Reduce Juvenile Detention

New Jersey

Reducing Juvenile Detention through State-Level Systems Reforms:  New Jersey   

New Jersey implemented the Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative (JDAI) in five pilot counties in 2002. The initial focus was on increasing the range of alternatives to detention, developing technologies to match youth with appropriate alternatives to detention, and expediting juvenile case processing to minimize stays for youth requiring detention.[i]  

Local results produced state support. By the second year, the five JDAI pilot counties reduced the average daily juvenile detention population by 37 percent.  Based on this success, Union County Assemblyman Joseph Cryan became the chief advocate for JDAI in the legislature.   

The legislature expanded the pilot to 10 additional counties, appropriating $2 million, and setting a goal to take the initiative statewide by 2010.  The appropriation provided $1.3 million in grants to expand JDAI in the remaining counties, and $650,000 to fund critical administrative resources and materials to support statewide implementation.   

By 2006, across the state’s JDAI sites, 43 percent fewer youth were in detention centers compared to 2003, and minority youth accounted for 93 percent of this reduction.