Support or Court: How States Respond to Youth Who Commit Status Offenses and Children Who Break the Law

This brief describes how states currently treat two categories of young people: youth who commit status offenses—behaviors that are not categorized as crimes—and young children who do not have the developmental capacity to fully understand the crimes they are committing. Through a 50-state scan of policy and practice, we detail how states respond to these situations, assess whether their responses reflect research and best practice, and offer suggestions that can better deploy resources and improve public safety and youth outcomes.