Publications

2022

Locked Up Too Long report cover is blue with a hand against a fence and text at the top reads 'Locked Up Too Long'. At the bottom it reads 'Justice-Impacted Young People Who Can't Go Home. Authored by Terri Gilbert, Sarah Phalan, and Mary King'

As part of our Advancing Justice project, MCYJ discovered that in Wayne County, there are no foster care placements for LGBTQ+ justice-involved young people and very few available alternative living options for justice-involved youth in general. Realizing this was a systemic problem about which little was known, we initiated a series of interviews and data collection to discover and report on its scope.

This report outlines the findings of a project by MCYJ and Kalamazoo County to assess the impacts of the juvenile justice system on youth of color, as well as provides an anti-racist youth justice framework to address racial disparities.

The Michigan Center for Youth Justice developed a “Do It Yourself” guide to help interested juvenile courts conduct a 360 analysis of the assessment and collection of juvenile court debt. The goal is a more complete understanding of the total cost and impact of their current practices.

2021

Text at the top reads 'COVID-19 in the Michigan Youth Justice System: An Early Impact Analysis'. A woman is pictured in a blue top hugging a boy in a yellow shirt.

Text from top to bottom reads 'Minors Facing Major Debt. The Immense Burden of Court Fees on Macomb County Youth and Families by Michigan Center for Youth Justice. Authored by Liz George, Adrianna Duchene, and Mary King. Edited by Nicole Faulds and Atasi Uppal.'

MCYJ partnered with Public Policy Associates, Inc. (PPA) to conduct updated research on the impact of COVID-19 on juvenile detention and secure residential facility populations in Michigan. This report includes details about the numbers and characteristics of the young people who were released or diverted from detention, the young people who remain, and the factors that drove those decisions, as well as updated information about the degree to which the initial changes have been sustained over time.

This report discusses the impact of juvenile court fines and fees on Macomb County’s youth and families; assesses the extent to which Macomb’s juvenile court used fines and fees levied against youth and families to fund its court operations; and, calculates the real costs associated with assessments and collections.

2020

This report from the Michigan Center for Youth Justice (MCYJ) and the Center for Behavioral Health and Justice at Wayne State University (CBHJ) identifies the risks, responses and opportunities in Michigan’s youth justice system as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Picture of a woman in a blue hat and jacket smiling outside. Text reads 'Michigan Juvenile Justice Continuum of Care Initiative. A report by the Michigan Council on Crime and Delinquency on behalf of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services Children's Services Agency against a blue background.

This report highlights the positive results of a statewide initiative aimed at reducing the use of out of home placement for court-involved youth and improving outcomes for youth participating in community-based care. The outcomes of this initiative indicate a decline in detention and residential placements across all three pilot sites.

2019

This final report summarizes the accomplishments of each IHC pilot site and provides lessons learned and recommendations for planning, implementing, and replicating new community-based programs for justice- involved youth.

Text at the top reads 'Transforming Justice for Youth with Diverse SOGIE in Wayne County.' At the right it reads 'authored by Michigan Council on Crime and Delinquency.' At the bottom left it reads 'co-authored by Tara McManus, Mary King, Kristen Staley, Elena Brennan.' 6 different teens are shown in pictures scattered throughout the image.

This report outlines the activities of the project, highlights the lessons learned about how to support the health, safety and well-being of justice-involved youth with diverse SOGIE in Wayne County, and discusses the next steps to continue advancing justice for youth with diverse SOGIE in confinement.

2014-2017

A teen is shown behind bars with text in the far right bar reading 'Examining the impact of prosecuting and incarcerating kids in Michigan's criminal justice system.' Youth Behind Bars is written below the text in bold letters. At the bottom reads 'By Michelle Weemhoff and Kristen Staley.'

Two teens smile in the background with the text reading 'Restoring Kids, Transforming Communities. Enhancing Michigan's Approach to Juvenile Diversion.'

The report has found that “tough on crime” youth policies are ineffective, unfair, and cost taxpayers a lot of money. The report recommends raising the age of juvenile court jurisdiction to 18, allowing 17-year olds to access rehabilitative juvenile services.

The scope of this report includes diversion programs initiated before juvenile court adjudication and excludes programs that divert adjudicated youth from deeper system involvement, such as mental health and drug courts and detention diversion programs.

2013

A woman wraps her arms around a teenage boy, and the bottom text reads 'There's No Place Like Home. Making the case for wise investment in juvenile justice.' The bottom text reads 'Michigan Council on Crime and Delinquency.'

This report highlights the successful movement toward community-based programs in Michigan counties and reviews the strengths of the state’s current juvenile justice system and its barriers preventing improvements.

The Community Solutions Toolkit and Resource Guide was developed by the Michigan Council on Crime and Delinquency (MCCD), a non-partisan, non-profit organization dedicated to improving the effectiveness of policies and systems aimed at preventing and reducing crime.