Corrections_Today_Winter_2024-2025_Vol.86_No.4

PUBLIC CORRECTIONAL POLICY ON JUVENILE JUSTICE 1984-3 Introduction: Children and youths have developmental needs that are distinctly different from adults. The juvenile justice continuum consists of prevention, diversion, detention, probation, residential and aftercare programs. Jurisdictions should adopt evidence-based principles to pro mote a developmental approach to keep youth in their communities when possible, and to reduce formal legal involvement. Policy Statement: Juvenile justice systems must provide a continuum of services, programs and facilities that ensure maximum opportunity for rehabili tation and are consistent with community safety. These should place a high priority on providing individualized care and rehabilitative services to juveniles involved in the justice system. A. Implement programming that provide appropriate interventions and services to support prosocial development which is both evidence and research-based, data driven and outcome-focused; B. Establish and maintain effective work ing relationships with justice and service providers in the community in making appropriate decisions in individual juvenile cases; C. Provide a continuum of care that includes non-residential and residential programs and services in the least restrictive man ner, consistent with the needs of juveniles and community safety; Juvenile justice agencies should:

D. Utilize targeted assessments and diagnos tics to address root causes of behavioral difficulties and to evaluate risks. Use the information as the basis of the individualized treatment plan and the implementation of classification system; E. Engage the family in the therapeutic pro cess with youth in the development and implementation of his or her treatment plan; F. Provide separate and effective non-deten tion community alternatives for youth who are considered status offenders; G. Provide a range of non-secure and secure short-term detention options pending adjudication; H. Advocate for the separation of adjudi cated from pre-adjudicated youths in the same housing units; I. Develop a transition plan that includes educational and/or vocational programs for aftercare/reentry and ensure that these reentry services are available and provided when the youth returns from residential placement; J. Establish written policies and community procedures to safeguard the accuracy and use of juvenile records and support limitations on their use according to ap proved national standards, recognizing that the need to safeguard the privacy and rehabilitative goals of the juvenile should be balanced with concern for community safety and victims; K. Develop performance outcome measures from which program effectiveness and system operations can be assessed and adjusted when needed; and

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Winter 2024-2025 | Corrections Today

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