The Real Cost of Prisons Weblog

"The state's detention centers are a revolving door," said Skaneateles Police Chief Lloyd Perkins, president of the New York State Chiefs Association. "It's clear that our current system is putting too many juveniles on a path to becoming career criminals. It's expensive, it's not working, and it's time to change."

Too many of the state's most dangerous young offenders are not receiving the intensive interventions needed to address their aggression, substance abuse problems and anti-social behavior, according to the 29-page report titled "Getting Juvenile Justice Right in New York."

Meanwhile, for the larger number of juveniles who do not need to be detained, the custody approach is ineffective and costly. That group would be better off in proven, community-based rehabilitation programs and special foster care placement, the report said.

None of the recommendations came as a surprise to state Office of Children and Family Services Commissioner Gladys Carrion, who agreed New York's juvenile justice system is not working.

"The system has moved to a very correctional, penal kind of approach to dealing with adolescents and is not really providing them with services that are developmentally appropriate, or looking at families and how we can wrap services around them so juveniles can be successfully reintegrated into the community," Carrion said.

She said the state has already embarked on a number of reform initiatives, including adding more mental health staff and educational programs.

"We are trying on all fronts ... this is going to take time, and more thinking and resources. We welcome everybody's help," said Carrion, who oversees a system that operates 44 juvenile facilities, including three dozen residential centers that hold approximately 1,200 juveniles between the ages of 7 and 21. About 15 percent are girls.

In New York, police arrest almost 50,000 juveniles every year. Of those, approximately 15,000 are detained in state facilities before trial while roughly 2,500 end up in state custody after their trials.

The report said 72 percent of those held in the state juvenile justice system were arrested again within three years of their release, and 42 percent were arrested for a violent felony.

"These rates indicate that New York is failing its young people and endangering its communities" and "show that most of those young offenders are not learning to change their ways and far too many are on their way to becoming chronic criminals as adults," the report said.

Although the report said "nothing will make juvenile crime totally disappear," the study looked at reforms taken in other states and made a series of recommendations. If fully implemented, "the reforms New York state is beginning to put in place can eliminate 40 percent of the repeat crimes now committed by juvenile delinquents," the report said.

Among its general recommendations:

_The most serious and troubled juveniles in custody need effective interventions to become productive citizens instead of career criminals.

"Research shows punishment alone will often not be enough ... Sanctions that include strict and effective interventions can direct anti-social and dangerous juveniles onto a different path that will make New York safer."

_Use intensive foster care as an alternative to lockup for less dangerous juveniles.

So-called "Multidimensional Treatment Foster Care" _ foster care with specially trained foster parents _ is becoming more widely used in a number of states, including New York. But there are currently only 50 MTFC beds in New York and hundreds more are needed, the report said.

Research shows the MTFC approach can cut the average number of arrests in half, the report said.

_Combine community sanctions with effective interventions as an alternative to out-of-home placement for many youth.

The report recommended using a "carrot-and-stick approach" for high-risk offenders _ a combination of intensive police supervision, expedited sanctions for repeated violence, community pressure and expedited access to jobs, drug treatment and other services.

_Reduce pretrial detention for low-risk juveniles following arrest.

To help reduce pretrial detention, the report urged better screening, reducing bureaucratic delays, timely warnings and follow-ups, parental supervision, electronic monitoring and evening reporting centers.

_Collect data and increase accountability.

The report said that research-based approaches for cutting juvenile aggression and substance abuse problems could reduce current custody costs and future crime by between $15,000 to $75,000 per delinquent.
http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/newyork/ny-bc-ny--juvenilejustice1101
nov01,0,2037588.story
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