Juvenile Detention Alternative Initiative (JDAI)

Overview

In 1992, as a step towards meeting its vision, the Annie E. Casey Foundation established the Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative (JDAI). Using detention as an entry point strategy, its primary target is overall Juvenile Justice System improvement.

Beginning with a handful of jurisdictions, the JDAI core strategies were proven to reduce unnecessary and inappropriate secure detention, reduce costs, increase system fairness and improve the juvenile justice system overall without compromising public safety.

JDAI demonstrates that communities can improve their detention systems without sacrificing public safety. In 2011, Pinal County Juvenile Court Services partnered with the Casey Foundation as a cohort of five sites to expand JDAI in Arizona. Eight of fifteen counties are currently participating in JDAI, with the goal of statewide expansion of the initiative.

Core Strategies

The JDAI model is built around the following eight core interrelated strategies. By systematically addressing each of these areas, JDAI has proven that juvenile detention rates can be dramatically reduced without a corresponding increase in juvenile crime.

  1. STRATEGY 1
  2. STRATEGY 2
  3. STRATEGY 3
  4. STRATEGY 4
  5. STRATEGY 5
  6. STRATEGY 6
  7. STRATEGY 7
  8. STRATEGY 8

Promoting collaboration between the juvenile court, probation agencies, prosecutors, defense attorneys, child welfare, mental health agencies, schools, community organizations, and other governmental entities to form a partnership to cooperatively plan, implement and assess system reforms