NCJ Number
122588
Date Published
1990
Length
9 pages
Annotation
In 1985, the National Council on Crime and Delinquency (NCCD) conducted a study for the Colorado Division of Youth Services (DYS) that resulted in a proposed plan for a youth corrections system that would provide public protection through services and facilities that are safe, fair, and cost-effective.
Abstract
The study focused on ways to respond to the system's severe problems of crowding, inadequate and unsafe facilities, and inadequacies in services. In January 1986, DYS presented four proposals to the State legislature to respond to the study's recommendations. It proposed consolidating the institutional population at one new, secure complex; expanding client assessment to place youths according to risk; developing specialized local service options for youths requiring less secure settings; and establishing a regional administrative structure. A 1988 study indicated the need for further community programs and services to allow flexible and individualized treatment planning with varying degrees of security and supervision in both residential and nonresidential settings. The current local services program emphasizes regional management, and the continuum of services planned for 1989 would fill gaps in services. Each youth is carefully assessed for risk and has a Continuity of Care Plan that is coordinated and monitored by a single client manager.