community alternatives

Detention risk assessments are hardly a sexy subject. But in the juvenile justice system, they are in fact a moral declaration of fairness. It is a reflection of a system thinking about what factors contribute to a risky enough situation that detaining a youth before trial is necessary.

Note: This story was updated on March 11 This winter, an intriguing development in national juvenile justice advocacy was made known in Harrisburg, Penn. The board of Youth Advocate Program (YAP), a national provider of alternatives to incarceration since 1976, officially launched its Policy & Advocacy Center, a top-down shop that will be headquartered in Washington, D.C.