Impact
Young people in our community face systems of injustice that are traumatizing, racist, and rooted in oppression.
These systems cause generational trauma, reinforce environmental causes of harmful behavior, and disproportionately harm BIPOC, low-income, and other marginalized youth. They treat young people as problems, focusing on punishment and control instead of resourcing their growth.
Individual, community, and systems-level transformation is needed to break both the cycle of youth criminalization and our society’s reliance on systems of punishment to mitigate harm and build community safety.
To transform the future, we must clearly understand the landscape we are navigating today. It’s important to name the harms facing our young people and the systemic patterns that continue to push them out of schools, into courts, and away from opportunity. The following trends outline where we are and why CHOOSE 180’s work is critical.
92% of young adults who complete our court diversion program do not re-engage with the criminal legal system within the year we serve them.
We serve 400 young people through our programming every year.
In 2025, our team provided over 100 group therapy sessions with young people in schools, detention facilities, and jails.
We currently support 10 middle and high schools in the Highline and Seattle Public School Systems through our school-based diversion program, which prevents students from getting suspended or expelled.
Why this matters now
Recidivism Without Support
Nearly 49% of youth who exit juvenile detention in Washington reoffend within 12 months.
Youth without coordinated aftercare or housing support face the highest risk of returning to the system.
Programs that offer mentorship and culturally-responsive, wraparound care have significantly lower recidivism rates.
Diversion Deserts Exist in Pierce, Yakima, and Spokane Counties
Youth in rural or non-urban areas face greater access barriers to culturally grounded programs.
Most diversion options in these counties are tied to law enforcement discretion, which varies widely by jurisdiction.
Youth with Disabilities Are Disproportionately Criminalized
Youth with disabilities are four times more likely to be arrested in schools than their nondisabled peers.
Approximately 33% of incarcerated minors qualify for disability-related services, such as special education or therapy, compared to 14% of the overall youth population.
The School-to-Prison Pipeline Persists
In the Highline School District, students of color received over 60% of all suspensions, despite being 35% of the student population.
Black students are three times more likely to be suspended for the same infraction as White students.
Youth of Color Remain Over-Criminalized
In 2023, Black youth made up approximately 29% of juvenile arrests in King County while representing less than 10% of the youth population.
The arrest rate for Black youth in King County is more than three times higher than that of White youth.
2SLGBTQIA+ Youth Face Heightened Criminalization
LGBTQIA+ youth represent approximately 20% of the juvenile justice system population, despite comprising only roughly 6% of the general youth population.
LGBTQIA+ youth make up 10.5% of the U.S. youth population, accounting for 28% of youth incarcerations in the juvenile criminal system.
