Punishment to Potential:
A Landscape Analysis of Georgia's Juvenile Justice System
December 2024
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Georgia’s juvenile justice system is at a crucial juncture, facing both significant challenges and promising opportunities for reform. Our extensive analysis offers a comprehensive overview of the system's structure, key partners, recent reforms, and ongoing issues. It aims to inform policymakers, advocates, and community leaders about the current state of juvenile justice in Georgia and guide efforts to improve outcomes for justice-involved youth.
Inside the report, you'll learn about:
• how the state's juvenile justice system originated
• the 4 key populations inside the system
• how the state collects data, including trends and challenges
• external factors that impact system-involved youth
• how youth view the juvenile justice system
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We highlight key opportunities for reform and propose a series of recommendations to address the challenges facing our youth and the systems that serve them.
| WHO ARE GEORGIA'S CHILDREN AND YOUTH?
Georgia is experiencing rapid growth and increasing diversity, especially among Hispanic, Asian, and Multiracial youth. With a population of about 11 million, nearly 2.5 million children under the age of 18 live in the state. While half of the state's population is non-Hispanic White, Georgia has a higher percentage of Black children than the national average and a lower percentage of non-Hispanic White and Hispanic children.
More than 75% of residents live in urban areas, with recent population growth concentrated in metro Atlanta, north Georgia, and coastal regions.
Children Living in Poverty, 2022
15% of Georgia families live in poverty with more than half living in extreme poverty (earning $15,600 annually for a family of four). Poverty rates are notably higher among Black and Hispanic children (28% and 23% respectively) compared to non-Hispanic White children (10%). Poverty is most concentrated in rural southern Georgia,
Georgia has 166,000 uninsured children, the fourth-highest number in the nation, with Latino and American Indian/Alaska Native children disproportionately affected. Nearly half of Georgia’s teens struggle to access mental health treatment, highlighting a critical gap in behavioral health services. While recent federal and state policy gains may expand coverage, ongoing shortages of health providers statewide hinder timely access to quality care.
| KEY OPPORTUNITIES IDENTIFIED IN THE REPORT
Georgia's juvenile justice system is at a pivotal moment, grappling with profound challenges while presenting unique opportunities for meaningful reform.
A Rise in Cases
​From 2016 to 2023, Georgia experienced an overall rise in delinquency and Child in Need of Services (CHINS) cases, and a gradual decline in dependency cases.
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​Delinquency and CHINS cases dropped significantly in 2020 and then rose from 2021 to 2023.
What is the difference between delinquency, dependency, and Child in Need of Services (CHINS)?
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A delinquent child is one who is found by the court to have committed a delinquent act and needs treatment or rehabilitation.
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A Child in Need of Services youth is one who has been found to be in need of care, guidance, counseling, structure, supervision, treatment or rehabilitation, and who is adjudicated for truancy; running away; being ungovernable; curfew violations; hanging out in bars; being on probation for being ungovernable; guilt of a child-only offense (i.e., underage drinking); or delinquency, but not in need of treatment or rehabilitation.
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A dependent child is one who is found by the court to have been abused or neglected and in need of the court’s protection, placed for care or adoption, or one without a parent, guardian or legal custodian. These cases originate with and are filed by Georgia Division of Family and Children Services.​
Addressing Justice Disparities
There is a growing awareness of the need to address the overrepresentation of Black youth at every stage of the juvenile justice process, presenting an opportunity to implement more equitable practices.
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When looking at an average of all delinquency decision points by race and ethnicity from 2013-2022, Black youth are significantly overrepresented compared to the population average. Similarly, CHINS decision point data show racial and ethnic disparities, particularly between representation of White and Black youth.
DELINQUENCY DECISION POINT REPRESENTATION DISPARITIES BY RACE AND ETHNICITY (GEORGIA), 2013-2022
CHINS DECISION POINT REPRESENTATION DISPARITIES BY RACE AND ETHNICITY (GEORGIA), 2013-2022
Enhancing Behavioral Health Support
Behavioral health conditions, such as affective or mood disorders, psychotic disorders, anxiety disorders, trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder, disruptive behavior disorders, and substance use disorders are more prevalent among justice-involved youth than in the general population.
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Who is detained in Georgia?
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48% in temporary secure confinement and 65% in long-term secure confinement were on the mental health caseload.
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48% in secure facilities had a neurodevelopmental disorder (not including ADHD)
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40% were diagnosed with trauma and stressor-related disorders
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Nearly all diagnosed with ADHD had a co-occurring conduct disorder
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Disruptive disorders were most common, followed by substance-use disorders, neurodevelopmental disorders, trauma, and depression.
Improving Education Policies
By re-evaluating zero-tolerance policies and addressing racial disparities in school discipline, there is a chance to reduce juvenile justice involvement and better support youth within their communities and homes.
DELINQUENCY DECISION POINT REPRESENTATION DISPARITIES BY RACE AND ETHNICITY (GEORGIA), 2013-2022
CHINS DECISION POINT REPRESENTATION DISPARITIES BY RACE AND ETHNICITY (GEORGIA), 2013-2022
Policy Reform Potential
As one of only four states still processing 17-year-olds as adults, Georgia has a significant opportunity to enact reforms in juvenile justice practices.​
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Georgia law defines a child as one who is under the age of 17 years when alleged to have committed a delinquent act.
In 2022, in Georgia:
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3,842 17-year-olds were arrested
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20% were for violent crimes
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140 counties had fewer than 50 arrests of 17-year-olds
Strengthening the Juvenile Justice Workforce
Addressing staffing shortages and high turnover within the Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) can enhance rehabilitation efforts and ensure a safer environment.​
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DJJ has had significant retention and recruitment difficulties with its workforce of juvenile correctional officers. Since 2019, the turnover rate for juvenile correctional officers remained above 90%. Facilities have been operating at or above 45% vacancies since 2020.
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<JCO line chart here>
| Youth Voice in Juvenile Justice
In 2023, the Juvenile Justice State Advisory Group of the CJCC conducted a statewide community feedback survey to inform Title II funding allocation. The survey had more than 600 respondents, 43 of which were youth. Of these youth respondents, 37 were currently involved in the juvenile justice system or had prior involvement.
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Regarding available community services for youth and their peers, therapy, detention alternatives, and access to behavioral health services ranked in the top three.
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<funnel chart here>
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When asked for suggestions to improve Georgia’s juvenile justice system, youth respondents recommended:
Increasing pay for juvenile justice workers;
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Providing parenting classes;
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Educating youth on the law;
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Offering more community resources and programs;
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Having staff spend more time with youth rather than paperwork;
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Reevaluating CHINS, because it lacks consequences;
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Increasing resources for parents and kids who can’t afford counseling;
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Improving teamwork within agencies and collaboration with others;
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Learning about local youth organizations for referrals;
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Stopping excessive incarceration and creating better support systems; and
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Enhancing cooperation with community partners.
The survey shows that young people see behavioral health issues as key factors in community problems and crime, and it indicates a need for resources to reduce juvenile crime and hold parents and systems accountable for better youth outcomes. Youth respondents emphasize the necessity for more parental services, education, structured activities, and easily accessible behavioral health resources and peer mentoring. Moreover, while not highly distrustful of law enforcement and the juvenile justice system, youth suggest enhancing consistent service provision, equitable treatment, alternatives to detention, and improving staff conditions to better address youths’ needs.
| Key Recommendations
are there a few high level recommendations we can recommend here to pique interest???