In a Utah Courthouse, Justice for Youth Comes With Shackles

Under a 2015 amendment to Utah’s juvenile-offender laws, shackles for minors were restricted only to those judged a flight risk or who might harm others. A subsequent rule enacted by the Utah Judicial Council, allowed a judge to decide on a case-by-case basis whether a youth should be shackled to be restrained in court.

Yet that judicial rule has an exception for “exigent circumstances.” And in Manti, court officials say the outdated Sanpete County Courthouse presents security issues that require them to routinely shackle youths.

Report Gives Snapshot of South Dakota's Juvenile Justice System

SIOUX FALLS, SD - Juvenile courts are convicting fewer teenagers of felonies, but the number of South Dakota teens violating probation is up. These are two key takeaways from the latest report from the Juvenile Justice Public Safety Improvement Act. This is related to Senate Bill 73 to reform the juvenile justice system in the state. On Tuesday, an oversight council looked at the report.