NCJ Number
153997
Date Published
1995
Length
43 pages
Annotation
This 1994 Annual Report of Utah's Division of Corrections provides statistics and information on its programs, including home detention, secure detention, receiving centers, case management, community alternatives, observation and assessment, secure facilities, and transition.
Abstract
Division programs provide a continuum of service, so that more severely offending youths are treated in more restrictive settings. From the opening of the Territorial Reform School in 1889 to the present, the philosophy of the Utah Juvenile Justice System has been to treat and rehabilitate delinquent youths. Work camps and work projects are being developed at all levels of Division programming. These camps provide youths with opportunities to repay victims, engage in work projects that benefit the public, and gain a sense of accomplishment. With few exceptions, Division programs were full and often operated over capacity. On a typical day, 566 youths were in Division custody, including 340 in nonsecure community alternatives, home placement, or observation and assessment programs; 130 in locked facilities or secure detention, in jail, hospital, or out-of- State placements; and 48 absent without leave. The number of youths in custody reached an all-time daily population of 785 in December 1994. Although felonies and misdemeanors generally did not increase, youth admitted to community alternatives, observation and assessment, and secure facilities did increase in their number of life-threatening felonies. Following a pattern across many years, the census of all programs reflects a disproportionate number of minority youths, especially in the secure facilities. Other information and statistics pertain to restitution amounts, youth on parole, volunteer services, staff training, budget, and program evaluation.