January 07, 2025
Thom Carroll/for PhillyVoice
Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner discussed juvenile crime and justice at a Tuesday conference. The number of cases decreased, according to the latest 2024 data.
Preliminary data from 2024 shows a dip in juvenile crime in Philadelphia, though it still hasn't returned to rates from three years earlier.
Larry Krasner and other members of the District Attorney's Office highlighted the numbers Tuesday at a news conference on youth justice enforcement and prevention. The total number of juvenile crime incidents in 2024, tallied through Nov. 30, was 1,879. That's on track to be fewer than 2023, when 2,224 cases were recorded for the entire year.
The proportion of gun-involved juvenile crimes, however, increased slightly between these two years. There were 479 incidents in 2024 compared with 455 in 2023.
Available data on juvenile crime in Philadelphia for 2024 shows a drop compared to 2023.
Krasner emphasized an office-wide initiative to "treat kids like kids wherever possible, while keeping public safety in the forefront of our decision-making." He and his colleagues touted a massive expansion of diversion programming since 2009, when the only alternative was a Youth Aid Panel for children between the ages of 12 and 14. The options have since increased to 28, and include behavioral health resources, sports, arts and job training for youth ages 15 to 17.
Placements in Philadelphia youth facilities had also been trending downward over the past 15 years, though Philadelphia has seen a slight bump recently. The total increased from 205 in 2021 to 226 in 2022, and rose again to 297 in 2023. Data is not yet available for 2024, a representative from the District Attorney's Office said. But the numbers are still a dramatic drop from 2009, when placements totaled 2,311.
Donnell Drinks, who was sentenced to life in prison as a juvenile but is now free and campaigns for justice reform, called the trends "very promising."
"We must continue to develop alternatives to incarceration that actually uphold the core values of restorative justice, such as humanity, accountability and community in the process," he said. "I believe we can."
Follow Kristin & PhillyVoice on Twitter: @kristin_hunt
| @thePhillyVoice
Like us on Facebook: PhillyVoice
Have a news tip? Let us know.
