Kentucky's Turnaround On Prosecuting Minors For 'Status Offenses' Like Truancy For years, Kentucky aggressively prosecuted minors for breaking curfew or underage drinking. The state is now taking ...

1. Truancy. Truancy, or skipping school, was one of the earliest official status offenses. “There are so many better ways to make sure kids get back in school” than sending them into the ...

When children commit crimes that are only crimes by virtue of their age, they require a different response from the juvenile justice system. Thankfully, child welfare and juvenile ...

Status offenses are a particularly trivial form of legal offense, only labeled a crime because the person committing them is a minor. Punishing truancy and curfew violations should not be the role ...

Eighty-five percent of incarcerated youth had committed non-violent offenses, and the number of youths sent to court for “status offenses” such as truancy and curfew violations was at an all ...

Hundreds of Kentucky kids booked into juvenile detention centers in 2022 weren’t dangerous criminals, they were charged with minor offenses like truancy and runaway.

Instead, they dig deeper into allegations of everything from truancy to criminal acts and even child abuse. Then, the officer will decide if the cases are legally sound enough to move forward in ...

The program will target status offenses — actions such as truancy, running away, and underage drinking, which are not considered crimes for adults.

Right now, youth can face arrest and detention for non-violent offenses such as truancy, running away from home, or alcohol possession. Advocates argue that this puts children at risk of violence ...