelihood of reoffending.”
Whether Philly steps away from this system remains to be seen.
Methodology
City comparisons reflect annual admissions to juvenile detention and delinquent placement for 2023, using data from the following sources: Pennsylvania Juvenile Court Judges Commission; Philadelphia Child Welfare Quarterly Reports; New York City Office of Children and Family Services; New York City Administration for Children's Services; California Board of State and Community Corrections; Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice; and Illinois Juvenile Justice Commission.
Data were normalized against county populations of youths aged 10 to 17 from the 2022 U.S. Department of Justice Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) Statistical Briefing Book.
Pennsylvania and Philadelphia comparisons were drawn from the Pennsylvania Juvenile Court Judges Commission 2023 dashboard. Racial comparisons were based on five years (2019-2023) of allegations, detention, and placement, normalized against Philadelphia’s populations of Black and white youths aged 10 to 17 from OJJDP.
National victimization estimate is from the Bureau of Justice Statistics’ National Survey of Youth in Custody. Pennsylvania institutional abuse allegations and outcomes are from Pennsylvania Child Protective Services Annual Reports, 2014-2023.
Staff Contributors
- Design and Development: Dain Saint
- Data and Reporting: Samantha Melamed
- Editing: James Neff and Sam Morris
- Illustration: Max Temescu
- Digital Editing: Felicia Gans Sobey
- Copy Editing: Thomas Bassinger
Acknowledgments
This article was supported in part by funding from the Stoneleigh Foundation, a philanthropic organization seeking to improve the life outcomes of young people. Inquirer articles are created independently of donor support.
The Inquirer's journalism is supported in part by The Lenfest Institute for Journalism and readers like you. News and Editorial content is created independently of The Inquirer's donors. Gifts to support The Inquirer's high-impact journalism can be made at inquirer.com/donate. A list of Lenfest Institute donors can be found at lenfestinstitute.org/supporters.
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