Prisons for juveniles are dangerous

The Justice Department recently released a report of sex abuse allegations against guards and other staff in state juvenile justice facilities. Between 2007 and 2012, the number of allegations doubled, while as the number of children entering those systems has dropped. 

You have to consider that the report is based largely on allegations filed directly by juveniles to the administrators who detain them. Thus, some allegations may be false. However, those in the field recognize that juveniles put themselves at substantial risk by coming forward against alleged abusers. Roughly 45 percent of the allegations were leveled at staff (the majority of whom were women), the rest at other youngsters in the facilities.

The report indicates that when investigations confirm that staff members sexually abused a youngster, the staff members too often receive no punishment beyond losing their jobs, if that. Only 36 percent of staff members found to have abused children were referred to the authorities for possible criminal prosecution. Only 16 percent wound up arrested. And roughly 20 percent actually kept their jobs.