Not wanting to hammer all teens with harsh penalties when they are caught sending nude photographs, the Ohio House voted unanimously on Wednesday to support a lesser penalty for young first-time offenders.

A newspaper investigation has found that one in five victims of possible child trafficking in Kansas are placed in juvenile detention, a process that experts say hampers the effort to heal them.

Like many of the challenges facing the nation’s collective corrections system, such as overcrowding and sentencing disparities, these issues arose mostly in response to the “get tough on crime” political environment that emerged in the 1980s in response to rising crime rates and spreading drug-related violence. The pendulum has begun to swing back toward moderation, and in 2017 several state legislatures passed significant reforms to their juvenile justice systems. 

ROCKFORD — Young adults charged with misdemeanor crimes could have their cases transferred to juvenile court under legislation being considered by the Illinois House.

A bill co-sponsored by state Rep. Litesa Wallace, D-Rockford, would give judges the authority to decide whether 18-, 19- and 20-year-old defendants should have their misdemeanor cases heard in juvenile court.

Alleny Carbone was 15 when she took her own life Sunday in the Manatee juvenile lockup. 

A report released by the St. Louis County Family Court shows that the court is making progress in addressing racial disparities for young people in the justice system, complying with a court order by the U.S. Department of Justice in 2015.