NCJ Number
224679
Editor(s)
Joey Binard,
Mac Prichard
Date Published
July 2008
Length
20 pages
Annotation
This paper describes the Reclaiming Futures model, a new approach to helping teenagers caught in the cycle of drugs, alcohol, and crime created by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and lessons learned by Reclaiming Futures during the last 6 years.
Abstract
The Reclaiming Futures model combined system reforms, treatment improvement and community engagement. According to an evaluation conducted in 2006, the 10 communities across the United States that piloted the model all reported significant improvements in the quality of juvenile justice and substance abuse treatment services. This paper outlines key policy options available to Federal, State, and local governments for consideration in improving drug and alcohol treatment for young people in the juvenile justice system. Today, as many as 4 in 5 teens in trouble with the law are abusing drugs and alcohol and with between 60 and 90 percent of the teenagers who appear in juvenile court having a substance abuse problem. Even though research consistently shows that treating substance abuse reduces crime, saves money, and builds safer communities, many teens in the United States’ juvenile justice system receive no treatment for the problem. When a teen does not receive needed treatment and services, society and the community pays the price. In response to the urgent need to respond to this issue, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation created, tested, and evaluated the six-part Reclaiming Futures model.