Recent headlines about juvenile crime being "out of control" seem to capture—and fuel—the perception that the problem is on the rise in Baltimore. As is so often the case, though, the reality is a bit more complicated.
Researchers at the Abell Foundation set about collecting and analyzing the available data on juvenile crime and arrests in the city to form a clear picture. The result is a new report called "Fact Check: A Survey of Available Data on Juvenile Crime in Baltimore City."
The report finds that overall, juvenile arrests are down in the city -- and down dramatically between 2012 and 2017. But the report also finds that juvenile arrests for violent crimes are up. It also asks: What happens when these juveniles are charged in adult court, compared with juveniles whose cases end up in juvenile court? How often do these youth reoffend? And why is there so little publicly available data related to juvenile violent crime, and what should be done about that?
Today, the authors of this new report join Tom in Studio A. Sheryl Goldstein is vice president of the Abell Foundation. Katherine McMullen is an analyst and executive assistant to Abell’s senior vice president.
This conversation was livestreamed at the WYPR Facebook page. To check out the video, click here.
