In one of the more shocking news stories of the year, teen siblings who found fame on America’s Got Talent were detained, strip searched, and forced to spend a night in a juvenile detention center. The teens, 15 and 13, were arrested by police in Louisiana in November for refusing to leave their father and go to their mother in a custody battle.

The story takes a turn when reports of a strip search reached the media. Both the boy and girl were strip searched after being taken into custody. According to neighbors, the officers were rough with the teens when placing them under arrest. The teens were then forced to stay in separate jail cells at a juvenile detention center for two nights.

It is not yet known what the teens were charged with, but unnamed sources told the New York Post that nothing would wind up on their record. This horrific story leads one to look deeper into the problems with juvenile detention centers and the juvenile justice system.

The dangers of detaining youth

Even though there are teens who commit crimes, there are still dangers of detaining youth. In a report from the Justice Policy Institute, youth crime rates are at their lowest in the last 20 years, but thousands of youth are still detained in secure facilities across the country every year.

The 591 juvenile detention centers in the United States are intended to hold youth who are at-risk of not attending their trial or for re-offending before their trial. The report found that close to 70 percent of detained youth committed non-violent crimes, which means they should not be detained.

Youth waiting for their trial often wait anywhere from a couple of days to months in detention centers. The report noted that treatment centers and facilities that include therapy with family members involved often help these youth more than being incarcerated.

Youths incarcerated in detention centers often face the following problems:

• Juvenile detention has the ability to increase recidivism
• Placing juveniles together can be a detriment to their behavior and cause them to re-offend
• Youths are pulled deeper into the criminal justice system when detained at a juvenile center
• Juvenile detention can slow the process of the juvenile aging out of delinquency
• Mentally ill youth experience a worsened situation when detained
• Youths who are detained are at greater risk of self-harm than those who are involved in other methods of diversion
• Special needs youth who are detained often do not return to school
• Youth who were previously detained have lower success rates in the workforce
• Youth housed together are more likely to be exposed to violence

Was your teen arrested and sent to a juvenile detention center in Maryland? It is important for you to discuss your child’s case with an experienced criminal defense attorney Call Carey Law Firmin Bowie or Crofton at 301-464-2500 or complete our contact form today to schedule a consultation.