Downsizing helps delinquents; Missouri has discovered that showering troubled teens with warmth, respect and concern works well in turning them around.

• Author: Hammond, Sarah

Thinking small has made a big difference for youth corrections in Missouri. The Missouri Division of Youth Services' (DYS) juvenile corrections system is gaining attention as a model for other states considering reforms favoring residential treatment over prison for kids who commit crimes.

Twenty years ago, Missouri, like many states, operated large state training schools. They were shut down and subsequently replaced when the state began to experiment with smaller correctional programs. During the 1980s, DYS divided the state into five regions and started using sites such as abandoned school houses, convents and large residential homes to house delinquent teens closer to their families.

Missouri's approach to youth corrections relies on personal treatment, rehabilitation and making internal changes within juveniles in positive small-scale settings rather than isolation, punishment and behavioral compliance.

The program's emphasis is on positive peer relationships and intense, consistent therapy coupled with a small and intimate group atmosphere. In this kind of a setting even the most violent of delinquent teens, preferably called "kids," not "prisoners" begin to share stories, discuss their emotions, and talk about their hopes and dreams for the future.

The staff consists of college educated "youth specialists" who do not wear uniforms and who work closely and are able to forge relationships with the kids.

Even the facilities' furnishings--goldfish tanks, couches, beanbags, potted plants, stuffed animals and handmade posters--are designed to make the kids comfortable and create a more family-type atmosphere. As a result of this warm, positive atmosphere, incidents of attacks on other juveniles or staff are rare. And there has not been a single suicide under DYS custody.

One of the key components of the program is the fostering of a positive relationship between each juvenile and a member of the staff. A young person entering a facility is assigned a service coordinator for his or her entire stay. The coordinator monitors the juvenile's progress by maintaining constant interaction and plays an important role in determining when the youth should be discharged. Stringent aftercare services also are provided. After the juvenile is released, the coordinator maintains the relationship by helping him find a job...