Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth have long been subjected to unfair and unlawful treatment by the juvenile justice system, including identity-based criminalization, unwarranted and prolonged incarceration, and verbal, physical, and sexual abuse, a report from the Annie E. Casey Foundation finds. Developed as a practice guide for participating sites in the foundation's Juvenile Detention Alternative Initiative, the report, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Youth in the Juvenile Justice System (52 pages, PDF), found that LGBTQ youth are overrepresented in the justice system and, within that population, youth of color are themselves overrepresented. To ensure that all youth are physically and emotionally safe and treated fairly and respectfully by the system, the report recommends that agencies adopt written policies that prohibit discrimination and guarantee equal treatment and access to services; collect and protect data about sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression; ensure that reform efforts are sustained through proactive leadership; engage families in supporting their LGBT youth during probation; and make more of an effort to contract with LGBT-competent medical and behavioral health providers and community programs.