The U.S. Justice Department’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention reports notable trends in the populations and features of U.S. juvenile residential facilities for the period 2000-2020.
This Data Snapshot draws on data from OJJDP's Juvenile Residential Facility Census to describe changes in where youth are placed and services provided. Data show the number of youth in placement fell 77 percent between 2000 and 2020. The proportion of facilities that are locally operated has increased, as has the proportion of youth in these facilities. The majority of facilities reported screening all or some of youth for service needs within one week of admission. The proportion of facilities operating over capacity has declined since 2000. The proportion of small facilities has increased, but a larger proportion of youth are still held in medium-sized facilities.