What can public officials and policy makers do?
• Enact legislation that advances the strategies outlined in this report, specifically those most likely to reduce the disproportionate representation and disparate treatment of Latino/a youth in the justice system. • Conduct hearings on how the state collects data on Latino/a youth in the justice system, as well as on INS procedures and treatment of Latino/a youth. • Enact legislation to reduce over-reliance on incarceration. • Amend or repeal laws that may disproportionately impact Latino/a youth-such as laws providing long mandatory sentences for alleged gang involvement, drug laws with mandatory minimum sentences, three-strikes laws, and RICO statutes. • Ensure that state law mandates written findings by the judge at detention hearings. The written findings should include reasons why youth cannot be placed at home or in less restrictive environments. • Enact legislation and provide funding to establish a longitudinal national database with county-level data on Latino/a youth in the
