Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative in the News
These recent news articles highlight Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative (JDAI) practices, policies and programs. The links will open a new window and take you directly to the media outlets' web sites. Registration may be required.
For an updated list of ational and local news articles and media reports on JDAI activities across the country, visit the JDAI Helpdesk.
Country opens blinds on juvenile detention (Op-Ed)
From the Houston Chronicle on February 13, 2010
Something unusual happened in Houston last month. Harris County Judge Ed Emmett and officials from the county's Juvenile Probation Department released a no-holds-barred report that not only described recent accomplishments at the juvenile detention center but also laid bare that facility's weaknesses and failures. What is remarkable about this event is not just that it demonstrated the commitment of multiple stakeholders to improving outcomes for troubled youths and the community; by going public with their self-assessment, county leaders displayed a level of transparency and candor that is sorely lacking elsewhere in the country.
Less youth detention means more savings, better families
From Star-Tribune (WY) on January 24, 2010
Wyoming taxpayers would save money, streets would be safer, families would be stronger, youth would be better educated and more successful, and the justice system would work more smoothly. All for one low price: change policies to quit putting so many kids in jail. However, that idea runs counter to the longstanding belief that locking them up will scare them straight, said Bart Lubow, program director for the Annie E. Casey Foundation's Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative (JDAI). "Juvenile detention in most jurisdictions is not driven by juvenile crime, but by policies," Lubow said.
Bill: Keep kids out of court for minor trouble
From WTHR13 (IN) on January 12, 2010
Arresting students for behavior that used to earn them a trip to the principal's office can put kids on a path toward dropping out of school and going to prison, a Georgia judge told an Indiana legislative committee on Tuesday.
Court uses alternative way to deal with youth
From Delta Democrat Times on January 11, 2010
The Juvenile Detention Alternative Initiative is a new method county court Judge Vernita King Johnson's office uses keep kids from being locked up. Doris Benford, JDAI Site Coordinator, said they seek alternative methods rather than locking the at risk youth in a secured detention facility.
Casey Foundation Effort supported
From Aberdeen News (SD) on January 7, 2010
For more than 15 years, South Dakota has struggled to find the right approaches for when and how juveniles should be detained when they have violated or are under suspicion of violating laws.
Shackles barred in juvenile courts
From the Palm Beach Post on December 17, 2009
The Florida Supreme Court on Thursday banned the blanket use of shackles, handcuffs and other restraints on children in the state's juvenile courtrooms, calling the practice "repugnant, degrading, humiliating" and counterproductive.
Evening Reporting Center for juveniles to reopen
From Rockdale News on December 9, 2009
The Evening Reporting Center, an alternative center for juvenile delinquents that has been suspended for about six months due to a lack of funding, may be able to reopen in a month with an infusion of stimulus grant funding, according to Rockdale County Juvenile Court Judge William Schneider.
Youth risk assessment would improve system
From the Star-Tribune (WY) on November 18, 2009
Juvenile justice system reform hasn't been easy to accomplish in Wyoming, largely because it upsets the status quo. Some officials mistakenly don't think there's a problem.
Career Public Servant Honored for Work in Juvenile Justice Field
Virginia Juvenile Justice Association Press Release on November 10, 2009
On November 5, 2009, career public servant, Claudette Overton, was honored for her many contributions to the juvenile justice field. While attending the 33rd Fall Juvenile Justice Training Institute, Overton as presented the Virginia Juvenile Justice Assocation's 2009 Meritorious Award in the Area of Administration.
Adams targeting sentencing for youths
From Greenwood Commonwealth on October 10, 2009
Juvenile crime is down in Leflore County, but Judge Kevin Adams isn’t satisfied. With help from the Annie E. Casey Foundation, he is working on ideas for reducing the number of locked-up children. "Public safety is always paramount, but we have to help these kids so they don’t end up in the adult system," said Adams, a Leflore County judge who also oversees the youth court. A new effort here called the Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative is intended to develop different options for youth judges during sentencing other than putting offenders in a detention center.
Editorial: Locking Up Fewer Children
From the New York Times on August 14, 2009
In the 1990s, states and localities began sending more and more children to juvenile lockups, often for months, while they awaited trial for nonviolent offenses or even noncriminal behavior like being “unruly.” This was a disaster. Children who spend time in detention are far more likely to leave school, suffer alcohol or drug abuse problems or commit violent crimes as adults. A far better approach — for these young people as well as overburdened government budgets — is to lock up only truly dangerous children and enroll the rest in community-based monitoring programs.
Editorial: Find better ways to keep kids out of jail
From the Star Tribune on July 12, 2009
For most schoolkids, detention means a trip to the principal's office and a timeout in study hall. But for young people on the wrong side of the law, detention is the underage version of going to jail.
Experiment yields drop in juvenile detention
From the Star Tribune on July 9, 2009
An experiment designed to divert teens -- especially teens of color-- from the juvenile justice system has produced a dramatic decline in detention use, with Ramsey County reporting a 57 percent drop since 2005 and Hennepin and Dakota counties reporting 33 percent.
Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative Achieves Goal
From InsightNews.com (MN) on July 2, 2009
The number of young people detained each day at the Hennepin County Juvenile Detention Center (JDC) dropped 33 percent over the past three years. The change is one of the goals sought when implementing the Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative (JDAI) which has been piloted in Hennepin County since 2005.
Passaic County takes steps toward juvenile justice reform
From NorthJersey.com on July 1, 2009
The closing of the Passaic County Juvenile Detention Center in April was not just a cost-cutting measure. It was supposed to usher in a new era of juvenile justice in the county, one going beyond the "lock 'em up and throw away the key" approach that has guided policy for decades. This week, Passaic County took a big step toward that change when it was accepted into the state’s Juvenile Detention Alternative Initiative (JDAI).
Hennepin County Juvenile detainee population shows dramatic drop
From the Star Tribune (MN) on June 24, 2009
The number of people detained each day at the Hennepin County juvenile detention center has declined 33 percent over the past three years, the District Court said Wednesday.
Lock Up Teen Criminals? (Commentary)
From CNN.com on May 4, 2009
Ten years ago, teen Daniel Giddings shot a man during an attempted robbery and was sentenced to six to 12 years in prison.... After serving 10 years, Giddings was released last August. According to CNN affiliate WPVI, he allegedly assaulted several police officers days later. Then, in September, he allegedly killed a Philadelphia police officer before being fatally shot by another officer.
Fixing North Carolina's juvenile justice mistake (Op-Ed By Bart Lubow)
From News and Observer on April 23, 2009
I recently participated in community forums in Raleigh and Winston-Salem regarding North Carolina's policy of prosecuting and incarcerating 16- and 17-year-olds as adults. Given the charged debate about changing this law, the public deserves to know what protects public safety, treats youth fairly and appropriately and makes best use of scarce public resources. Treating all 16- and 17-year-olds like adults does not work. North Carolina is one of only three states that exclude 16- and 17-year-olds from juvenile jurisdiction. In contrast, 75 percent of state juvenile justice systems handle youths up to age 18. Why has virtually every other state pursued a different course?
Report proposes N.J. spend juvenile detention center money on crime prevention
From The Star-Ledger on March 18, 2009
With the number of N.J. juveniles held in detention centers significantly reduced, counties should reinvest detention center funds in prevention and treatment efforts, the state's child advocate said in a report released today. Five years after New Jersey began participating in a national Juvenile Detention Alternative Initiative, or JDAI, project, five counties have posted a 44.3 percent drop in the number of youth in detention on any given day, the child advocate reported in an analysis of data provided by the Juvenile Justice Commission.
Norfolk meeting explores racial gap in juvenile justice
From The Virginian-Pilot on January 25, 2009
Sometimes it's the little things that can contribute to a disproportionately higher number of black children in the juvenile justice system, experts told some 300 people attending a town hall meeting Saturday. Bias may be unintentional. Small changes can make a difference. By asking more questions, maybe a grandparent or aunt can be found to supervise a child, when detention would be required otherwise because the single parent must work. And by probing deeper, authorities can see what kinds of crimes are snaring children - is it murder? contempt of court? - and perhaps do something about it.
Interview with national juvenile justice expert Bart Lubow (audio)
From Juvenile Justice Matters on March 5, 2009