‘It’s an issue of liberty’: WA will stop jailing kids who run away or skip school

For some time, Washington state has held a dubious distinction that defies its reputation as a progressive policy haven. According to federal statistics, Washington has been the nation’s longtime leader in jailing children for noncriminal offenses, such as running away or skipping school. Toward the start of the decade, Washington accounted for roughly a third of instances nationwide where kids were jailed for doing things that aren’t actually crimes.

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