Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative
Information for National JDAI Website / Help Desk
Learn more about Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative.
The Dangers of Detention
www.justicepolicy.org
The nation’s use of detention is steadily rising and facilities are packed with young people who do not meet those high-risk criteria – about 70% are detained for nonviolent offenses. A recent literature review of youth corrections shows that detention has a profoundly negative impact on young people’s mental and physical well-being, their education, and their employment. Most importantly, for a variety of reasons to be explored, there is credible and significant research that suggests that the experience of detention may make it more likely that youth will continue to engage in delinquent behavior, and that the detention experience may increase the odds that youth will recidivate, further compromising public safety.
Planning and System Improvement Efforts
Misuse of secure detention and overcrowding produces unsafe, unhealthy conditions for both detainees and staff. Crowding increases liability risks and the possibility of litigation. Crowding also puts additional financial pressure on existing facilities (wear and aging of buildings. overtime, emergency needs and unbudgeted costs that result from crowding).
Which Youth Should Be In The Community?
System improvement is not accomplished by the walking through the numbers but rather by effective management of the numbers.
Risk assessment technology is linked to alternative program development, because the Detention Risk Assessment Instrument (DRAI) can be designed to identify youth at low and modest risk levels than can safely be moved to non-secure, pre-trial alternatives like Electronic Home Monitoring (EM). The review of the detained population revealed a number of youth (Status Offenders and Probation Violators) who qualify for release but need additional structure and supervision; for these youth, Day or Evening reporting centers are viable and cost-effective options to secure detention. The Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, the Washington State Institute for Public Policy and other research institutes have shown that several community based programs have been proven to be effective in the recidivism and crime in cost effective manners.
Knowing why we value our community support and resources You may appreciate reviewing some of the positive statistics provided below:
Detention Alternative Programs
|
Detention Alternative Programs
1st Quarter January-March 2007
|
Pre-Adjudicated Admissions
|
Post-Adjudicated Admissions
|
Total Admissions
|
FTA
|
Re-Arrests
|
|
EM
|
43
|
105
|
148
|
0
|
0
|
|
EM + Day Reporting
|
13
|
21
|
34
|
0
|
0
|
|
Non-Confined Day Reporting
|
0
|
65
|
65
|
0
|
0
|
|
Evening Reporting
|
0
|
39
|
39
|
0
|
0
|
|
Weekend Reporting
|
0
|
87
|
87
|
0
|
0
|
|
Community Service-Probation Violation
|
0
|
33
|
33
|
0
|
0
|
|
Community Service-Status Offender
|
0
|
96
|
96
|
0
|
0
|
|
Totals
|
56
|
446
|
502*
|
0
|
0
|
*1,825 Admissions to Secure Detention for Year 2006
2,008 Projected admissions to Detention Alternatives for year 2007
Annual Detention Alternatives Goals
|
Annual Detention Alternatives Goals
|
Annual Outcomes
|
| |
Past 9 Months
|
Projected For Year
|
|
Reduce Detention days from 5,985 to 2,985 for Probation Violations
|
2,135
|
2,846
|
|
Make 800 Probation Violation referrals to Detention Alternatives
|
555
|
740
|
|
Make 150 Status Offender Violation referrals to Detention Alternatives
|
356
|
475
|
|
20% of referrals to Detention Alternatives will be minority youth
|
23%
|
23%
|
Some additional Spokane County Statistical Highlights of interest.
JDAI BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The Annie E Casey Foundation
Washington State's JDAI Beginning (Dec. 2003)
Spokane County's Implementation Plan (2009-2010)
THE 8 JDAI STRATEGIES
Encourage Collaboration
Data - Driven Decision Making
Spokane County Data Development and Utilization
- Spokane County Utilization of Data and Data Development
2009 3rd Quarter Data
2009 2nd Quarter Data
2009 1st Quarter Data
2008 JDAI Data
2007 JDAI Data
2006 JDAI Data
Detention Risk Assessment Instrument
Develop Alternatives to Detention
Expedite Court Case Processing
Sanction Options for Probation Violations
Reduce Racial Disparities
Improve Conditions of Confinement