Recent issues at Tecumseh’s secure placement facility for Oklahoma youths — and the subsequent resignation of the state director for the Office of Juvenile Affairs — highlight that we need to rethink youth justice in our state. When it comes to the future of Oklahoma’s children, we have both a moral and practical obligation to act.

Every child deserves the chance to grow, learn and become a thriving member of their community. Yet too often, when a young person stumbles, our first response is punishment instead of support. Oklahoma’s youth justice system has made progress in recent years, but the continued reliance on punishment as a first step shows we still have a long way to go.

In 2024, we co-authored the Oklahoma Policy Institute’s 2024 report — "Reimagining Youth Justice in Oklahom

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