Donde Esta la Justicia?
A Call to Action on Behalf of Latino and Latina Youth in the U.S Justice System

Received from Building Blocks for Youth:

On behalf of the Youth Law Center and the Building Blocks for Youth initiative, we are writing to make you aware of a new report,"Donde Est· la Justicia? A Call to Action on Behalf of Latino and Latina Youth in the U.S Justice System" that we will be releasing next week on July 18th.

This report reveals that Latino and Latina youth are over-represented in the U.S. justice system, and receive harsher treatment than White youth for the same types of offenses, while there is a lack of adequate data nationwide which masks the severity of the problem. The report was commissioned by the Building Blocks for Youth initiative and prepared by Francisco Villarruel and Nancy Walker of Michigan State University's Institute for Children, Youth, and Families.

The key findings show that:

• Latino and Latina youth are significantly over-represented in the U.S. justice system and receive harsher treatment than White youth, even when charged with the same types of offenses;

• Current means for collecting and accessing data are inadequate, resulting in under-counting and inaccuracies in reporting disproportionate representation and disparate treatment of Latino and Latina youth in the U.S. justice system;

• The system does not provide uniform definitions for the terms Latino and Hispanic;

• The system fails to separate ethnicity from race;

• The system fails to provide adequate bilingual services to Latino and Latina youth;

• The system fails to ensure cultural competency of staff working with Latino and Latina youth;

• Consideration of the immigration status of Latino and Latina youth results in incarceration, deportation, and permanent separation from families;

• Anti-gang laws result in harsh and unfair consequences for Latino and Latina youth.

The executive summary, full report, recommendations for action, press release, and fact sheets will be available on the Building Blocks for Youth initiative website on July 18th .