Alternative justice in Pennington County, South Dakota
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March 15, 2012
Pennington County, South Dakota: Earlier this year, Pennington County launched a program in an attempt to reduce the amount of juvenile detention in the county. The Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative focuses on restorative justice and reform. It was founded in 1992 and is currently active in 24 states and the District of Columbia.[1][2]
According to 7th Circuit Court Judge Jeff W. Davis (South Dakota), Juvenile justice in South Dakota has changed very little over the years. In 2011 there were 1,500 juveniles arrested by the Police Department in Rapid City. In addition to arrests there have been 2,000 juvenile charges filed, involving alcohol violations, theft, shoplifting and family/runaway issues.[2]
A time for change
The initiative is sponsored by the Annie E. Casey Foundation and supervised by the South Dakota Council of Juvenile Services. The program's goal is to reduce the number of juvenile detentions and save money in the process. They also hope to cut down on repeat offenders. The JDAI will help with immediately evaluating offenders instead of sending them directly into custody. The strategy hopes to ensure that the right juveniles are held in custody while the others are sent back to their families or guardians. A $50,000 grant from the Annie E. Casey Foundation helped in the construction of a Reception Center at the Rapid City Juvenile Services Center. With the new reception center, juveniles who have not been accused of a felony or weapons offense and who can not be returned to a parent or guardian, will go through assessment at the center.[1][2]
- “We don’t ever want to send the message that we don’t care about protecting the community. There still needs to be accountability and there needs to be consequences - but do they have to be held at JSC (detention center) to be effective?”[2] - Roxie Erickson, a Pennington County deputy states attorney
Alternative justice in your state
If you know of an organization or group in your state involved with restorative justice let us know!
- Contact: editor@ballotpedia.org
See also
External links
Footnotes
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