Investigative series focuses on inequities Native American youth face in Washington state’s criminal justice system

Think Out Loud

Investigative series focuses on inequities Native American youth face in Washington state’s criminal justice system

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Published on Dec 1, 2025, 12:35:17 PM
Total time: 00:16:27

Episode Description

Data from the Sentencing Project, a nonprofit which advocates for criminal justice reforms, shows that Native American children in Washington are nearly five times more likely on average to be incarcerated than their white peers. Furthermore, Native American children are less likely to receive a second chance once they are in juvenile court, according to a recently published series from InvestigateWest about the inequities Native American youth face in Washington’s criminal justice system. Melanie Henshaw, Indigenous affairs reporter at InvestigateWest, joins us to discuss her findings.

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OPB's daily conversation covering news, politics, culture and the arts. Hosted By Dave Miller.