Reduce Juvenile Detention

Require Objective Detention Admission Criteria and Risk Assessment

Objective admission criteria and standardized risk assessments help keep youth in their homes and communities with appropriate services and supervision.

What Can Policymakers Do?

• Limit detention admission to objective criteria. New Mexico’s juvenile code explicitly limits detention to admission criteria that link placement decisions with detention alternatives. New Mexico also requires the use of a risk assessment instrument and a written report of risk assessment data collected. [i]
  
• Require use of a standardized risk assessment. Virginia requires a risk assessment instrument to determine detention eligibility and has documented this tool’s reliability and positive effect on public safety. [ii]