Changing the juvenile justice system

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A Blueprint for Juvenile Justice Reform - Youth Transition Funders www.ytfg.org/.../Platform_Juvenile_Justice.pdf

The development of a revamped and new approach toward juvenile justice in the 21st century is necessary and long overdue. This new system should be predicated upon reducing institutionalization for the vast majority of youth. Those youth who require confinement should be confined in institutions that provide educational and vocational opportunities for preparation into a successful transition back into the community once they return. The development of new reforms must include many diversionary and treatment programs that steer youth away from incarceration and prison.

These programs are better at giving youth the opportunity to be held accountable while also succeeding in reducing recidivism. In addition the costs are far lower than prison for these youthful offenders because the reinvestment enables jurisdictions to finance reform by appropriating money towards these less expensive community based interventions instead of into juvenile incarceration facilities. The detention and incarceration of youths must be the last option in the 21st century as opposed to the first or second option.

The 21st century juvenile justice system must provide policies that transition away from punitive policies and practices while aiming to reduce the number of incarcerated youths without jeopardizing public security. The policies must be predicated upon community-based programs that facilitate change within juvenile offenders through probation, intensive supervision, home confinement, alternative education, family preservation, restitution, community ...