Juvenile Supervison Center

About the Program

Category: Criminal Justice and Public Safety (Best in Category)

Year: 2009

The Juvenile Supervision Center uses best practices work with low-level youth offenders to prevent their future interaction with the juvenile justice system. Juveniles who are picked up in Minneapolis and first ring suburbs for low-level offenses are taken directly to the Center, where they are assessed for juvenile delinquency risk factors, reconnected with their families, and, when appropriate, connected to community agencies and other government resources to help resolve the situation that led to their first offense. Juvenile Supervision Center services are available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. By providing wrap-around services, JSC hopes to get young people back on the right track. This is a major change from the old model, which did not involve families, assess youth for needs, or connect them to services. Under the old model, youth were simply help until a responsible adult showed up or law enforcement personnel could transport them home. Besides offering law enforcement a single-drop-off point for the estimated 4,000 youth who will commit low level crimes in Hennepin County each year, the Juvenile Supervision Center consistently collects data and monitors outcomes.