Las Animas - Bent County Library District

Young people incarcerated in Colorado are in crisis. Violence in Colorado's Division of Youth Corrections facilities has risen dramatically in recent years, leaving youth and staff feeling unsafe and afraid. Colorado's youth correctional facilities have higher rates of fights and assaults than other states, and youth and staff are commonly injured during these incidents. In this chaotic and violent environment, children cannot thrive.

Research shows that emerging adults share many of the same characteristics of their younger peers, with "risk-taking" being a hallmark. But during this distinct developmental period, youth are particularly malleable and responsive to positive relationships and experiences. The vast majority of emerging adults will mature and desist from crime, irrespective of the level of the offense. This report focuses on ways that YOS can support this maturation...

In 2013, the Colorado legislature established four restorative justice (RJ) juvenile diversion pilot programs, in part to assess the efficacy of restorative justice to reduce cost. This is a preliminary study of operational costs saved from moving juveniles through the RJ pilots versus the pre-pilot status quo, which varied by judicial district. This report presents an analysis of the RJ pilot cost and an initial investigation into the juvenile justice...

"The Colorado Department of Corrections (CDOC) made formal request to the National Institute of Corrections (NIC), U.S. Department of Justice, to have an external review of its offender classification system and its administrative segregation policies and practices."--P. 2.