NCJ Number
134527
Date Published
1991
Length
24 pages
Annotation
This document provides the best available information to policymakers and juvenile justice professionals on the development of a rational and cost-effective youth corrections system, based on the experiences of two States recognized as national leaders in the field, i.e., Massachusetts and Utah.
Abstract
Youth corrections goals are identified as offender accountability/punishment, public safety protection/risk control, and competency development. The discussion of youth corrections in Massachusetts focuses on the public-private partnership in the areas of secure treatment, secure detention, shelter care, transitional management programs, group homes, the Homeward Bound Program, foster care, outreach and tracking, and health and other services. The discussion of the management of juvenile offenders in Utah focuses on the three levels of services in the youth corrections continuum: community-based alternatives, observation and assessment programs, and secure treatment units. Fifteen factors are identified as central to the effectiveness of youth corrections in the two States. Overall, the evidence suggests that a relatively small number of juvenile offenders need to be confined, and community-based services for youth are cost-effective and do not compromise public safety. This report advises policymakers in States with high incarceration rates for youth to examine the potential for restructuring their youth corrections systems to encompass a continuum of services and to reduce reliance on institutional care. Appended needs assessment form and 12 references