System Reforms to Reduce Youth Incarceration - Why we must explore every option before

This report describes reforms that states and local jus- This report will highlight state and local laws, policies tice systems can and should adopt to combat the over- and practices that have maximized the effective use of use of incarceration and maximize the success of youth alternative-to-incarceration programs and minimized who are placed in alternative-to-incarceration programs. [...] Yet voluminous research shows that in a residential facility if found delinquent by a the traditional approach to juvenile probation, in which judge; and even short stays in detention reduce courts hand youth a long list of standard rules and con- educational attainment and increase the likeli- ditions and then a probation officer monitors their com- 93 hood of subsequent involvement in the justic. [...] come together to meet with the family and strategize how to best meet the needs of the youth and family.”129 Some CFT meetings are convened early in a young person’s case, to help identify caring adults in the young person’s life who might provide support and to craft a probation plan that best meets the needs of the young person and family. [...] The probation department also encouraged the father to set aside at least 10 minutes every day for father-son conversations and provided gift cards to pay for family outings.131 In addition, the probation department enrolled the boy in a community-based youth center, the Azteca clubhouse, and a counseling program. [...] In the end, the most essential ingredient for reducing overreliance on youth incarceration is a determination to explore every option to keep young people at home safely, providing youth with the support and assistance they require to avoid further offending, participate in the normal rites of adolescence, and mature toward a healthy adulthood.