WAMU 88.5 : Morning Edition

Filed Under:

Va. Group Pushes For Less Juvenile Incarceration

Play associated audio

 

In the past four years, 18 states across the country have closed more than 50 juvenile correction facilities, and many in the field of juvenile justice say that's not a bad thing.

Kate Duvall works with Just Children -- a branch of Virginia's Legal Aid Justice Center -- and she says bureaucrats in Virginia are still recommending investment in more beds at the state's six juvenile correctional facilities. Duvall says that's a bad move, citing a report released today by the Annie E. Casey foundation entitled "No Place for Kids: The Case for Reducing Juvenile Incarceration."

"What this report says is that this kind of focus on incarceration is really a waste of taxpayer money, and is really ineffective," says Duvall.

The report shows the average cost to states for incarcerating just one juvenile offender is $88,000 per year. Nearly 75 percent of those incarcerated, according to the report, will commit other crimes soon after their release. Duvall says it's no different in Virginia.

"Those youth released in 2006 in Virginia, after three years, 70 percent of them had been convicted of another crime," she says. Despite those numbers, states continue to spend the bulk of their budgets on incarceration, even with mounting evidence that in-home or community based treatments can deliver better results for less money.

WAMU 88.5

Celebrate Hawaii At The Smithsonian This Weekend

Hawaii is thousands of miles from D.C., but this weekend you'll be to celebrate island arts and culture at the Smithsonian.

NPR

A Seat At The Table With The 'Queen Of Creole Cuisine'

Leah Chase's restaurant in New Orleans has served the likes of Thurgood Marshall, Sarah Vaughn and Duke Ellington. Now the legendary chef has earned the Ella Brennan Lifetime Achievement in Hospitality Award. Host Michel Martin speaks with Chase about her latest accomplishment.
NPR

Why Former Gitmo Chief Left In Protest

President Obama is once again calling for the prison at Guantanamo Bay to be shut down, even though new polls suggest most Americans want it to stay open. But the chorus of critics has gained one surprising member: former Guantanamo Chief Prosecutor Morris Davis. Host Michel Martin talks with Davis about why he now feels the facility should be closed.
NPR

Viewers To Decide If Amazon's Sample Shows Make The Cut

Amazon is piloting 14 possible shows for its streaming video service. The audience will vote on which shows it likes best. TV critic Eric Deggans says the process and the shows would like to be breaking ground for a new media — but they aren't.

Leave a Comment

Help keep the conversation civil. Please refer to our Terms of Use and Code of Conduct before posting your comments.