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Youth First Initiative National Survey Results and Analysis

This national survey analyzes Americans' opinions on the youth justice system, emphasizing the preference for prevention and rehabilitation over punishment and incarceration. The survey also explores support for various youth justice reform proposals, including treatment plans, reducing disparities, increasing funding, and closing youth prisons.

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Youth First Initiative National Survey Results and Analysis

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  1. Youth First InitiativeNational Survey Results and Analysis

  2. Survey Methodology Figure 1 • Survey conducted January 19 – 24, 2016 • 1,000 interviews among adults online using a web-based panel. Care was taken to ensure that the sample is representative of the U.S. adult population. Margin of error +/- 3.1 percentage points at 95% confidence level

  3. Punishment vs. Prevention

  4. Americans Overwhelmingly Favor Prevention and Rehabilitation Over Punishment and Incarceration • While taking this survey, when you read the term "youth justice system," it refers to the government agencies that handle truant or runaway youth and youth accused of acts of delinquency, including courts, correctional facilities, probation and parole departments, detention centers and other out-of-home confinement facilities. • Compared to the way things are now, when it comes to the youth justice system, do you think there should be more focus on punishment and incarceration or more focus on prevention and rehabilitation?

  5. Support for Prevention and Rehabilitation Crosses Gender and Partisan Lines Compared to the way things are now, when it comes to the youth justice system, do you think there should be more focus on punishment and incarceration or more focus on prevention and rehabilitation?

  6. Support for Prevention and Rehabilitation Strong Across the Country Compared to the way things are now, when it comes to the youth justice system, do you think there should be more focus on punishment and incarceration or more focus on prevention and rehabilitation?

  7. Youth Justice System Focus By Experience With Criminal Justice System Figure 6 Whether you know someone impacted by the criminal justice system, been a victim of crime, or have a family member in law enforcement support is consistent for a focus on prevention and rehabilitation

  8. Youth Justice Reform Proposals

  9. Broad Support for Youth Justice Reform Agenda Design treatment and rehabilitation plans that include a youth's family in planning and services Provide financial incentives for states and municipalities to invest in alternatives to youth incarceration, such as intensive rehabilitation, education, job training, community services, and programs that provide youth the opportunity to repair harm to victims and communities Require states to reduce racial and ethnic disparities in the youth justice system Increase funding to provide more public defenders who represent children in court Close youth prisons and redirect the savings to community-based programs including intensive ones designed for youth who pose a serious threat to public safety

  10. Total Favor by Key Groups for Youth Justice Reform Policies Support strongest with African Americans and Democrats, weakest with whites and Republicans

  11. Support for Closing Youth Prisons Strongest with Younger People, Weakest with Older

  12. Strong Support for Reform Proposals for Youth Who Pose a Risk to Public Safety Create an independent commission of community leaders tasked with ensuring that youth are protected from abuse while in state or local custody Require facilities that incarcerate youth to let youth see their families at least once a week Require that incarcerated youth are placed in facilities within 60 miles of their families Require that youth are placed in facilities with no more than 30 other youth

  13. Some Differences by Gender, Race, Party Identification

  14. Minor Differences on Some Proposals Based on Relationship to Law Enforcement and Prison

  15. Principles

  16. Strong Support for Basic Principles Underlying Reform When it comes to youth offenders, what is most important is that the system does a better job of making sure that he or she gets back on track and is less likely to commit another offense Youth should not be placed in juvenile corrections facilities for offenses that would not be crimes if they were adults, such as skipping school or running away from home Teaching youth who commit an offense to take responsibility for his or her actions does not require incarceration Technical violations of probation and other types of supervision, such as missing curfew or testing positive for drug use, should not result in placement in a youth prison

  17. Those Connected to Law Enforcement Less Likely to Agree on Technical Violations, but Other Results Similar

  18. Strong Support for Rehabilitation Over Incarceration Which of the following statements do you agree with more? (REHAB BEST) When it comes to youth who have committed delinquent acts, the best thing for society is to rehabilitate them so they can become productive members of society. . (INCARCERATE BEST)When it comes to youth who commit delinquent acts, the best thing for society is to incarcerate them so that our streets are safer

  19. Clear Belief that Most Youth Have the Potential for Positive Change Which of the following statements do you agree with more? (CAPABLE OF GROWTH Most youth who commit delinquent acts are capable of positive growth, and they have the potential to change for the better. (UNLIKELY TO CHANGE) Most youth who commit delinquent acts are unlikely to change for the better, and they will likely continue a life of illegal behavior

  20. Opportunity Trumps Punishment Which of the following statements do you agree with more? (PROVIDE OPPORTUNITY) The youth justice system should provide youth with more opportunity to better themselves. (FOCUS ON PUNISHMENT) The youth justice system should focus on punishing youth who have committed delinquent acts

  21. Agreement on Effectiveness and Cost Savings of Rehabilitation Which of the following statements do you agree with more? (REHAB WORKS) Rehabilitation programs like counseling and education for youth who have committed delinquent acts helps prevent future delinquent acts. (REHAB DOESN’T WORK) Rehabilitation programs like counseling and education do little to prevent youth who have committed delinquent acts from committing future delinquent acts. (REHAB SAVES MONEY) Rehabilitation programs like counseling and education for youth who have committed delinquent acts will SAVE tax dollars in the long run. (REHAB COSTS MONEY) Rehabilitation programs like counseling and education for youth who have committed delinquent acts will COST tax dollars in the long run. 1st statement much closer 2nd statement much closer 2nd statement total closer 1st statement total closer

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