NCJ Number
197273
Journal
Corrections Today Volume: 64 Issue: 6 Dated: October 2002 Pages: 74-76
Editor(s)
Susan L. Clayton M.S.
Date Published
October 2002
Length
3 pages
Annotation
This article briefly discusses the challenges facing the Nation’s correctional system and society in managing incarcerated youth and planning for their successful release back to the community through interventions and treatment.
Abstract
Today, youthful offenders continue to commit violent crimes and join gangs, creating a management issue for correctional systems. The majority of youthful offenders incarcerated in prisons and jails return back to society and it is for this reason that there needs to be a successful reintegration of these youth back into their communities. Corrections must continually reassess the current methods for managing youthful offender interventions, treatment, and transitional care due to the dynamics of the population. This article addresses the challenges faced by adult correctional systems in managing the youthful offender, developing a youthful offender program, creating structure for the program, and the successful return and reintegration of the youthful offender to the community. Since corrections management has been geared to adult inmates, age-specific programming needed to be found or created, classification instruments needed to be adapted, and legal issues needed to be reviewed. Corrections administrators need to be actively involved in the development and operational oversight of youthful offender programs. The implementation of a youthful offender program requires preplanning, coordination, and patience. Re-entry initiatives must be implemented to begin in the correctional setting and continue throughout the youthful offender’s transition to and stabilization into the community.