Foster Care
In 2017, there were approximately 437,500 children in America’s foster care system according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Many of them face a disproportionate risk of being incarcerated. The Jim Casey Youth Opportunities Initiative, found that one in four foster kids become involved with the criminal justice system within two years of leaving care.
The Juvenile Law Center (JLC) also found that over half of youth in foster care had already experienced an arrest, conviction or overnight stay in a correctional facility and that many foster youth have the police called on them by their caregivers. These are stories and reflections about foster care experiences and the foster-care-to-prison pipeline.
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