Pervasive Problems in the Current System
The call for systems change in juvenile justice is a response to serious and pervasive problems within the existing system, including the following:
- Moderately to severely crowded juvenile detention and corrections
facilities.
- Insufficient services for youth who have significant emotional and
educational needs, warning signs for potential future delinquency.
- Overrepresentation of minority youth at most of the major decision
points in the juvenile justice process, stemming from complex cultural,
societal, and system factors.
- Excessive reliance on incarceration (because inadequate resources
have been allocated to the development of effective community-based
services).
- High recidivism because of inadequate probation and community reentry
or aftercare services.
- Longer periods of incarceration for females convicted of less serious
offenses than males.
- Case-processing delays that place delinquents at risk and cause overuse
of costly detention facilities.
- Overburdened judges, prosecutors, and probation officers.
- High caseloads for public defenders.
| Previous | Contents | Next |
 |
|
| System Change Through State Challenge Activities: Approaches and Products | |