NCJ Number
84043
Date Published
Unknown
Length
0 pages
Annotation
Alternative programs are now being sought for juvenile offenders. Massachusetts already offers a community-based system that claims to be more humane, more effective, and less costly than traditional programs. State juvenile justice program administrators and staff discuss client eligibility for community-based programs, types of alternatives available, and public support for such programs.
Abstract
Individual speakers concede that pitfalls exist in alternative programming, that not all clients can be eligible for community-based corrections, and that the benefits of limited alternative programming can be oversold to the public. The need is for more diversified alternatives with specific funding, differential diagnosis that avoids sterotyped labeling, and a systems approach that provides alternatives in lieu of the traditional practice of juvenile incarceration. Audience questions concern program accountability and juvenile residential treatment in rural settings. Panelists include program administrators from California and New York, a researcher evaluating the Massachusetts juvenile reform programs, a furloughed prisoner from Massachusetts, and a social worker from the State's Children in Need of Service program.