Corrections_Today_September_October_2019_Vol.81_No.5

nEWS & vIEWS

Juvenile Justice News

Changing the face and culture of juvenile justice Making the shift towards treatment and rehabilitation By Ines Nieves, Joseph Tomassone, Ph.D., Sharon Harrigfeld and Mike Dempsey

and the developmental approach involving not only the offender, but also the family, victim(s) and their community. Research into the neuroscience of human development has provided a clearer understanding of the adolescent brain and has led to improved programming for justice- involved youth. 2 Research has also informed evidence-based programs and practices as well as the use of data-based tools, and an understand- ing of the effects of trauma has correspondingly helped guide decision-making and improve outcomes. Although these advances have been promising, challenges re- main in changing individual system cultures from a correctional model to a more therapeutic model. Change can be frightening and difficult for everyone in a well-established system. However, enthusiastic and data-driven leaders and reformers must be mindful of frontline staff as transformation occurs. Many of the same principles used to facili- tate change in youth can be applied to staff when system reforms are

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O ver the past two decades, there has been an enlight- ened call for national juvenile justice reform. For many states, juvenile justice system trans- formation has been both promising and challenging. The accumulated research and knowledge in the juve- nile justice field have strengthened the transformation from systems

based on correctional models to those focused on treatment and rehabilitation. In 1988, the Balanced Approach Model was introduced, providing guidelines to hold youth account- able for their actions, build their competencies and strengths and keep communities safe. 1 This model aligns itself with adolescent brain research

14 — September/October 2019 Corrections Today