Topic: Juvenile Justice

One step forward for youth this session, two steps back on investment

Oklahoma lawmakers passed new legislation this year to help protect and support children, especially those in foster care, the legal system, and with special needs. While these changes aim to keep kids safe, support families, and improve access to state… Read more [More...]

Oklahoma should do better for vulnerable youth. Here are some bills this session that can do just that. 

Oklahoma has an obligation to care for vulnerable youth in our legal and foster systems. This session, Oklahoma legislators have the chance to build upon recent progress to make benefits more accessible and enshrine protections for vulnerable youth in the… Read more [More...]

New report from OK Policy suggests reforms to improve outcomes for justice-involved youth

A new OK Policy report examines Oklahoma's youth justice system and suggests reforms to create impactful and transformative change for youth. [More...]

Courts should be last resort when addressing student truancy, absenteeism (Guest Article)

A new report the best way to address chronic absenteeism is for schools to work with parents, students, and community partners, rather than rely on punitive measures. [More...]

Diversion in the Youth Justice System | House Interim Study | Aug. 27, 2024

OK Policy’s Youth Justice Policy Analyst Jill Mencke spoke with lawmakers on August 27, 2024, about the state’s youth justice system. Mencke explores the challenges, disparities, and opportunities within the system, advocating for effective reforms to empower youth and families… Read more [More...]

Meaningful change still needed to address mounting problems in the child welfare and youth justice systems (2024 Legislative Wrap-up)

Oklahoma is not known for being a safe and hospitable place for children. Oklahoma, for the second year in a row, ranks 46th nationally in overall child well-being. Lawmakers sought to address this problem in the 2024 session by passing budget increases to vital services like the child welfare and youth justice systems. However, Oklahoma’s structural budget deficit has meant that state agencies and service providers in the child welfare systems have continually been forced to do more with less year after year. [More...]

Oklahoma should invest more in the youth justice system

– – – With the overall occurrence of youth delinquency and detention at a historic low, Oklahoma has the opportunity to invest more resources in delinquency prevention and alternatives to incarceration in the youth legal system. The legislature has taken… Read more [More...]

Interim study on youth justice shows need for funding, cohesive systems for prevention and treatment services (Capitol Update)

Rep. Amanda Swope, D-Tulsa, who in her life outside the legislature is the Tribal Juvenile Justice Program Director for the Muscogee Nation, brought her passion for helping troubled youth with her when she was elected to the House of Representatives.… Read more [More...]

2022 KIDS COUNT Report Shows Oklahoma Ranks 40th for Child Well-Being, Still Lags Nation

Data from 2020 show nearly 1 in 8 Oklahoma children reported anxiety or depression, according to new Annie E. Casey Foundation report 2022 KIDS COUNT Data Book Oklahoma 2022 KIDS COUNT Fact Sheet Oklahoma KIDS COUNT Data Map dashboard —… Read more [More...]

Mitigation efforts helped keep our justice-involved youth safer during the pandemic

Justice-involved youth have faced a heightened risk during the COVID-19 pandemic. Youthful offenders, already likely burdened with childhood trauma and the stress of separation from family, faced considerable risks living in shared facilities with other youths during a highly infectious global pandemic. [More...]