Kids aren’t miniature adults. We don’t expect our little leaguers to play baseball as well as Major Leaguers. We don’t expect a third grader to read or solve math problems as well as a high schooler. So why would we expect a young child who has engaged in bad behavior…...
YJAM series: Choosing not to Prosecute Children
In elementary school, children are still learning to use the dictionary, parse words and stories for meaning, and multiply and divide fractions. They have barely begun to explore American history and civics, much less crime, punishment, and legal rights and consequences. However, Nebraska has no minimum age for charging children…...
YJAM Series: Making our Schools Safer for All Kids
Excellent schools are the foundation of a prosperous society where all people can succeed. A public school system that functions effectively for every child has the power to break the cycle of inter-generational poverty and open worlds of opportunity for all kids. Education can mean the difference between employability and…...
Screening for Risk: the Good, the Bad, and the Unknown in Nebraska’s RAI
A couple weeks ago, we posted an introduction to the Risk Assessment Instrument (RAI) used by probation officers to make detention determinations. We were left with a question: does the RAI accurately predict risk to miss court or reoffend before the first court appearance, in a way that will help…...
Data Snapshot: Nebraska’s Youth Rehabilitation and Treatment Centers
Nationwide, states are reexamining their use of youth prisons to “treat” juvenile offenders. A mounting body of evidence shows that correctional models are costly and ineffective at best, and dangerous at worst, when it comes to reducing recidivism and producing positive outcomes for juveniles.[1] Nebraska operates two large-scale “deep end”…...
Keeping Nebraska’s Kids in Family Homes
Yesterday, Voices for Children hosted a lunch and learn event at the State Capitol highlighting the Annie E. Casey report “Every Kid Needs a Family.” Panelists discussed the report and recommendations, and highlighted efforts already underway in Nebraska to keep at-risk children in the environment where they are best supported…...