Burns Institute | For Justice, Fairness & Equity

About the W. Haywood Burns Institute

Our philosophy is simple — Incarceration is harmful to the positive development of our children; Data is key towards an understanding the complexities of racial inequity within the youth justice system; and Local communities can play a critical role in transformational change.

A Brief History of Youth of Color in the Justice System

Today, more than 2 million people are incarcerated and more than 7 million are on probation, parole, or other supervision in the United States. Too much of the analysis about how we arrived at this situation and what should be done about it is ahistorical.

Mapping the Youth Incarceration Problem

With 75 percent of youth locked up for non-violent offenses, our country doesn't have an alarming crime problem. We have an incarceration problem.

Improving the Well-Being of Children of Color

The child well-being framework firmly asserts the rights of all young people, regardless of their race and ethnicity, to be viewed as children who are experiencing a normal adolescent journey and to be treated with fairness and equity.

News & Updates

Hunter-Judges: Refining their Craft for Over 400 Years

Hunter-Judges: Refining their Craft for Over 400 Years May 2020 – The Year of Unrest As I have been observing my sons growing up and enjoying viewing certain cartoons, I quickly noticed how early the idea of the good guy-bad guy gets introduced into their theoretical framework. Usually little ones want to be a hero and pick ...

Happy Birthday, Haywood!

Today marks what would have been our namesake, W. Haywood Burns’ 80th birthday. It is the BI’s honor to share this moment in tribute to W. Haywood Burns legacy and to uphold our relentless pursuit of justice, fairness and equity. Happy Birthday, Haywood! https://www.burnsinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/HB-Tribute-2020-prez.mp4