Fact check
“From 2000 to 2022, the number of the highest-security facilities for kids has dropped by more than 40%.”
Reasoning
The ProPublica article states that, according to the most recent federal data, the number of highest-security facilities for juveniles dropped by more than 40% between 2000 and 2022. This directly confirms the claim.
On confidence: The claim is directly quoted in a reputable news source (ProPublica) which cites recent federal data supporting the statistic.
Important context
The statistic refers specifically to "highest-security facilities for kids" (juvenile detention or youth prisons) across the United States, as reported by federal data referenced in the article.
Evidence
Supporting (1)
- Tier 1 — Primary sourceTennessee to Spend Millions on New Youth Prisons Despite Juvenile Crime Drop — ProPublica
for ProPublica’s Local Reporting Network in partnership with WPLN/Nashville Public Radio . Sign up for Dispatches to get our stories in your inbox every week. Across the country, states have been shuttering their youth prisons as juvenile…
Limitations
The evidence is limited to a single secondary source summarizing federal data; the original dataset is not provided, so independent verification of the exact percentage is not possible within the supplied material.
- Last verified:
- Sep 27, 2026, 4:37 AM CDT
- Pipeline:
- 2.1.0
- Claim type:
- Factual
Where this claim appeared
Across the Country, Youth Prisons Are Closing. This State Is Building More.ProPublica · Paige Pfleger