Decriminalizing Juveniles in North Carolina: A Qualitative Study Uplifting the Voices of Justice-Impacted Youth

Throughout America’s history, Black and Brown youth have been traumatized by racial violence and dehumanized by a society that views their presence as a threat to safety. Black and Brown youth are at constant risk of criminalization and state-sanctioned violence resulting from discriminatory enforcement of vague, subjective laws that criminalize age-appropriate behaviors and suppress their freedom of movement. Methods: Gaining inspiration from other youth-led justice projects and ongoing work by the Southern Coalition for Social Justice, the research team conducted two focus groups with justice-impacted youth (n = 8) to gain insight on their individual experiences with the juvenile justice system. Using qualitative analysis methods, the project identifies major themes and first-hand perspectives from individuals who were involved with the justice system as minors. Results: Five major themes came from the voices of those previously incarcerated: the purpose of the criminal justice system, one’s first encounter, alternatives to incarceration, resources/impacts upon reentry, and discrimination. Discussion: This initial study calls for further community-level engagement (e.g., interviews, focus groups, photovoice studies, etc.) with justice-impacted youth. The focus groups supported how imperative it is to involve justice-impacted youth in the work that will ultimately be impacting them and their communities. Further participatory research with larger sample sizes will yield a deeper understanding of the impact of youth incarceration at the individual and community level. Additional policy recommendations for improving the juvenile justice system in the future are needed.