Implementing Detention Policy Changes (From Reforming Juvenile Detention: No More Hidden Closets, P 147-161, 1994, Ira M Schwartz and William H Barton, eds. -- See NCJ-166824)

• NCJ Number: 166833
• Author(s): W H Barton
• Date Published: 1994
• Length: 15 pages
• Sale Source: Ohio State University Press
• Publication Type: Issue Overview
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This analysis of the detention-reform implementation scenarios in four sites (Ohio, California, Pennsylvania, and Florida) provides summary lessons for those seeking to implement such policy changes.

Abstract

The four sites whose detention-reform efforts are reviewed are Cuyahoga County, Ohio (Cleveland); Pennsylvania (statewide); San Francisco; and Broward County, Fla. One lesson learned from this analysis is that juvenile detention overuse is highly amenable to change. In most jurisdictions, secure-detention use can be reduced without jeopardizing public safety by developing objective intake criteria, using alternative programming, and expediting the processing of detained youths to limit length of stay. Another lesson is that among the political factors in detention reform, leadership may be the most crucial. The importance of developing a consensus should also be recognized. Further, the incentive structure surrounding the implementation of a policy change warrants attention. When possible, the reform goals, and perhaps some of the technical procedures for achieving them, should be expressed as a formal mandate, through legislation if feasible. Finally, community involvement from advocates and others is helpful in situations that must rely on conflict strategies. 1 table and an 8-item bibliography