Realignment is the process of diverting offenders from state facilities and shifting interventions to community-based programs, often under the direct or indirect management of local government. Over the past two decades, youth justice realignment has attracted growing attention in New York and elsewhere due to crowded facilities, strained budgets, and the persistent failure of the justice system to reduce recidivism. The concept of realignment, however, is much older than 20 years.
The Research and Evaluation Center at John Jay College of Criminal Justice is assessing the state of the art in justice realignment. Researchers are reviewing the literature on realignment and other related initiatives and compiling the results into a report on the best approaches to practice and policy. Results from the project will be published by John Jay College and presented at future meetings and conferences.
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Project Staff
Jeffrey Butts,PI
Douglas Evans
Funding
$30,000. New York Community Trust.
Roderick Jenkins, Program Officer
Products
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Evans, Douglas N. and Jeffrey A. Butts (2012). International Systems of Juvenile Youth Justice. New York, NY: Research and Evaluation Center, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, City University of New York. <Under construction, September 2012>
This website presents information about international variations in the policies and practices of juvenile justice (or youth justice) systems, especially those pertaining to the use of secure confinement for youthful offenders. Juvenile justice systems are made up of law enforcement agencies, courts, residential institutions, social welfare organizations, and community-based providers. Systems vary from country to country. In fact, not all countries even have juvenile justice systems. In those that do, there can be significant variations in legal philosophies, policy strategies and organizational structures. |
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Evans, Douglas N. (2012). Pioneers of Youth Justice Reform: Achieving System Change Using Resolution, Reinvestment, and Realignment Strategies. New York, NY: Research and Evaluation Center, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, City University of New York.
This report describes the history and implementation of the most well-known reform initiatives that draw upon one or more of these mechanisms to achieve system change: resolution, reinvestment, and realignment. The author considers the impact of the initiatives on juvenile confinement policy and practice at the state and local level. |
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Butts, Jeffrey A. and Douglas N. Evans (2011). Resolution, Reinvestment, and Realignment: Three Strategies for Changing Juvenile Justice. New York, NY: Research and Evaluation Center, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, City University of New York.
In recent decades, legislators and administrators have created innovative policies to reduce the demand for expensive state confinement and to supervise as many young offenders as possible in their own communities. This report reviews the history and development of these strategies and portrays their methods as following one of three models: resolution, reinvestment, and realignment. |
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