NCJ Number
188796
Date Published
July 1998
Length
118 pages
Annotation
In response to a request from the U.S. Congress in association with the U.S. Justice Department's (DOJ's) appropriation request for fiscal year 1998, DOJ's Office of Justice Programs prepared this report on an assessment of the present and future needs for space in the Nation's juvenile detention and correctional facilities.
Abstract
One of the central findings of this study was that substantial differences existed in the experiences of States regarding current needs for corrections and detention space, as well as their ability to project future needs. States had varying levels of analytical capacity and managerial infrastructures for relevant data collection, and they used different practices in projecting future space needs. In addition, there were significant differences among the States in their reaction to the pressures from facility crowding and in their use of nonresidential program options as a means of reducing demand for placement. Only a few States had the technical and organizational capacity to develop and use forecasting methodology. Based on these findings, this report recommends that DOJ aid in the development of Federal and/or State data systems that will support State efforts to forecast current and future needs for juvenile detention and corrections space. It also recommends that DOJ assist the States in developing and using decision tools and analytical processes that will facilitate more effective structures for juvenile justice programs and better anticipate future needs for juvenile detention and corrections space. This report examined the need for space nationwide based on information available through several data collection programs supported by DOJ. In addition to this national analysis, the report analyzed the need for corrections space in 10 States selected by Congress for more detailed study: Alaska, California, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, New Hampshire, South Carolina, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. 13 tables, 1 figure, and appended relevant data from various sources