Explain why the number of incarcerated youth has decreased in recent years and why states are ...

Answers will vary but should identify the various reasons given for the decline in the number of incarcerated juveniles, including a lower youth crime rate, court intervention, increased public support for alternatives, budget cuts, and strategies focusing on community placement. States are focusing on reducing the number of incarcerated youth because institutions are the most expensive and least successful method of handling juvenile offenders. Research suggests that juveniles in more restrictive placements tend to have significantly higher rates of recidivism than those who are handled in the community.