FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
CONTACT: Greg Sattizahn
PIERRE, S.D. – The Juvenile Justice Public Safety Improvement Act (JJPSIA) Oversight Council has released its third annual report. The Oversight Council is the statutorily authorized entity to monitor the juvenile justice reforms and propose necessary legislation related to juvenile justice.
The reforms focused on increasing public safety by improving outcomes of youth and families, holding juveniles accountable, and reducing costs by investing in community-based practices.
Highlights from the report include:
- The number of juvenile felony petitions decreased between FY 17 and FY 18;
- 95 percent of juveniles placed on probation completed probation;
- More juveniles are accessing community-based services;
- New commitments to DOC decreased 63 percent between FY 14 and FY 18.
- Nearly 89 percent of youth discharged from DOC did not return to custody.
Text of the report is available here.