NCJ Number
166835
Date Published
1994
Length
6 pages
Annotation
This paper outlines the components of an agenda for juvenile detention reform.
Abstract
In aiming to reform their youth detention systems, policymakers and juvenile justice professionals should first conduct a comprehensive study of the detention system; the study should examine detention intake criteria, admissions trends and reasons for admission to detention, length of stay in secure care, and the processing and handling of youth throughout the entire detention system. The study should also examine existing alternatives to detention and determine how well they are functioning. An agenda for detention reform should include as well the adoption of objective detention intake criteria and the development of 24-hour, face-to-face detention intake screening and crisis intervention services. Further, a reform agenda should eliminate the practice of committing youth to serve time in detention; instead, they could be put under intensive, 24-hour supervision and ordered to pay restitution, perform work for their victims, or do community service. Only violent, dangerous youth should be committed to secure detention. Other components of a detention reform agenda include the creation of a detention- population management position, the development of partnerships between public and private agencies in the delivery of alternative services, the enactment of legislation that restricts the use of detention and provides fiscal incentives to reduce admissions, and the creation of a range of alternatives to secure detention and criteria for their use. Finally, a reform agenda should develop a mechanism for overseeing and monitoring the detention system. A 1-item bibliography