WASHINGTON – New data highlights alarming disparities in the incarceration rates of Native American children in Washington. According to the Associated Press, information from the nonprofit Sentencing Project and the Federal Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention shows that from 2019 to 2023, Native American children are over four and a half times more likely to be incarcerated than their white peers.
This disparity has worsened since 2001, when Native American youth were 27 times more likely to face incarceration. While all youth of color encounter unequal treatment in Washington’s legal system, the inequities among Native American children are particularly severe, surpassing national averages, especially for nonviolent offenses.
The situation is more pronounced in rural areas like Whitman County, where Native American children are nearly seven times more likely to be arrested than white children, marking the state’s largest disparity based on 2023 data. In Okanogan County, near the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, Native American youth comprised 52 percent of all juvenile arrests in 2022, despite making up only eight percent of the population.
Advocates for Native American communities are calling for Washington lawmakers to revisit reforms. They suggest considering tribal notifications for indigenous youth involved in juvenile court cases and addressing statutes that disproportionately affect youth of color.
These findings underscore the urgent need for policy changes to address these disparities and ensure fair treatment for all children in the justice system.
