NCJ Number
248416
Date Published
2014
Length
7 pages
Annotation
In promoting alternatives to juvenile detention and confinement, this overview notes the adverse effects on youth of confinement, types of alternatives to detention and confinement, and evaluation evidence on the outcomes of various alternatives to detention and confinement.
Abstract
The trend toward the provision of alternatives to juvenile detention and confinement is based on evidence that shows their negative impact on both juveniles and their communities. Juveniles who have been confined are more likely to reoffend, thus endangering the community, than those who have been managed under alternatives to confinement. Further, confinement has been shown to undermine a youth's mental state, academic aptitude, and employment prospects. There are various types of alternatives to detention and confinement. Some examples are home confinement; day or evening treatment in the community; shelter care (short-term non-secure residential care outside the home); group homes (community-based, long-term alternative facilities that allow participation in community services); intensive supervision programs; and specialized foster care. Although the evaluation of the outcomes of these various types of alternatives to detention and confinement have yielded mixed results, they have proven to be less expensive than detention and confinement while being equally, if not more, effective in reducing reoffending. 22 references