Today Michigan Council on Crime and Delinquency Releases New Report on Youth in Adult System

Thousands of children have been funneled into Michigan’s adult prison system due to a series of harsh “tough on crime” laws on perceived youth violence, according to a new report by the Michigan Council on Crime and Delinquency (MCCD).

The report, “Youth Behind Bars: Exploring the Impact of Prosecuting and Incarcerating Kids in Michigan's Criminal Justice System” documents how Michigan’s outdated approach to youth justice does little to rehabilitate children, protect public safety, or wisely invest taxpayer dollars."

From 2003 through 2013, more than 20,000 Michigan youth were placed on adult probation, detained in jail, or imprisoned for an offense committed when they were younger than 18 years old.

Michigan is one of ten states that automatically prosecute 17-year-olds as adults, accounting for 95 percent of youth in the adult system. The majority of these charges were for non-violent offenses that did not include a weapon.

1) Read the Report

First, take some time to read the report and find out what is happening to kids in our adult system.

View all of the report materials
Download the Executive Summary
Download the Full Report

2) Change your Facebook profile photo

Join us and MCCD in solidarity by changing your Facebook profile photo on June 10:

3) Share #youthbehindbars on social media

Choose your favorite image about the report and share it on Facebook and Twitter, using hashtag #youthbehindbars. See all the images here.

4) Join MCCD Youth Behind Bars mailing list

Join this list to receive special updates on this issue, including campaign updates and opportunities to get involved. We will need your help! Sign up here.