NORTHAMPTON, Mass. — The Prison Policy Initiative, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization known for research exposing the harms of mass criminalization, issued a sharp critique of the United States’ treatment of neurodivergent youth in a LinkedIn post on Sept. 25, 2025.
The organization declared that “the U.S. doesn’t really care about keeping neurodivergent youth safe.” It argued that young people with autism, ADD/ADHD, and learning disabilities are far more likely to be confined and insisted that children need care, “not cages.”
The post highlighted research showing that more than two-thirds of confined youth meet the criteria for neurodivergence. It cited data showing that 60% of confined youth are diagnosed with ADD/ADHD, compared with 11% nationally.
According to the group, 27% of confined youth are diagnosed with learning disabilities, compared with 8% nationally. Four percent of confined youth are diagnosed with autism, compared with 1.7% nationally.
The organization further noted that 55% of neurodivergent confined youth are people of color. It emphasized that for neurodivergent youth of color, “the reality is even harsher,” pointing to evidence that they experience a 120% higher rate of reported assaults by staff compared to their white, neurotypical peers.
“The confined population still reflects the racist and ableist trends of the nation’s criminal legal system: children with histories of abuse, lower education levels, learning disabilities, cognitive disorders, disabilities … are disproportionately locked up,” the organization stated. It stressed that this pattern is especially stark for youth of color.
The Prison Policy Initiative argued that “rather than offering kids the care they need, the U.S. is funneling an already vulnerable population into the criminal legal system.” The group blamed policies that make neurodivergent youth primary targets for surveillance and policing.
Not everyone agreed with the criticism. One LinkedIn user pushed back, writing that blaming the entire country for failing neurodivergent youth was an overreach. “If you’re ‘really’ concerned about a neurodivergent person’s intent, culpability, or sentence, bring it to the court,” the user said.
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