NCJ Number
218994
Date Published
2007
Length
39 pages
Annotation
This report presents an overview of the Missouri Department of Social Services, Division of Youth Services’ agency operations, statistics, and outcome indicators for youth served for fiscal year 2006.
Abstract
Highlights from the annual report include: (1) 1,214 youth were committed to the Division of Youth Services (DYS) during 2006; (2) the average age of all youth committed was 15.1 years; (3) 712 youth or 31.7 percent of all youth receiving DYS education services were identified as having an educational disability; (4) 721 youth or 59.4 percent had a history of prior substance abuse involvement; (5)in 2006, 128 youth or 10.5 percent were committed for juvenile offenses; (6) 54.5 percent of all commitments were from single-parent homes; (7) 83.2 percent of youth committed in 2006 were male; and (8) 87.6 of all discharges from DYS custody were satisfactory. The mission of the DYS is to enable youth to fulfill their needs in a responsible manner with respect for the needs of their families and their communities. Despite national trends in juvenile justice that reflect a “nothing works” philosophy, Missouri’s Division of Youth Services remains committed to providing comprehensive, individualized, and needs-based services to the youth committed to its care for their successful reintegration into the home and community. Various outcome indicators continue to demonstrate the success of the agency’s balanced approach. The agency continues its ongoing emphasis on improvement targets. Tables, figures and appendixes A-D