Juvenile Detention Falls by More Than Half in a Decade

The number of adolescents held in juvenile detention facilities in Brazil has fallen by 54.5% over the past decade, marking a significant decline in youth incarceration.

The Brazilian Forum on Public Safety reports that the number of detained adolescents has decreased annually since 2016, with figures remaining relatively stable between 2023 and 2025.

The number of young people held in juvenile facilities dropped from 26,800 in 2015 to 12,200 in 2025, a reduction of 14,600. The figures cover several forms of custody, including provisional detention, disciplinary detention and semi-open facilities. São Paulo accounted for approximately 5,200 detained adolescents in 2025, followed by Rio de Janeiro with 966. Under Brazil’s Child and Adolescent Statute, detention is reserved for serious offences involving violence or threats, repeated offences or failure to comply with previous judicial measures. The decade-long decline highlights a substantial reduction in the use of custodial measures for young offenders.