Curfews for kids are sold as a 'nice' alternative to jail, but they actually just give cops more excuses to search kids and get them in trouble later.
March 20, 2026
Original Paper
Known to Police: the Revival of Juvenile Curfews
SSRN · 6409998
The Takeaway
While many cities have revived curfews as a 'benevolent' way to keep kids safe, this research shows these laws provide a legal loophole for police to stop and search anyone they perceive to be under 18. This results in more youth being funneled into the justice system and stripped of Fourth Amendment rights under the guise of protection.
From the abstract
A few years ago, in response to an uptick in crime rates, many cities revived a familiar tool-juvenile curfews. Yet unlike prior iterations, modern juvenile curfews are promoted as non-carceral alternatives that help adolescents and the communities in which they are enforced. Cities lack empirical evidence that curfews reduce juvenile crime or victimization but view them as a benevolent (even progressive) response to crime. <div> <br> </div> <div> This Article explores two cities' recent experie