The Status of Youth Incarceration in the Caribbean.

While recent advancements in juvenile justice across the Caribbean have occurred, little academic inquiry has examined youth incarceration. Using data from the Caribbean Youth Detention Survey collected in nine nations between 2014 and 2015, we examine descriptive statistics and assess country-level differences in youth incarcerated in the Caribbean. Many of our study nations have a small number of detained youth. While the average youth detainee is 16 years old, male and of African descent, some are as young as 8 and 10 years. Over a quarter of detainees are awaiting sentencing; however, this total is almost 50 per cent in Trinidad and Tobago and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. While only about a quarter of detained youth have been remanded or sentenced for a violent offence, the majority self-report serious levels of offending prior to incarceration. Given the relatively small number of youth incarcerated, alternative responses that are highly personalized and empirically identified as effective can be implemented with this sub-population that is at risk of future delinquency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]