NJ.com reports:

The report from the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice found that while there is little difference in the rates of black and white youth crime in New Jersey, black kids are 24 times more likely to be committed to a juvenile facility.

The Newark nonprofit recommends in a new policy brief the state focus more on rehabilitation and treatment close to home, which it says are cheaper options that also lead to fewer teens becoming repeat offenders.

"Every child should have the support they need to successfully transition into adulthood, but in far too many cases, black youth are not given the latitude to make mistakes that all children make and learn from those mistakes," said Ryan P. Haygood, the institute's president and CEO.

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