NCJ Number
100075
Date Published
1984
Length
10 pages
Annotation
This executive summary of a study of the effectiveness of two model Kentucky projects in reducing juvenile jailings considers how intake criteria have reduced the number of juveniles in secure detention, the impact of juveniles releases on community safety and court appearances, and the cost-effectiveness of community alternatives to secure detention.
Abstract
The purpose of the model programs -- one located in the seven-county Gateway area of eastern Kentucky and the other in Graves County in western Kentucky -- is to meet the mandate of the Federal Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act in removing juveniles from adult jails. Both programs use intake criteria to reduce the number of juveniles in secure detention and increase the number placed in community alternatives. Data from 1980 were used to determine the number of juveniles in jails before the projects' beginnings. Data for 1984 examined the projects' effects on juvenile jail populations, crimes committed by released juveniles, court appearances of juveniles before and after the projects, and the cost-effectiveness of community alternatives compared to jailing. Juveniles in jail in the 8 counties had been reduced by 94 percent between 1980 and 1984, and community safety was not jeopardized, although the number of juveniles failing to appear at hearings increased slightly. Community alternatives were more costly than detention. Immediate suggestions are offered for improving the projects' capabilities, and long-range recommendations are presented for State policymakers.