Executive Summary

1.   What Results Do You Want?

Preparing youth for adulthood creates both opportunities for them and savings for taxpayers. Youth who succeed have a clear sense of identity, a positive sense of self worth and opportunities to achieve. They are more likely to avoid risky behaviors—substance abuse and delinquency—that may yield lifelong impacts. See more information on priorities and indicators in this area.

2.   How Are Your Kids?

Young people who experience detention have higher rates of attempted suicide and psychiatric disorders, higher recidivism rates and are more likely to engage in adult criminal behavior. Therefore, reducing the inappropriate or unnecessary use of juvenile detention improves public safety and increases the likelihood that youth will avoid adult criminal behavior. See data for your state and guidance for understanding root causes and projections, and setting targets.

3.   What Can Policymakers Do?

      Strategies  

Develop Alternatives to Detention.

• Fund evidence-based programs.
• Require home and community supervision options.
• Promote short-term crisis placements.
• Provide non-residential supervision and service centers. 

Require objective detention admission criteria and risk assessment.  

• Limit detention admission to objective criteria.
• Require use of a standardized risk assessment.

Reduce racial disparities.    

• Mandate data analysis, developing  benchmarks and goals and annual progress reports.
• Create a planning and oversight body.
• Examine existing policies and statutes for bias.
• Fund expansion of indigent defense.

Mandate safe conditions of confinement with appropriate services.

• Mandate youth safety.
• Require basic services in detention.

     Success Stories

• State-level systems reforms.
• Producing savings by changing practice from the ground up.
• Reducing disproportionate minority confinement in detention.

4.   How Can You Ensure Success?

Policies must be linked to or contain provisions for, implementation and accountability in order to ensure the goals have been attained.  Issues to consider are aligning needs and goals, providing resources, evaluating context, and identifying barriers. See more guidance on overseeing implementation and ensuring accountability.

5. How Can You Sustain Success?

Guidance on Financing and Investing in Results and Financing Options.