Maybe just by way of background. This is really a national study. And one of the things that were trying to assess is whether or not there are fewer kids going through publicly operated juvenile detention centers and juvenile correctional institutions in the United States today than there were 10 or 15 years ago. One of the reasons that we're interested in looking at that question, is that for those of you who are familiar with with the issues? This will be a bit redundant but for those of you who are not I think it's worth a moment just to share with you. What was behind this whole deinstitutionalization movement. Back in the late sixties and early seventies about 40 to 50% depending upon what part of the country you happen to live in of all the kids were going to juvenile detention centers and public. We operate a juvenile correctional institutions. We're not delinquent youth. These were kids who are either dependent neglected youth in some cases or in some cases of so-called status offenders. These were kids who were runaways truants incorrigible kids. They call them the number of states Andrew Lees in Ohio. Basically, these were sort of nuisance type kids were having problems getting along with her parents all kinds of labels for them in these kids. Not only were spending made up about 40 to 50% of the volume in admissions to those facilities, but also they were spending a longer time in those facilities and kids would committed crimes even the more serious crimes. In Washington state which was my home state at the time that the deinstitutionalization movement was. Well underway. Non delinquent Youth of the so-called status offenders were spending a longer. Of time and the state operator juvenile correctional facilities and First Time Felon commitment to the state prison system and Washington state is a state that really cares. No less about a children. I think than any other place and this was really not unusual Not Unusual practice at the time. It was a tremendous movement to get those kids out of those facilities try to help keep kids and families together to try to strengthen the family unit wherever that was possible and to minimize the use of Correctional institutions only for those kids who really need to be held in her secure custody care. And so that was what was behind that movement some of your familiar with the Senate subcommittee hearings to investigate juvenile delinquency, which further documented those kinds of problems and ultimately that led to the Juvenile Justice and delinquency prevention Act of 1974. Since that time they're just about every state United States is ricotta fi their state codes to try to develop options for these kids other than the use of Institutions a billion and a half dollars and federal funds has been spent in probably an equal or larger amount of money and local and State. So we wanted to see really what it happened. And so we're looking into every state in the country were using a universal sample of all publicly operated Juvenile Detention and Correctional Facilities throughout the United States and for a number of different years to the 1970s. I'm Minnesota. We are finding that there really is no National comparable data in a child welfare, the mental health and the chemical dependency systems. Like there is no Juvenile Justice area to find out to answer the question that the Paul Herman raised and that is whether or not if kids have been moved out of the Juvenile Justice area who didn't need to be there have they simply been moved over into other systems? So we selected a Minnesota a sort of a laboratory to find out really whether or not with dr. Lerman was suggesting was accurate. Nationally just briefly what we found is that the volume of admissions to detention centers and publicly operated Correctional institutions has not substantially changed throughout the decade and yet virtually every state is claiming that the non delinquent youth have been removed from those facilities. And this is a curd of the time went by Frank Lee youth crime has declined nationally and also in these populations decline. In terms of the Minnesota issue cuz I said Minnesota sort of being used as a laboratory. And when this opportunity to come here to speak was offered I appreciate this opportunity because that's what began to look at Minnesota what became clear or a set of patterns are there really quite disturbing and it's a very serious and complex set of problems. That we see. And I think to the Citizens League is a right kind of group to hear about these problems. And the promise that I'm going to talk about are generally hidden from public scrutiny. And they're carefully protected by myths and professionalism. They're costly they contribute to not only increase public cost but also increase costs and in health care, generally. The problems that I'll be talking about. Are such that policymakers and Civic leaders are going to need some guidance and encouragement and frankly political support. If some of the kinds of patterns and Transit, I'll be sharing with you can be turned around and they're powerful entrepreneurial and professional vested interest related to the kinds of issues. I'll be discussing. They're going to require some new approaches some new policies some new strategies and some fundamental reform and reformation and reformulation. The timing is right, I think and in large part because of the financial condition of the state. As part of the study rethinking Juvenile Justice, we've had an opportunity to take a peek at the public and private childcare in systems in the state of Minnesota. In general what we found is an overly complex and chaotic set of systems. That are virtually out of control from a policy and fiscal point of view. and a virtual absence of accountability in some cases some very good ideas that have somehow gone bad or gone. Astray. a heavy emphasis on institutional and custodial care and the characteristics of an industry getting behind such a good terms as public protection, which is the Juvenile Justice equivalent to National Security when talking about the defense budget. emotionally disturbed and emotionally handicapped and chemically dependent The system's I'm talking about at the Juvenile Justice System child welfare system the mental health system for children in the chemical dependency system and potentially the residential portions with those. What we found in, Minnesota. Was it no agency? No Organization. No individual knew how large the systems were. No one knew how large any one of the subsystems were. We have been working for 8 months. And we simply could not document all the kids were placed in these systems. both in-state and out-of-state Theoretically these systems have been set up to serve youth with vastly different needs. The Juvenile Justice System theoretically has been set up to serve children. Who committed the serious offenses against persons and those were persistent repeaters? The mental health system has been set up to serve those who have serious and profound mental health problems. We have found however, this is a dramatic blurring of the lines between those systems with the exception of those children whose behaviors after you extreme. It is almost accidental. What's the where they end up in one county in the state? If the young person is brought before the juvenile court and adjudicated for a crime is going to be placed out of their home. There's a very high probability that we sent to a correctional institution. In another County there's a very high probability that the very same youth will be sent to an institution for the emotionally disturbed. There's a virtual incomprehensible network of federal state local public and private health care and other funds that really dictate the provision of services and service strong incentives for financing and favoring costly out of Home Care. There is much evidence, but we have not been able to document it that kids are being bounced from one system to another. In Minnesota, there's a continued heavy Reliance on the use of public juvenile correctional institutions. Despite a declining youth population a moderate to low youth crime rate and one that's generally declining. Vast attempts to be institutionalized in this day. In fact, it was surprising was in Minnesota ranks 10th in the nation in commitments to publicly operated juvenile correctional facilities. I've also heard talk and their current efforts underway. To expand the present fractional system for kids at a time when there's talk of closing schools closing down Park and Recreation departments. and at a time when there's little question that there are other less costly ways to restrict one's Liberty. There is a myth that those were ending up in the correctional institutions are the youth who are in fact the ones who committed the most serious offenses and are persistent repeaters. the evidence that I've seen from the Department of Corrections arrest Daytona juvenile commitment data does not support that not only has there been virtually little growth and talk of expansion of the correctional system. But we were really surprised at the tremendous growth in the private institutional sector. The child welfare system from all evidence. We have has grown. And again, we have certainly not been able to document all the placements back in one County. We literally had to read the minutes of County board meetings to find out how many use were placed. tremendous growth in the number of Youth were placed an inpatient psychiatric programs in private hospitals 1975 the Twin City metropolitan area or 1123 youth admitted to inpatient psychiatric programs in private hospitals account for 46718 patient days. It 1980 or 1775 youth admitted. They accounted for 74201 patient days. And they stay on the average twice as long as adults. in the chemical dependency area the best we were able to come up with we're simply estimates. and the best estimate for the Department of Public Welfare in the study that was done by the citizens League documented somewhere between 3 and 2 as high as 4000 placements and that's just In essence, we have found that a 1980 there were approximately 8,000 placements of children made in these various systems approximately 60% or more were made in placements that are primarily profit-making organizations. And a growing number of voluntary placements placements that are not going through the juvenile court. What are basically made it through a voluntary agreement? There's some Chow for administrators that I have talked to and some juvenile court and Corrections Personnel that I have talked to who have speculated that there's a hidden and second Juvenile justice system in this state. And a represents those youth who are going into the chemical dependency and residential treatment programs in inpatient psychiatric programs. What is particularly disturbing about all this is not only the growth? But the lack of substantial evidence that such programs are all that helpful. Citizens League Of The Landmark study in the area of chemical dependency and I think you know very well what the state-of-the-art is in that area. There are striking similarities in a child welfare area. We did an extensive literature search to take a look at what is the state-of-the-art in terms of our ability to even Define what is emotionally disturbed? So identify when Residential Care is called for. And we were struck by the absence of solid research. We found an estate much evidence of unintended adverse consequences. of the institutionalization policy 1 is increased dependency of the family. Basically the development of child-centered rather than family center policies. removing responsibility from families Avast widening of the net of social control Minnesota has a well-developed network of alternative in diversionary services. Basically, I would have to conclude that these have served as an add-on to the existing system because they virtually have had very little if any impact I'm minimizing those youth we're going into the major systems that I identified. Unbridled judicial and professional discretion and I think that's one of the reasons why the Minnesota Correctional Services is working hard to develop a set of judicial guidelines for sentencing. There is also evidence that minorities are brightly over-represented in public institutions. I guess what all this is said to me. Is that there is enough evidence that it is essential that these public and private childcare and systems be critically examined. We need to look at explore and develop new and more effective policy thrust. We need to restructure and we formulate the delivery of services. Needs to be some major legislative changes. And above all continued public scrutiny. It was a good start and a good beginning in a recent study that was done by the Minneapolis Urban coalition. In the greater Minneapolis Council of churches in developing an alternative budget for Hennepin County one of the major areas that they identified for reduction and funds with a childcare budget. Their number for Fastenal to recognize these problems and need support. And I think that the citizens leave would be in a good position to help provide the kind of support that those two are involved in the field. Really neat I'm thinking for example of Jim apps and Saint Paul to County Human Service director. It was attempting to make some very strong efforts in his agency as soon as a reduction of the number of Auto home placements. A my judgment it's going to take groups like The Citizen League Citizens League and other Civic and public interest groups. To become involved in this kind of issue to make the necessary changes. I would like to strongly encourage you to become involved in these kinds of problems because again, I think that is groups like The Citizens League without the kinds of vested interest that professional groups. Have they can all family make a difference. Should you decide to become involved in this I would like to suggest the one place to begin is to take a look right here in Hennepin County at the proposed plans for the building of a new Juvenile Detention Facility. There are those who feel that the plans are set. The fights have been fought in the Blood Lad in the decisions made. But as long as that building has not been built it's time to step back and re-examine that facility and its size. My guess is if you take a good hard critical look. At the plans at the detention policies. I think you'll come to the conclusion that the facility is too large. Yes, I want to conclude by saying. That we were sort of surprised to find that Minnesota basically is pretty much in line with the rest of the country. At the really has not been the degree of the institutionalization that most had envisioned and in fact the Minnesota. I guess we were somewhat surprised to find that is one of the leader in terms of incarcerating kids and publicly operated juvenile correctional facilities.