For Latino Youth, “La Justicia” is Hard to Find

“At 13, Chino Hardin had her first encounter with the juvenile justice system. After fighting with a schoolmate, Hardin was handcuffed and escorted off school grounds into a police car. At one point, she was chained from waist to ankles, with ankle cuffs so tight that she couldn’t take a full step forward.

Hardin, now 22, was on hand in Washington, D.C. on July 18, 2002 for the release of the new report, “Donde Esta La Justicia? A Call to Action on Behalf of Latino and Latina Youth in the U.S. Justice System.” Among its conclusions, the report found that harsh treatment of Latinos in their first encounter with the system, such as Hardin experienced, is just the beginning of a process in which Latinos pay a higher price than white youth at every step.”

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