Starting next month, New Jersey police and prosecutors should consider using any of a number of methods to avoid placing a juvenile offender in detention under a directive issued Thursday by the state attorney general.
The goal of the new order from Gurbir Grewal, which takes effect Jan. 11, is to minimize the number of youth behind bars, a longtime goal of youth and social justice advocates. New Jersey’s adoption of the Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative (JDAI) in 2004 led to an 80% decrease in the number of young people in detention centers. Still, according to the latest JDAI report, 2,317 youth were admitted to detention in 2019, a nearly 3% increase over the prior year.
To further reduce that number, Grewal is advising law enforcement to divert juveniles from the justice system or away from secure detention facilities whenever possible while still considering public safety. Young people who commit violent crimes may still need to be detained but low-level offenders may benefit more from alternatives.
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