Legal system 

• Arrest rate: In 2020, 25% of foster youth were arrested compared to a rate of 12% for non-foster youth. 
  
• Incarceration rate: In 2020, 10% of foster youth were incarcerated compared to a rate of 4% for non-foster youth. 
  
• For children who have been moved through multiple placements, the risk is even higher, with one study indicating that over 90% of foster youth who move five or more times will end up in the juvenile justice system 
  
• About 15-20% of children entering the foster care system have an incarcerated parent, and while there is no evidence that children of incarcerated parents are more likely than their peers to be incarcerated, they do experience greater risk of poverty and household instability 

References 

• www.cjcj.org/media/import/documents/the_foster_care_to_prison_pipeline.pdf 
• https://www.law.georgetown.edu/poverty-journal/blog/child-welfare-and-the-criminal-system-impact-overlap-potential-solutions/#_ftn7