Achieving Juvenile Justice Reforms Through Decision-Making Structures: The Case of Georgia

OJJDP Journal of Juvenile Justice, Volume 6, Issue 1, Spring 2017

In 2013, the state of Georgia passed revisions to its juvenile code. These revisions committed Georgia to juvenile justice reform. Particular emphasis was placed on incentivizing evidence based practices and on supporting valid and reliable decision-making. A key component was the development and implementation of evidence-based decision-support tools. The Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice partnered with the National Council on Crime and Delinquency (NCCD) to develop and implement a set of decision-making supports. The newly implemented assessments that resulted from this process help judges determine the risk levels of youth, help inform court decisions regarding the best dispositional options for youth, help the courts place youth in the least restrictive environments necessary to ensure public safety, and inform service planning. The current analysis considers whether these practice and policy changes have led to changes in outcomes. Three decision points are considered: detentions, adjudications, and dispositions to out-of-home placements. The qualitative and quantitative evidence presented suggests that detentions, adjudications, and dispositions to out-of-home placements have decreased, and that there has been no upward change in the number of referrals from law enforcement, despite the increased numbers of youth in the community.