South Dakota To Revamp Juvenile Justice System To Reduce Residential Placements By 64% By 2020

South Dakota is planning to revamp the state’s Juvenile Justice System to reduce its reliance on residential placements by 64% and to reduce the probation population by 29% by 2020. The state seeks to reduce new juvenile out-of-home placements from 336 in 2014 to 113 by 2020 by implementing a series of policy recommendations to reserve out-of-home placement for youth who pose a public safety risk. The  policy changes will involve creating community-based alternatives, diversion programs for low-risk youth with no prior adjudications, and establishing clear guidelines for probation term lengths.

Additional details . . .