1. National Alliance to End Homelessness
National Conference on Ending Homelessness, July 2011
Workshop Improving the Response to Youth In and Out of the Juvenile Justice System
Friday July 15, 2011, 930a-11a
Adrienne Fernandes-Alcantara, Congressional Research Service
Many homeless youths have been involved with the juvenile justice system, or are at risk of
involvement. Presenters will profile strategies to de-criminalize behavior of youth living on the
street, engage youth to promote safety and stability, and identify mentors within and outside of
the juvenile justice system. They will also cover methods of helping youth with records navigate
systems in order to get housing, employment, legal, and service needs met.
Good Morning. I am Adrienne Fernandes-Alcantara, an analyst in youth policy with the
Congressional Research Service, the policy research arm of Congress. Our mission is to provide
timely, objective, and non-partisan support to Congress throughout the legislative process. My
work focuses on youth development, runaway and homeless youth, youth “aging out” of foster
care, and missing and exploited children, including children who are victims of sex trafficking.
Today’s panel focuses on the involvement of homeless youth with the juvenile and criminal
justice systems. This includes homeless youth who are at risk of entering the juvenile and
criminal justice system because they are living on the streets or another nonpermanent place. It
also includes youth who are leaving the juvenile and criminal justice systems and become
homeless. Before I introduce the panel, I’m going to provide a brief overview of youth involved
in both systems.
First, there are not a lot of good data on the number or share of youth who have been engaged in
both systems. Covenant House in New York City reports that approximately 30 percent of the
youth they serve have been detained or incarcerated (New York City Association, 2005).
Homeless youth are vulnerable to having contact with the juvenile and criminal justice both
because their involvement in crime and their public presence in places like parks and street
corners. Police often focus their patrols on areas where the homeless congregate and may arrest
youth for illegal but noncriminal activities such as sleeping in a public setting or loitering (Hagan
and McCarthy). As we’ll hear today from one of the panelists, running away is still considered a
criminal offense in some location.
Homeless youth are also vulnerable to having contact with police because of untreated mental
health disorders. One study concluded that homeless youth had significantly higher rates of
disruptive behavior disorders (Robertson and Toro). Drug use is also prevalent among the
homeless youth population. A study by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
Administration (SAMHSA) found that nearly 30% had used marijuana and almost one-quarter
used any illicit drug other than marijuana (SAMHSA, 2004). Mental health concerns and drug
abuse can make homeless youth more visible to police.
Homeless youth are also vulnerable to sexual abuse and exploitation. Runaway and homeless
youth may be perceived as easy targets for pimps/traffickers because they often cannot go home
and have few resources. One national study of homeless youth found that approximately 28% of
street youth and 10% of youth in shelters reported selling sex to generate money for basic needs
--often referred to as survival sex (Ringwalt and Green, 1998).Those youth under the age of 18

2. would be considered victims of sex trafficking if they had sex with an adult in exchange for basic
provisions. (Shared Hope International, 2009). The Dallas Police Department is focusing efforts
on recovering child victims of trafficking and prosecuting their traffickers. The department has
found a strong correlation between sex trafficking and runaway status: the more times a child
runs away, the greater the likelihood that he or she will be victimized by a sex trafficker. (Shared
Hope)
Further, some youth resort to illegal activity including stealing, forcibly entering a residence, and
selling drugs. Youth often report engaging in these behaviors as part of their strategy for
surviving on the streets.
In addition to homeless youth coming to the attention of law enforcement, youthful offenders
may became homeless. Every year, approximately 200,000 juveniles and young adults ages 10 to
24 years are released from secure detention or correctional facilities and reenter their
communities. They face significant challenges to reentry, including mental health and substance
abuse disorders and returning to communities with high rates of poverty, unemployment, and
crime. Some return to homes that are not supportive. Other youth are precluded from returning
home because of policies that prohibit individuals who have been convicted of certain drug
offenses and other crimes from living in public or Section 8 housing. These youth are vulnerable
to becoming homeless or participating in other activities that could lead to their re-arrest (Toro
and Dworksy, 2007).
Having contact with the juvenile and criminal justice system can lead to formal sanctions that
include imprisonment, which can further limit youth’s prospects for gaining employment, getting
off the street, and making a successful transition to adulthood.
Patti Puritz, the Executive Director of the National Juvenile Defender Center, will start off the
panel, and will talk further about the long-term consequences that youth with a juvenile or
criminal record can face. She will also address the ways that runaway and homeless youth
providers can assist homeless youth with criminal and related issues.
Next we will hear from Katheryn Preston, the Executive Director of the Georgia Alliance to End
Homelessness, about efforts in Georgia to decriminalize running away. Katheryn and other
advocates in the state helped to pass the Runaway Youth Safety Act.
Finally, Steven Samra, a Recovery Specialist with the Center for Social Innovation, will speak.
Steven is based in Nashville and provides street outreach with youth and adults. Steven will talk
from personal and professional experience about the challenges for homeless young people in
surviving on the street and interacting with the police.
Cited research:
J.M. Greene and C.L. Ringwalt, “Pregnancy among three national samples of runaway and
homeless youth,” Journal of Adolescent Health 23, 370-377, 1998.
P. Toro, A. Dworsky, and P. Fowler, Homeless Youth in the United States: Recent Research
Findings and Intervention Approaches, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, U.S.
Department of Housing and Urban Development, 2007.
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration, “Substance Use among Youths Who Had
Run Away from Home,” The NSUDH Report, July 2, 2004.

3. New York City Association of Homeless and Street-Involved Youth Organizations. State of the
City's Homeless Youth Report, 2005.
C. Smith, S. Vardaman, and M. Snow, The National Report on Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking:
America's Prostituted Children; Shared Hope International, 2009.