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Feature Story

Sustained and Deliberate Focus on Girls Realizes Impressive Results in Nevada Following an intentional process to address the inappropriate detention of girls, Washoe County (Reno), Nevada has instituted changes in admissions policies and implemented a host of gender-responsive practices that have contributed to a significant reduction in the number of girls entering detention.

Commitments Plummet as Detention Reform Gets Underway in Alabama Reductions in youth commitments in Alabama are being driven by decreases in four counties employing JDAI reforms, according to an analysis by the Casey Strategic Consulting Group, at the Annie E. Casey Foundation.

Montana Becomes Newest JDAI Site Montana is the most recent state to join the JDAI movement.

Local Reformers Convene at Washington State Conference Over 250 juvenile detention reformers gathered in Pasco, Washington to address two key issues in juvenile justice: disproportionate minority contact with the system, and the need to develop alternatives to juvenile detention.

New Website Provides Blueprint for Workforce Planning Human service agencies seeking guidance and strategies for improving their workforce have a powerful new website that was created with the input and experience of a number of JDAI sites. The new website includes guidelines and case studies for integrating a workforce strategy with an overall strategic plan.

New Jersey Detention Center May Be Closed The number of detainees at the Monmouth County Youth Detention Center in New Jersey has dropped to a historic low and officials have calculated a first-year savings of $2.4 million if it's closed. Read the news article published in the Asbury Park Press.

Oregon Reception Center Becomes a National Model A reception center in Multnomah County, Oregon, home to the JDAI model site, has become a national model for youth who commit minor crimes. Read the news article published in The Oregonian. To read all JDAI-related news >>

Santa Cruz Site Reports Successful Reform The JDAI model site in Santa Cruz County, California has sharply reduced its detention population while concurrently experiencing a reduction in juvenile crime. Between 1996 and 2007, the juvenile hall population has been reduced by 51 percent and juvenile felony arrests are down 36 percent. Santa Cruz has also closed the gap between the representation of Latino youth in the general population and the detention population. In 1997 Latino youth were overrepresented in juvenile hall by 30 percent compared to 5 percent in 2007. Visit the JDAI Help Desk for more about the Santa Cruz, JDAI Model Site, including the reports: Santa Cruz County 2007 DMC Report; 2007 Outcomes Report; and the 2007 Latino Population Reductions Compared to ADP

Frank Orlando, JDAI Team Leader, Recognized by Alma Mater The University of Florida News recently showcased the work of alumni Frank Orlando. Having served as a Circuit Court judge for 21 years, Orlando is now the director of the Center for the Study of Youth Policy at Nova Southeastern University Law Center in Fort Lauderdale. In 1992 Orlando received the American Bar Association Livingston Hall Justice Award, an award that recognizes lawyers who have contributed to the field of juvenile justice. In 2000 Orlando was appointed as a Senior Research Fellow at the Dartington Social Research Unit in England, becoming the first American to receive this honor. That same year he served as the director of the International Juvenile Justice Network at Defense for Children International in Geneva, Switzerland.

Native American Youth Face Bias Despite being equally likely to be arrested, Native American youth face a greater chance than white youth of being placed out-of-home or having their cases sent to adult court, according to a report issued by the National Council on Crime and Delinquency. NCCD found that following arrest, the proportion of Native Americans at every stage of the juvenile justice process exceeds their proportion of the general population. While Native Americans are 1.4 percent of the youth population aged 10 to 17, and 1.3 percent of youth arrested, they made up 2.1 percent of youth waived to adult court and 2.3 percent of youth sent to residential placement. Download the report