Transforming juvenile justice by advancing the freedom and well-being of girls and gender expansive youth

Every young person deserves the freedom to grow, thrive, and build a future full of opportunity. But right now, thousands of girls and gender expansive youth are locked up when they should be supported. Vera’s Initiative to End Girls’ Incarceration (EGI) works to eliminate this injustice by collaborating with government, community leaders, and youth to create lasting change based on evidence and lived experience.

The challenge: A system that punishes rather than protects

In 2021, juvenile systems detained around 25,000 girls and gender expansive youth, with thousands more placed in out-of-home facilities. Most weren’t locked up for crimes, but for minor offenses that are really cries for help. Girls are disproportionately incarcerated for technical violations of probation and status offenses such as running away, truancy, or “incorrigibility,” often stemming from experiences of violence, trauma, and discrimination. If every state in the country banned youth incarceration for misdemeanor or lower-level charges, girls’ incarceration would come to a permanent end in most communities.

Girls and gender expansive youth in detention are disproportionately poor, LGBTQ+, and youth of color: Black girls are incarcerated at more than 2.5 times the rate of white girls, and Native American girls more than four times.

Instead of offering support or understanding, systems wrongfully incarcerate girls and gender expansive youth to discipline noncriminal violations, protect the young person’s own safety, or provide access to services and basic needs that should be available to all children in the community.

Solutions to end girls’ incarceration

EGI collaborates with young people, service providers, and policymakers to replace punishment with real solutions. EGI fights for:

• laws that prohibit incarceration for low-level offenses;
• community-led programs that provide safe housing, healing spaces, diversion, and conflict resolution—keeping young people home, not behind bars; and
• reforms that shrink the system without pushing young people into other forms of confinement, such as ankle monitoring or adult court.

Real impact: A path toward zero girls’ incarceration

With EGI’s support, significant progress has been made:

• From 2016 to 2022, New York City reduced annual girls’ detention admissions by 70 percent.
• California is transforming its approach, promoting diversion and enhancing support for young people in their communities.

By centering dignity, evidence-based solutions, and community leadership, EGI demonstrates that ending girls’ incarceration is possible. Investing in girls’ well-being is not just the right thing to do—it makes communities stronger and safer.