Summary
New York State's juvenile justice system is supposed to rehabilitate children who commit serious offences by removing them from the problems often inherent in their fami lies and neighborhoods. But the system does not work. About 80 percent of those who enter the system return to it or go to prison within three years after their initial release. That's a recidivism rate worse than adult prisoners nationally.
RECLAIM Ohio is a funding initiative which encourages juvenile courts to develop a range of communitybased options to meet the needs of each juvenile offender. Thanks to RECLAIM Ohio, more youths are being helped locally where families can participate more fully in their treatment. Institutions are less crowded, and the Ohio Department of Youth Services is focusing its treatment and rehabilitative efforts on the more serious, repetitive, felony-level youths.These changes will do much more than save the state money. An effective juvenile justice system will contribute to public safety, providing juvenile offenders with a real chance for success after they leave the system. It will help to prevent many of them from "graduating" to the state's prisons where - given the dismal history of adult incarceration in this country - they stand a good chance of becoming career criminals.RECLAIM Ohio is a funding initiative which encourages juvenile courts to develop a range of communitybased options to meet the needs of each juvenile offender.See the full content of this document
Extract
Fixing the Juvenile Justice System
New York State's juvenile justice system is supposed to rehabilitate children who commit serious offences by removing them from the problems often inherent in their fami lies and neighborhoods. But the system does not work. About 80 percent of those who enter th...
See the full content of this document
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