In 2010, the state of Kentucky had 852 youths in confinement, a rate of 186 per 100,000. While this number may not seem very large, David Keene, a former president of the National Rifle Association, a former chairman of the American Conservative Union and a Right on Crime signatory, appropriately gasped at the cost of $87,000 a year per youth which, using these numbers, equates to $74,124,000 a year. Read Keene's OpEd here. More concerning than just the money is the mounds of data demonstrating that the result of this expense is likely to be increased recidivism and expanding costs.

One and a half million young people are arrested each year in the United States, 89 percent of those are for non-violent crimes.  Many of these young people arrested, even those non-violent offenders, receive custodial or residential sentences.  In other words, they are taken away from their families, schools, friends, and community and placed in a locked facility.

Think about it, in dollars and cents.  Each year, the United States spends $10,500 per child on education. We spend on average, eight times that amount on each youth incarcerated, or approximately $88,000 per child. What does this say about our priorities? Incarceration is more important than education?

I love documentaries. Just ask Netflix. My “Things Diane Might Like” section routinely populates with new ones. In the past six months, I’ve watched two outstanding, thought-provoking, and emotional documentaries. Blackfish about the death of Seaworld Trainer, Dawn Brancheau and the negative effects of keeping killer whales in captivity. And, Kids for Cash about a scandal in Luzerne County, PA where Judge Mark Chiavarella and Judge Michael Conahan received payments for placing young people in a privatized juvenile detention facility. 

Like Blackfish, Kids for Cash outlines the negative impact of placing young people outside of their families and natural ecologies. While I see parallels between these two documentaries, I also see a striking difference in the general response to the films.

In tight economic times, many states and agencies are forced to examine their budgets and prioritize funding in ways that maximize the effect of each dollar. Others seek reform after concluding that years of service and millions of dollars have not achieved the desired outcomes. Regardless of their path to reform, states and counties across the country are beginning to examine services offered through their juvenile justice systems, and those examinations are increasingly leading to the conclusion that incarceration of juveniles is not cost effective – or effective at all.

Hello, world. Here at Leicester MST we wanted everyone to know about our first year in service as an MST team, whilst having constant attention from the world media (well not us exactly).

We all have stories from our own school experiences. Teachers we liked, others we disliked.  Someone who we will remember always. Bullies. Best friends forever.  Times when we made mistakes we regretted - whether caught or not. Things we appreciated, others we wished were different. But, one thing has surely changed - that is how our schools respond to discipline issues. Way back in my day misbehavior led to a dreaded trip to the principal's office, or detention, or worse, our parents were called. But today it can lead to a criminal record. Sure, some behaviors have changed with the times, but kids have not at the most basic level. They still want to be accepted by friends, and to feel competent.  

Once again it’s that time of year – October’s MST Network Partner Conference (NPC). My how time flies! It seems like only last week that the last conference brought 100 of MST’s leaders from around the world to compare notes and network with one another.