While institutionalizing juvenile delinquents is no longer fashionable, questioning the use of Nebraska’s Youth Rehabilitation and Treatment Centers (YRTCs) is more than just concern over keeping up with current trends.
A Voices for Children issue brief, published in January 2012, explored some of the problems with Nebraska’s method of institutionalizing young offenders – at YRTC-Kearney for males and at YRTC-Geneva for girls. Among the arguments made were that the YRTCs are financially inefficient, are serving the wrong kids, and don’t adequately provide for youth needs.
The interactive graphic below will give you a chance to explore the second point: the youth who are being served. Click around to get a sense of the offenses committed by youth held at Kearney, Geneva, and both facilities combined.
Do you think that YRTCs are the right answer for the offenses committed? Share your thoughts in the comments.
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