West Virginia News – The West Virginia NAACP has filed a lawsuit against three state departments, accusing them of failing to collect crucial data intended to improve the juvenile justice system. The lawsuit, filed in Kanawha County Circuit Court, targets the West Virginia Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Human Services, and the Department of Education.
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The NAACP claims that the state’s inaction is hindering efforts to address racial disparities affecting young people of color in West Virginia’s schools and juvenile justice settings. These disparities include issues like racial bullying, school suspensions, and truancy, which disproportionately impact minority youth. The organization argues that by not collecting the required data, the state is obstructing its mission to promote equity and justice.
A 2013 report from the West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy highlighted alarming statistics, showing that the state confined youth at a rate of 510 per 100,000, with Black youth nearly three times more likely to be confined than their white counterparts. Despite a national decrease in youth incarceration rates between 2006 and 2011, West Virginia saw a 5% increase.
