For the Kids or for the Bottom Line?: A Case Study of the Proposed Closing the Department of Juvenile Corrections in Arizona

The purpose of this study is to examine the process of closure of the Arizona Department of Juvenile Corrections which is scheduled for elimination in July of 2011, and the impact of this elimination on the juvenile offenders currently under state jurisdiction in Arizona. Using a combination of case study and outcome approaches including document reviews, interviews, focus groups, and data analysis, this one year study will seek to understand the processes that led to the decision to eliminate the agency, the responses of local jurisdictions assuming custody and supervision of state youth, youth outcomes, organizational changes, and the legal issues involved in transfer of custody from the state to counties.
ca/ncf