Few Young Convicts Put With Adult Criminals

The recent murder convictions of Nathaniel Brazill and Lionel Tate, 14-year-old boys tried as adults, have prompted questions about how Florida handles young convicts, but prison officials said that few are housed with adult criminals.

Florida has 406 convicted criminals under 18 in its adult prison system, state Department of Corrections spokeswoman Debbie Buchanan said. The majority, 340, are classified as “youthful offenders” and held in half a dozen prisons that hold only those under 24 who are first-time offenders serving sentences of 10 years or less, Buchanan said.