According to the FBI, only five percent of kids who get arrested have committed a violent crime, but the other 95 percent often face the same fate.

In fact, the U.S. incarcerates its kids at a rate that is at least five times the rate of any other nation. As a result, many of these kids witness violence, are separated from their families, and struggle to complete high school, get jobs or go to college when they get out.

And the long-term outcomes are stark: just 12 percent of formerly incarcerated youth had a high school diploma or GED by young adulthood and only about 30 percent were in either school or a job one year after their release. Youth offenders are also seven times more likely to have a history of unemployment and welfare dependence as an adult.

A new video released on Mistakes Kids Make sheds light on these startling facts and highlights alternatives. Check it out:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y45RismalUw

Mistakes Kids Make is a new storytelling project to remind us that the mistakes we make as kids should not ruin the rest of our lives or the lives of our families.

Hold kids accountable? Yes. Teach kids responsibility? Absolutely. Help kids become their better selves? Let’s do it. But not at the cost of their chance for a good education, a good job, and a healthy, productive life as they grow.

Many states have outdated, one-size-fits-all sentencing laws on the books, policies that focus more on the offense and not enough on the kid, particularly with regard to kids’ long-term outcomes.

All kids should be held accountable for their choices, but the policies we use to hold them accountable should also take into consideration that these are still kids, kids who would benefit from being held accountable for their actions while also getting the kind of support and other services necessary to learn to make better decisions in the future.

Mistakes Kids Make invites parents, teachers, judges, lawmakers and anyone who can remember what it’s like to be a kid to stand up for kids in their community by signing our pledge to do more, and sharing the message of the need for juvenile justice reform with friends, family and neighbors.

By supporting Mistakes Kids Make, you’re supporting better outcomes for kids, their families and ultimately the rest of us. Be sure to watch the full video here and check out the website.