Press Release  Office of the Child Advocate Releases Data Brief Series Examining Disparities in Massachusetts’ Juvenile Justice System

BOSTON – The Massachusetts Office of the Child Advocate (OCA) today released a three-part data brief series examining disparities in the Commonwealth's juvenile justice system. Together, the briefs analyze differences in youth experiences and outcomes based on geography, race and ethnicity, as well as gender, sexual orientation, and gender identity. 

Using Fiscal Year 2025 data (July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2025), the briefs examine key decision points throughout the juvenile justice system to better understand how youth move through the system and where disparities emerge. 

"The data show that where a young person lives and what they look like shapes how their case moves through the juvenile justice system," said Marisol García, the Child Advocate for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. "These data briefs are a call to ask harder questions about why disparities exist and what we can do to reduce them. Every young person deserves equitable treatment and access to opportunities." 
 
Rather than drawing definitive conclusions about the causes of disparities, the data briefs are intended to serve as a starting point for further examination of how the juvenile justice system operates across Massachusetts and where additional questions about equity, consistency, and access to alternatives to the juvenile justice system may be warranted. 

“No one data point tells the whole story,” said Melissa Threadgill, Senior Director of Policy and Implementation at the OCA. “Differences between counties, for example, may reflect the availability of community-based services and opportunities to keep youth out of the system, or local policies and practices. What’s clear is that we need to do more to address the complicated causes of disparities across Massachusetts. By examining these patterns, we can have more informed conversations about what's driving inequities and work toward a juvenile justice system where every young person has equitable opportunities and our communities are safe.” 

The data brief series, along with a set of user-friendly data infographics, is available at mass.gov/oca/jjbriefs. 

These data briefs build on the work of the Juvenile Justice Policy and data Board, chaired by the OCA, and are intended to complement the Board's broader annual analysis of the Commonwealth's juvenile justice system.

Additional information about the juvenile justice system, including definitions, methodology, and system-wide context, is available in the Juvenile Justice Policy and Data Board’s Annual Report. 

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About the Office of the Child Advocate  
The Office of the Child Advocate is an independent executive branch state agency with oversight and ombudsperson responsibilities, established by the Massachusetts Legislature in 2008. The OCA’s mission is to ensure that children receive appropriate, timely and quality state services, with a particular focus on ensuring that the Commonwealth’s most vulnerable and at-risk children have the opportunity to thrive. Through collaboration with public and private stakeholders, the OCA identifies gaps in state services and recommends improvements in policy, practice, regulation, and/or law. The OCA also serves as a resource for families who are receiving, or are eligible to receive, services from the Commonwealth.   

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