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| Wyoming jails fewer youths |
| By trib.com |
| Published: 02/02/2010 |
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By JOSHUA WOLFSON - Star-Tribune staff writer | Posted: Tuesday, February 2, 2010 12:00 am The number of Wyoming youths in jails and juvenile detention facilities dropped by nearly 20 percent between 2006 and 2008, a new report shows. The state also detained fewer children for juvenile-specific offenses, such as possessing alcohol or violating curfew. Both trends suggest Wyoming counties are relying less on secure detention and more on alternative programs to deal with young offenders, according to the report, "The State of Juvenile Detention in Wyoming." Volunteers of America Wyoming and Montana, a nonprofit group that distributes federal juvenile justice grant money, produced the report. It concluded Wyoming had dramatically improved the services it offers to children in the juvenile justice system, but still doesn't comply with national guidelines. "Our numbers show us most counties are making improvements," said Craig Fisgus, project director for Volunteers of America. In 2006, Wyoming held roughly 2,600 youths in juvenile detention centers, adults jails and the Wyoming Boys School, figures show. Over the next two years, the number of juveniles in secure detention dropped to under 2,100. A dip in juvenile arrests was too small to account for the change, Fisgus said. Instead, he believes county officials are now more aware of the benefits of alternative programs including group homes and electronic monitoring systems. Read More. |
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