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| Fewer youths in state custody |
| By aberdeennews.com - BOB MERCER |
| Published: 09/15/2011 |
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PIERRE SD - The numbers of teenagers under jurisdiction of the state Department of Corrections steadily fell during the past decade in South Dakota and dropped below 800 in the past year. The reasons are many, according to members of the state's Council on Juvenile Services. The positive trend is parallel to a stream of changes made since 2003, as South Dakota came into compliance with national standards for treatment of youths who ran afoul of the laws. Actions by leaders in communities, county governments the state department, the state court system, tribal governments, providers of youth services and non-profit organizations contributed to the gradual reduction. The average daily population of youths in DOC jurisdiction was 1,141 during the 2000 fiscal year. By the end of the 2011 fiscal year on June 30, the average count was down to 790. The recidivism rate for youths who re-enter the system within one year bounced up and down between a high of 46.2 percent in 2005 and a low of 38.8 percent in 2008, then fell sharply in 2009 to 29.2 percent. More current numbers aren't available yet. All of this was greeted as good news by members of the state council during presentations from DOC staff Tuesday and Wednesday. Hard work and collaboration have been two keys to the improvements, according to Doug Herrman, DOC's director for juvenile programs. “We have made significant progress and been able to bring these numbers down,” he said. Then-Gov. Mike Rounds created the juvenile council in 2003 in the wake of South Dakota's flawed and troubled experiment in boot camps for youths during the preceding Janklow administration. The council members, who come from a variety of legal and correctional occupations throughout South Dakota, serve as a guiding board of directors who help steer the direction of juvenile services through studies, policies, funding decisions and compliance. Last year marked the first time South Dakota reported zero violations regarding compliance with federal regulations regarding placement of youth offenders. One general change has seen more emphasis on dealing with young people where they live rather than at a state institution. The STAR Academy south of Custer closed one unit this year because the space wasn't needed. All of DOC's 30-plus juvenile corrections officers and their supervisors received training starting in July 2010 through a program developed at the University of Cincinnati on effective practices in community settings. Read More. |
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