It is sometimes less expensive for local governments to send juvenile offenders to state institutions than it is for communities to develop services to treat youth close to home, according to a report by the Justice Policy Institute, a member of the Foundation’s Models for Change initiative to reform juvenile justice across the nation. Because of the financial architecture of the system, some youth are locked away simply because there are no options to rehabilitate them locally. According to the report, Illinois and Pennsylvania, two of the Models for Change states, have created incentives to reduce reliance on incarceration and institute sanctions and services in the community.
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