Native youth in Washington suffer higher rates of incarceration

Findings show Native youth in Washington state are nearly five times more likely to be sentenced behind bars than white kids in the same age group.
A new Associated Press report reviewed data from 2019 to 2023 from the nonprofit Sentencing Project and the federal Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. While all youth of color have suffered disparate punishment in Washington state’s legal system, the treatment for Native children surpasses national averages, especially for non-violent offenses.
The state’s largest disparity was found in rural Whitman County, where Native youth were nearly seven times more likely to be arrested than white peers. And in Okanogan County near the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, Native youth made up more than half of all juvenile arrests in 2022, despite making up just 8% of the population.
Advocates are calling on state lawmakers to revisit reforms and consider tribal notifications whenever Native youth are in juvenile court.