aecf-NoPlaceForKidsFullReport-2011

PRIORITY6.Use Data to Hold Systems AccountableStrong data collection must be a central pillar of efforts to reform juvenile correctionssystems and to reduce overreliance on incarceration and residential placement.Insufficient data collection and outcomesaccountability is one of the pivotal weaknesses inAmerica’s juvenile justice systems, and a crucialfactor behind the continued prevalence of incarcerationand other counterproductive practices.Carefully Measure Recidivism. Given the highprice of secure confinement and the heavy coststo youth in liberty denied and opportunitylost, rigorous recidivism data are essential. Yet,serious gaps remain in states’ efforts to collectand report recidivism results: 12 states still donot track recidivism outcomes of youth releasedfrom juvenile facilities statewide in any fashion;six states track only the share of youth whoreturn to juvenile custody; and another eightmeasure youths’ success only for 12 months orless following release. Even among states that dotrack meaningful measures of re-offending intoearly adulthood, outcome measures and methodologiesvary widely—making cross-state comparisonsproblematic. The Council of JuvenileCorrectional Administrators has recommendedthat states adhere to common definitions andmeasures of recidivism. 142 Not included in theCJCA list, but just as important, states shouldcompare the recidivism outcomes of correctionalfacilities and other residential programs versusintensive community-based interventions thatare far cheaper and less restrictive.Track Youths’ Success After Release. While recidivismis important, it should not be the onlystandard used to monitor the effectiveness ofjuvenile corrections systems. These systemsshould also be measured on how well they helpdelinquent youth achieve progress toward successin adulthood. How much academic progress doyouth make while confined in youth facilities orenrolled in court-sanctioned programs? Whatpercentage of previously confined youth reenrollin school and remain to graduation? How manyare placed into jobs, and become steady workers?How much progress do youth make in overcomingbehavioral health problems and reducingsymptoms of mental illness?Examine Racial Disparities. Given the pervasiveand continuing racial disparities at all levels ofour nation’s juvenile justice systems, every stateand every locality should be collecting and disaggregatingdata to identify policies, programs, andpractices that may adversely or unfairly impactyouth based on their race, gender, or ethnicity.Just as important, state and local juvenile justiceleaders need to use those data to analyze theirsystems to pinpoint the hidden factors that maybe perpetuating unjust disparities.Monitor Conditions of Confinement. All youthcorrections institutions should be subject torigorous oversight with maximum transparencyto detect physical abuse, sexual abuse,and excessive use of isolation and restraintswhenever and wherever they occur. At a minimum,states should tighten rules and strengthensystems to ensure accurate and timely reportingof all unusual incidents, injuries, and deathsthat occur in juvenile facilities. In particular,states and localities should encourage or require36