Money can drive decisions. Last week, the Juvenile Code Task Force heard from two states about how they've shifted money to remove the unintended financial incentives of youth being sent to state-run detention facilities. While the logistics in our state will be different, Kentucky could also benefit from creating financial incentives for serving youth in their communities instead of locking them up. Ohio created the program RECLAIM Ohio because they knew research supported keeping youth [...]

Adolescents that move between the child welfare and juvenile justice systems, or are known to both concurrently are referred to as crossover youth. Crossover youth often enter the juvenile justice system at younger ages than other youth, have been traumatized by maltreatment, have higher rates of detention and incarceration than other youth charged with similar offenses, and frequently experience academic failure and homelessness. This recognition has lead to a greater understanding of the complex and [...]