NCJ Number
95609
Date Published
1983
Length
24 pages
Annotation
This Minnesota Citizens' Council investigation of out-of-home placements of juveniles analyzes current policies and practices and offers recommendations for improvement.
Abstract
The council determined that the findings of Ira Schwartz and his associates on youth confinement and out-of-home placement accurately reflected the practices in Minnesota in 1982, when the report was written. In addition, the council identified problems with Minnesota's current practices for out-of-home placement of children. The problems ranged from unclear goals for the placements to difficulties in monitoring the quality of care. The major problem, evaluating system performance, is also addressed. The council concluded that decision criteria for out-of-home placements need to be improved, and that the complexity, subjectivity, and competition in the juvenile justice, welfare, mental health, drug treatment, and related agencies make it difficult to change the status quo. Factors contributing to the overuse of out-of-home placements are identified, including undue complexity and ill-defined standards. The costs of the State juvenile correctional institution are analyzed, and recommendations for improvements in the out-of-home placement process are provided. Four tables are included.