A state-by-state look at juvenile justice cuts

December 27, 2008 at 12:00a.m.

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With BC-Meltdown-Juvenile Justice

By The Associated Press

A look at how some states are handling juvenile justice programs:

California: Cuts are limited by a court order.

Connecticut: Delayed opening a small group home and spending $1.2 million to hire 50 juvenile probation officers, five judges and other support staff.

Kentucky: Nixed a boot camp-style program developed by the National Guard.

Florida: Cut three privately run programs for youth as well as department travel and hiring and did not replace employees who left.

Hawaii, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, Wisconsin: No cuts.

Nevada: Closing two vacant cottages for youths at state reformatories.

New Hampshire: Not filling some staff positions.

New York: Has proposed closing six youth facilities and consolidating and downsizing others that aren’t being fully used to save $12 million in 2009-10 and $14 million in 2010-11. The population of jailed juveniles has declined as the state moves toward a more community-based approach.

North Carolina: Cutting nearly $5 million, including the budget of a program that trains and matches mentors with youth already in the state’s juvenile system.

Ohio: Cut $1.7 million from central office budget through attrition, early retirements, and cuts to travel and supplies.

Oregon: Delayed plans to add hundreds of beds to some facilities.

Pennsylvania: Won’t release money for counties to hire juvenile probation officers unless economy improves.

South Carolina: Cut more than $23 million, or a fifth of the Department of Juvenile Justice budget, since June. Closed all five group homes, eliminated intensive youth reform and after-school programs in detention facilities, and got rid of a program that paid for at-risk children to have jobs.

Tennessee: Cut grants for juvenile programs by $1.7 million, or 26 percent, which affects after-school programs, truancy prevention and child and family interventions. More cuts expected.

Utah: Closed a rural receiving center, a transition program for female juvenile delinquents and a 10-bed correctional facility.

Virginia: Cut $16.9 million from the juvenile justice system to help deal with a nearly $3 billion shortfall. State Department of Juvenile Justice has cut staff and closed wilderness camps and other alternative facilities and programs. Juveniles will return to traditional juvenile correction institutions.