PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — According to a new report released by the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office, young girls who are arrested and charged in the juvenile court system are given fewer resources and services than those of the opposite sex — a system that is structurally more male-focused.
The report, titled “Overlooked or Overscrutinized?”, found that allegations of assault serve as the primary driver of girls’ entry into the juvenile justice system.
Girls are also disproportionately referred to the juvenile justice system for incidents that happen at home or school, and risk assessment strategies often over-assess girls even though they present a lower risk to public safety.
“Girls are without question in a unique position in our juvenile justice system,” said District Attorney Larry Krasner. “They are arrested in small numbers and they are arrested for very different kinds of offenses.”
“They have very specific needs,” said Marsha Levick, chief legal officer with the Juvenile Law Center, “and we can’t assume that what works for boys will work for girls. We can’t assume that if we paint the programs pink, it will work for girls.”
City Chief Defender Keisha Hudson said Black girls, in particular, are not only overlooked, they are over scrutinized.
Related
“They are over-policed. They are perceived as more mature, they are perceived as more aggressive. They’re perceived as adults in our schools, in our justice system, and they’re treated that way,” she said.
According to the report, 95% of girls arrested and charged in 2019 were Black or Hispanic. Advocates suggest establishing more non-police responses for domestic violence cases with girls and also implementing gender-responsive risk assessment strategies.
But other problems still exist. One, for instance, is that there are no separate charging guidelines for youth and adults in Pennsylvania. My Le, with the Youth Art and Self-empowerment Project, was incarcerated when she was 17 and now advocates for an end to youth incarceration.
Related
“We’ve been trying to demand change for a very long time. For them to actually put out a report, it’s really something we don’t need,” she argued. “We need action, not reports.”
The DA’s Office plans to release two more reports regarding girls and the juvenile court system in the city.