Reducing Juvenile Recidivism
The juvenile justice system has seen marked changes: youth confinement and juvenile arrests for violent crimes dropped approximately 50 percent between 1997 and 2011. While these developments are admirable, they mask issues that remain in juvenile justice systems across the country. Many jurisdictions don't track recidivism, and those that do have high rates of reoffending—sometimes as high as 75 percent after three years. This featured publication lays out four core principles of reducing juvenile recidivism and lessons learned about how to implement those principles effectively.
In many states, up to 80 percent of the youth who are incarcerated are rearrested within 3 years of release, and outcomes for youth on community supervision are often not much better. In response to these challenges, the CSG Justice Center offers tools, resources, and technical assistance to help state and local officials develop and implement plans to improve outcomes for youth and use resources more efficiently.
The CSG Justice Center offers states and locales intensive technical assistance to develop system-wide plans, based on the research for “what works” to improve outcomes for youth in their juvenile justice systems. We engage in this effort through the following activities:
- Conduct a comprehensive assessment of juvenile justice policy and practice;
- Present key findings and recommendations to agency leaders and policymakers; and
- Guide state officials to translate the recommendations into a statewide plan to improve youth outcomes, which may include legislative, appropriation, and/or agency policy and practice changes.
If you are interested in learning more about this intensive technical assistance, please contact Nina Salomon at nsalomon@csg.org.
These infographics detail critical challenges faced by states in improving outcomes for youth; identifying key questions policymakers should ask; and offering strategies for protecting public safety and using resources more efficiently.
Checklists
The Council of State Governments (CSG) Justice Center has designed a set of tools to help juvenile justice leaders and other key stakeholders assess whether policy, practice, and resource allocation decisions are aligned with research on what is effective and identify opportunities to make changes that will improve outcomes for youth in the juvenile justice system.
Additional Resources
Acknowledgements
The period of time immediately following release from prison or jail can be very challenging, but for people…
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Recent juvenile justice system assessment highlights potential policy improvements.
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“Purpose, Necessity, and Impact”: Reflections from the Transforming Juvenile Probation Certificate Program
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Planning to Prevent Relapse? A New Tool Can Help
The period of time immediately following release from prison or jail can…
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Changes on the Horizon in Sonoma County
Recent juvenile justice system assessment highlights potential policy improvements.
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Five Ways States Can Prep Youth in the Justice System for Employment
A new brief outlines five actions state career technical education (CTE) directors can take to improve workforce development training for young people in the justice system.
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Five Ways North Dakota Can Revamp Its 50-Year-Old Juvenile Justice Policy
After completing an assessment of their juvenile justice system, North Dakota leaders are now considering reforms to long-standing legislation.
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