Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative JDAI

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Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative (JDAI)

• The Annie E. Casey Foundation

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Our Vision

• Youth involved in the juvenile justice system
  will have opportunities to develop into healthy,
  productive adults . . .

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Why Focus on Detention?

• Start of Slippery Slope Leading to Poor Outcomes
• Sound Entry Point for System Reform
• Great Potential for Change

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One-Day Counts in Detention Facilities, 2001By
Offense Category
Property, Drugs, Public Order and Other
Violent Offenses
(32.3)
(38.6)
(29.1)
Status Offenses and Technical Violations
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Overrepresentation of Minority Youth in Public
Detention Centers 1985 1999
1985
1995
White Youth
White Youth
Minority Youth
Minority Youth
White Youth
Minority Youth
1999
Source Census of Public and Private Juvenile
Detention, Correctional and Shelter Facilities,
1985-1999.
2/3 of Detainees are Kids of Color
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Detention Increased Despite Decreases in Juvenile
Crime
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Delinquency Careers

• Detained youth are more likely to be formally
  prosecuted, adjudicated and committed.
• Prior detention/incarceration is stronger
  predictor of recidivism than gang membership,
  poor parental relations, prior offense history,
  etc.

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Health and Mental Health

• Detained youth have higher rates of health and
  mental health problems.
• Acutely mentally ill minority youth (in
  California) are more likely to be held in
  detention centers than in psychiatric hospitals.
• American Journal of Orthopsychiatry
• Rate of suicide for detained or incarcerated
  youth is four times greater than in general youth
  population.

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Education and Employment

• Detention significantly decreases youth
  connection to school and increases drop-out odds.
• Having been in jail is the single most important
  deterrent to employment.
• London School of Economics
• Formerly incarcerated youth work 3-5 weeks less a
  year than those never incarcerated . . . 15 years
  after their confinement.

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Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative
Purpose To demonstrate that jurisdictions can
establish more effective and efficient systems
to accomplish the purposes of juvenile detention.
Objectives 1) Eliminate inappropriate or
unnecessary use of secure detention 2)
Minimize failures to appear and incidence of
delinquent behavior 3) Redirect public
finances to successful reform strategies 4)
Improve conditions in secure detention facilities.
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Core JDAI Strategies

• Collaboration

• Reliance on Data

• Objective Admissions Screening

• Alternatives to Secure Detention

• Expedited Case Processing

• Strategies for Special Detention Cases

• Strategies to Reduce Racial Disparities

• Rigorous Facility Inspections

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Cook County Outcomes
Results-Impact
Average Daily Population (1996-2002)
Youth Violent Arrests (1993-2000)
54
37
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Multnomah County Outcomes
Results-Impact
Average Daily Population (1993-2002)
Juvenile Felony Arrests (1994-2000)
45
66
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Santa Cruz Outcomes
Results-Impact
Average Daily Population (1996-2000)
Juvenile Felony Arrests (1996-2000)
38
52
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Multnomah County Impact
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Multnomah County Impact
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Multnomah County Impact
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Multnomah County Impact
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Multnomah County Impact
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Multnomah County Impact
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Multnomah CountyResource Redeployment
Results-Leverage
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Current JDAI Sites