"Juvenile Justice January 24, 2007 Co-sponsored by the Texas Public Policy Foundation Register today at: |
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Approximately 50,000 juveniles are placed in detention facilities every year, and these placements cost Texas taxpayers over $96 million dollars. Some 4,800 of these youngsters are then incarcerated at the Texas Youth Commission at a per person cost of $55,932 per year, resulting in a total cost of over half a billion dollars per biennium. While violent juveniles need to be secured to protect public safety, many of these youngsters are nonviolent drug and property offenders. Missouri has received national acclaim for shifting its focus from incarceration to community-based programs for juvenile offenders, resulting in less recidivism and lower costs. This primer will examine the lessons learned from Missouri and other jurisdictions and highlight bills filed in the 80 th Legislature that would make similar reforms in Texas. Join the panel of experts:
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