Beyond Bars

Summary

This report provides a clear blueprint for closing youth prisons and replacing them with community-based juvenile justice services. Readers will learn how this new system can hold youth accountable — without resorting to incarceration — while cultivating a young person’s strengths, interests and sense of belonging. 

Table of Contents

• Table of contents
• Introduction
• Defining a continuum of care for young people in the juvenile justice system
• Why is a continuum needed
• Developing a continuum of care: Guiding principles and core components
• How to develop a continuum of care
• Examples of continua of care
• Funding a continuum of care for justice-involved youth and their families
• Conclusion

Key Takeaway

The youth prison model? It’s past its expiration date

By incarcerating young people, we knowingly place them in harm’s way. We expose them to situations that feel — and are — unsafe. We socially isolate them, severing their ties with family, school and community. Yet, this harmful, ineffective and expensive approach is still in play across America today. The good news: We know there’s a better way. Strong communities can keep the public safe, hold youth accountable, and restore a sense of belonging for justice-involved families.