i agree ! On Dec 29, 11:17 am, wncs <[email protected]> wrote: > I would rather see an overhaul of the juvenile justice system > completely. 22% of non-repeat-offenders sounds very low compared to > what I hear about from friends and family in that business. Rather > than cut the programs, they need to seriously look at making it more > efficient and worthwhile, at least here in NC. > > On Dec 29, 9:10 am, "mike [never forget] 532" > > > > <[email protected]> wrote: > > Cash-Strapped States Cut Juvenile Justice Programs > >http://www.truthout.org/122808E > > Columbia, South Carolina - State budget cuts are forcing some of the > > nation's youngest criminals out of counseling programs and group > > homes > > and into juvenile prisons in what critics contend is a shortsighted > > move that will eventually lead to more crime and higher costs. > > > Tennessee, South Carolina, Kentucky and Virginia are among states > > that have slashed juvenile justice spending - in some cases more than > > 20 percent - because of slumping tax collections. Youth advocates say > > they expect the recession will bring more cuts next year in other > > states, hitting programs that try to rehabilitate children rather > > than > > simply locking them up. > > > "If you raise a child in prison, you're going to raise a > > convict," > > said South Carolina Juvenile Justice Director Bill Byars, credited > > with turning around a system once better known for warehousing > > children than counseling them and teaching them life skills. > > > Now, he's been asked to draw up plans to trim an additional 15 > > percent from a juvenile justice budget already cut $23 million, or 20 > > percent, since June as part of the state's effort to pare $1 billion > > from its $7 billion budget. > > > All five of the system's group homes - which generally house > > less- > > violent offenders and give them more individual attention - have been > > shuttered. Also gone are some intensive youth reform and after-school > > programs in detention facilities. > > > The story is similar in other states. Kentucky is nixing a boot > > camp-style program developed by the National Guard. Virginia is > > losing > > behavioral services staff and a facility that prepares children to go > > home after serving time, along with smaller camps and community > > programs. Juveniles in those programs will return to traditional > > correctional facilities. > > > "It's not like we're going to say, 'OK, let's close a juvenile > > detention center,' or something like that," said Gordon Hickey, > > spokesman for Virginia Gov. Timothy M. Kaine. "We have to reduce > > spending across the state, and the governor looked at suggestions and > > recommendations from all departments. He certainly realizes that all > > of these reductions have consequences. The idea is to limit the > > damage > > as much as possible." > > > Among the programs being cut in South Carolina is one that Lex > > Wilbanks, an 18-year-old arrested four years ago on drug and gun > > charges, credits with giving him back his future. > > > Before moving to the program run by Florida-based nonprofit > > Associated Marine Institute, which provides intensive counseling and > > wilderness camps in several states, Wilbanks spent four months in a > > regular juvenile detention center. > > > "When you did something wrong or you fight or you disrespect > > staff, they just throw you into lockdown," Wilbanks said. "They just > > throw you in and make them fight to survive. You're just making them > > a > > hardened criminal." > > > In South Carolina, only 22 percent of offenders who go through > > the > > institute's program later break the law, less than half the > > recidivism > > rate for juveniles in large state facilities, Byars said. > > > Through the program, Wilbanks worked his way to the top rank in > > Army Junior ROTC and earned a GED and college credits. Acting up > > brought meetings during which counselors "talk you through problems > > and how you can actually change," he said. "It gives you hope." > > > Florida is also axing three Associated Marine Institute programs > > to save $1.7 million, part of an effort to cut 4 percent, or $18 > > million, from the juvenile justice budget. Advocates are bracing for > > additional cuts as legislators go back to the Capitol in January to > > deal with a $2 billion state budget hole. > > > Florida's juvenile justice system "is going to die the death of a > > million 4 percent cuts," said Jacqui Colyer, who leads a state > > juvenile justice advisory group. > > > The picture isn't as bleak everywhere. In New York, where the > > population of jailed juveniles has declined as the state moves toward > > a more community-based approach, Gov. David Patterson has proposed > > closing six youth facilities and consolidating and downsizing others > > that aren't being fully used to save $12 million in 2009-10 and $14 > > million in 2010-11. > > > A court order limits the cuts California can make and Minnesota, > > Massachusetts and Nebraska haven't made serious cuts to their > > systems. > > Other states, including Connecticut, Oregon, New Hampshire and Utah, > > are making more modest cuts or delaying planned spending. > > > Advocates say they worry most about losing programs, such as > > group > > homes, that take children out of large facilities to give them > > individual attention. > > > Juvenile facilities see an array of major and minor criminals. > > Gun, drug, sex and assault offenders may share sleeping quarters and > > classes with teen pranksters sentenced for disrupting schools or > > destroying property. Terms can last weeks or, in extreme cases, until > > youths become adults and are transferred to adult prisons. > > > Generally, less violent offenders make it to the smaller group > > homes, and experts say social pecking orders are easier to defuse in > > those settings compared to prisons where gangs try to form and fight > > for control. > > > Sheila Bedi, executive director of the Washington-based Justice > > Policy Institute, said housing children can cost as much as $600 per > > child daily. But the expenses can be much higher when children emerge > > hardened from big youth prisons, commit more crimes and end up in > > adult facilities. > > > "The truant comes out learning how to steal a car," Bedi said. > > "You cannot expect a child to come out of that situation with the > > ability to make better life decisions." > > > -------- Hide quoted text - > > - Show quoted text - --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ Thanks for being part of "PoliticalForum" at Google Groups. For options & help see http://groups.google.com/group/PoliticalForum
* Visit our other community at http://www.PoliticalForum.com/ * It's active and moderated. Register and vote in our polls. * Read the latest breaking news, and more. -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
