Despite Durango remaining one of the states with the highest rates of adolescents charged in the country, it has established itself as one of the states with the lowest rates of minors being placed in specialized centers.
According to the 2026 Statistics on Adolescents in Conflict with the Law (EPACOL), published by INEGI (the National Institute of Statistics and Geography), the federal report details that the state ranks 13th in the country in terms of investigations against minors.
This means that the state has a rate of 272 adolescents charged per 100,000 young people.
INEGI statistics place Durango slightly above the national average, which stood at 259 cases.
However, the scenario changes drastically when it comes to the application of the most severe precautionary and punitive measures.
While states like Mexico State and Mexico City concentrate the majority of the population under temporary or permanent detention (16 and 10.1 percent respectively), Durango represents barely 1.0 percent of the national total of admissions to state detention centers.
The data reflects the marked disparity that, even though the incidence and initiation of investigations for the alleged commission of crimes maintain a high trend in Durango, judicial authorities prioritize the application of non-custodial measures and alternative justice, leaving detention as a strictly exceptional resource in the juvenile criminal justice system.
MORE THAN 35,000 ADOLESCENTS CHARGED
Nationwide, the juvenile justice system reveals that 35,193 adolescents were charged throughout the country during the last year.
The report’s crime analysis confirms that assault and theft continue to be the leading causes of legal proceedings against this population group, accounting for 23.5 and 12.6 percent of cases, respectively.
Likewise, the INEGI study underscores a general trend toward reducing overcrowding in these federal detention centers.
Of all adolescents currently facing sanctions in the country, 64.3 percent are serving their sentences under open programs or are free.
This is in strict adherence to the legal frameworks that dictate that incarceration should be the last resort for the social reintegration of young people.
Source: elsiglodedurango
