Building an LGBTQ+ Inclusive Juvenile Justice Movement

By Amanda Acey, MCYJ Intern

LGBTQ+ youth are overrepresented within the juvenile justice system, and often face unique challenges in sentencing, confinement, and treatment. That means the current one-size-fits-all approach doesn’t create good outcomes for them. 

For LGBTQ+ youth to succeed, their care needs to properly address the barriers they may have faced before entering the justice system, such as harassment in school or family violence. There are several intersecting risk factors that cause this population to fall through the cracks, such as homelessness, bullying, and access to diversion programs. Addressing these issues early can vastly improve outcomes for all justice-involved youth.  

Reducing Homelessness Among LGBTQ+ Youth

Being unhoused is a major risk factor for becoming involved in the juvenile justice system. Unfortunately, LGBTQ+ youth are 120% more likely to experience homelessness than their non-LGBTQ+ peers, and they represent up to 40% of the homeless youth population. Furthermore, 39% of homeless gay and transgender youth report being involved in the juvenile justice system at some level. Homeless shelters are not always equipped to meet the needs of these youth. Many queer and transgender youth avoid them out of fear of being turned away or being abused. This is just one way that LGBTQ+ youth are set up for failure. 

Organizations like the Ruth Ellis Center are leading the way in creating housing solutions specifically tailored to meet the needs of LGBTQ+ youth. In addition to shelter and basic needs assistance, they provide integrated healthcare, mental health support and career training. These resources all contribute to better outcomes for at-risk queer and transgender youth. 

How We Can Help: Consider enrolling in the Ruth Ellis Institute, a training program for human service organizations and care practitioners that provides evidence-based insights into LGBTQ+ youth empowerment. 

Improving School Climate

Making schools a safer, more affirming place is crucial to reducing justice involvement of LGBTQ+ youth. The last few years have presented new challenges for LGBTQ+ students. 

According to Glisten’s 2025 National School Climate Survey, 2 in 3 LGBTQ+ students reported feeling unsafe in school because of their queer identity. Chronic absenteeism, along with excessively harsh school-sanctioned punishments, are major risk factors for becoming involved in the juvenile justice system. Both of these issues hit hard for queer students. It is imperative that schools are a place where queer and transgender students feel safe, especially given their disproportionate likelihood of experiencing homelessness.

Emerging data indicates that GSAs (Gay/Straight Alliance, also known as Gender & Sexuality Alliance) improve school climates. Students who are involved in a GSA are statistically more likely to graduate, which in turn increases their likelihood of obtaining steady housing and employment. The presence of a GSA can successfully mitigate many risk factors that push LGBTQ+ youth towards becoming involved in the juvenile justice system. 

How We Can Help: Support GSAs directly by showing up to school board meetings to advocate for them and making donations to your local GSA for student resources.

Leveraging Diversion

Juvenile diversion programs aim to hold minors accountable for their behavior while preventing deep-end justice involvement. In Michigan, youth who participated in diversion programs were less likely to reoffend than their peers who were not diverted. Those who participated pre-arrest were 2.5 times less likely to reoffend compared to their peers who were not diverted. These programs reduce recidivism, costs for the state, and can be one pathway to mitigate the overrepresentation of LGBTQ+ youth in the juvenile justice system. Diversion can occur at any stage in the process of their legal involvement, including pre-arrest, and recent legislative reforms provided increased fiscal support for such interventions. Diversion programs provide youth with a unique opportunity to be connected with the resources they need to stay out of trouble and succeed. 

Counties should increase diversion opportunities to catch more low-risk youth and expand access to resources that address root causes of delinquency, such as substance use, homelessness, and school absenteeism. As these programs become more accessible and commonplace, we can better ensure that LGBTQ+ youth are deflected from the juvenile justice system. 

How We Can Help: Advocate for your counties to implement more diversion programs and opportunities for youth, including afterschool activities and workforce development programs.

Conclusion

The Michigan Center for Youth Justice proudly affirms the LGBTQ+ community and will continue to promote a juvenile justice system that is inclusive and rehabilitative for all youth. This Pride Month, consider making a donation to one of the following organizations dedicated to serving LGBTQ+ youth: 

• Ruth Ellis Center

• Ozone House

• GSA Network

• Affirmations 

• Ali Forney Center