CH ILDHOOD CONV ICTED THE WA IVER OF IOWA 'S

Why are so many youth transferred to adult court and marked with the collateral consequences of an adult court conviction, if they are later determined to be appropriately served by the juvenile justice system or in the community under adult supervision?   The data suggest that it would be more appropriate to start and retain an overwhelming majority of youth in juvenile court rather than excludin. [...] In 2017, Black youth made up 6 percent of the youth at risk of touching the juvenile justice system (youth ages 10-17) in Iowa.²⁸ In the same year,  Black youth were 35.7% of the cases petitioned in juvenile court, 37% of the cases resulting in secure confinement in a juvenile correctional facility, and 34% of the cases of youth transferred to adult court by a juvenile court judge.²⁹ 6 Number of . [...]   To best understand the impact of treating youth in the juvenile system versus the adult system, the legislature should ensure that the Criminal and Juvenile Justice Planning Division have the resources and capacity to work with different agencies to track this data along with recidivism rates by outcome.  These data points are critical to understanding the full, long-term impact of the waiver la. [...]  Given the collateral consequences and harms associated with youth in the adult criminal justice system, transfer to adult court should be reserved solely for the most serious cases, and only after a juvenile court judge reviews the facts of the case, the individual needs of the youth, and opportunities for rehabilitation in the juvenile justice system.  Transfer should be rare and individualized. [...] Conclusion Over the past decade, a number of states have passed laws to move youth out of adult courts, jails, and prisons.⁴⁰  With over 12,000 adult court convictions, Iowa has an opportunity to change the trajectory of thousands of youth by collecting in depth data on how youth are treated in the adult system, by limiting the types of offenses eligible for transfer, ending statutory exclusion, a.