The Reality of LGBTQ+ Youth in the Prison System

In light of the recent Supreme Court decision to overturn restrictions on life sentences without parole for juvenile offenders, I was inspired to do some further research on the populations and experiences of juveniles in the criminal punishment system. 

People of all kinds of marginalized groups are arrested and incarcerated at a much higher rate than those who hold privilege. For this post I want to focus on LGBTQ+ youth and their experiences in the U.S. criminal punishment system. The Supreme Court decision to lift limits on life sentences without parole for juveniles automatically puts LGBTQ+ youth and young BIPOC people at an increased risk of spending their entire lives incarcerated as these marginalized groups are disproportionately represented in the criminal punishment system. 

According to the Prison Policy Initiative, "LGBTQ people are overrepresented at every stage of the criminal justice system," starting with involvement at the juvenile level. The data in the infographic below shows that LGBTQ+ youth are much more likely to interact with police due to high levels of homelessness among LGBTQ+ youth. 

To learn more, check out these sources:

"Coming Out: LGBT people lift the lid on life in prison"

"The Forgotten Ones: Queer and Trans Lives in the Prison System" 

"Introduction to Abolition: the full reading list"

"LGBTQ People Behind Bars: 

A Guide to Understanding the Issues Facing Transgender Prisoners and their Legal Rights"