According to a Social Policy Report by Society for Research in Child Development in 2011, more than 1 million American youth end up in juvenile court every year. About 160,000 of them are referred to residential placements, including detention centers, residential treatment centers, correctional institutions and group homes.
The research reveals that those settings sometimes inflict more harm, causing recidivism, suicide thoughts, depression and acting - out behaviors among young people. Recognizing this issue, the Annie E. Casey Foundation started the Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative (JDAI) in 1992.
JDAI Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative established in 1992 by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, is fashioned to address the effectiveness and efficiency of juvenile detention all over the United States. Today, it has spread to around 300 localities and 39 states and the Columbia District.
"The work of JDAI was to argue, wait a minute, do we need to expand the footprint [of detention centers] or should we scrutinize why kids were being locked up in the first place?" says Nate Balis, director of Casey Foundation's Juvenile Justice Strategies Group.
According to a report shared in Annie E. Casey Foundation, as of 2013, 56 sites has reduced bed capacity in their detention facilities since entering JDAI. Together, these sites have closed or shattered detention units with a combined total of 2,050 beds. This only means that there are less staff committed to protect detention, less maintenance costs, less meals and much more savings.
"The crux of the matter is that these youth are intrinsically valuable human beings who have made some incredibly bad choices, and therefore they should be treated with dignity and respect while holding them accountable for those choices," says Jane King, former director of Juvenile Probation in Radall County.
The young people in the detention should be given priority rehabilitation and restoration because they still deserve a second chance. At their very young age, they can receive nurturing and love that they will use to draw a better future. How can they achieve this if the detention centers are inadequate?
