For years, many juvenile offenders in New York City had been exiled to upstate facilities — hundreds of miles from families, schools and communities.
This continued despite mounting evidence that keeping such youth closer to home improves the odds of reducing recidivism, continuing their progress in school through their local school systems and helping them successfully re-enter the community.
Now, a report by the Research and Evaluation Center at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York City shows promising early results of a city-state program called “Close to Home.”
The report found that the program, which began in 2012, has helped youths maintain closer ties with families, schools and communities — all viewed as vital to successful rehabilitation. It has drawn strong support from state and city officials as well as juvenile justice experts and advocates.
[For more of this story, written by Gary Gately, go to http://jjie.org/report-touts-b...lose-to-home/108571/]
Comments (0)