Reports Show Strong Willingness to Pay for Rehabilitation for Juvenile Offenders

Two new reports released at the Second Annual Models for Change National Working Conference show strong public backing for the rehabilitation of youthful offenders and a greater willingness of taxpayers to pay for rehabilitative programs than for the incarceration of offenders in jail.

Polling data collected for the Center for Children’s Law and Policy (CCLP) show that more than 70 percent of the public agree that incarcerating youthful offenders without rehabilitation is the same as giving up on them. CCLP reported that 9 out of 10 people surveyed believe that “almost all youth who commit crimes have the potential to change.”

Separate research conducted by the MacArthur Foundation Research Network on Adolescent Development and Juvenile Justice (ADJJ) found that when given the choice, the public is more willing to pay for juvenile rehabilitation than incarceration.

View the CCLP Report

View the ADJJ Report

Both reports indicate strong public support for rolling back the punitive juvenile measures adopted over the past 15 years.