A new report from Council of State Governments Justice Center examines the degree to which states track recidivism data for youth in the juvenile justice system and how they use that information to shape policy and budget priorities.
In “Measuring and Using Juvenile Recidivism Data to Inform Policy, Practice, and Resource Allocation,” a partnership of the Council of State Governments Justice Center, the Pew Charitable Trusts’ Public Safety Performance Project and the Council of Juvenile Correctional Administrators surveyed administrators from juvenile correctional agencies across all 50 states.
According to the results of the survey, 20 percent of the agencies do not track recidivism rates for youth, and for the states that do collect recidivism-related data, most do not collect detailed data on recidivism, such as whether youths were later incarcerated in adult justice systems.
The report concludes with a series of five recommendations for assisting states improve their approach to the use of juvenile justice-related data and a discussion of how these recommendations can lead to changes in policy and practice.
To read the report, click here.