The State of Juvenile Justice in Wisconsin: What Do We Really Know? report released by the Wisconsin Council on Children and Families on October 17, 2011 examines recent trends in juvenile arrests and incarceration in the state, as well as the success of recent community-based alternatives to secure confinement of youth offenders. It includes these highlights:
• The number of juvenile arrests in Wisconsin has declined by 42% over the last decade, and the juvenile arrest rate has gone down by 37% over that span.
• The number of arrests of juveniles in the state for violent offenses has declined by 17.5% over the past five years.
• The average daily population in the juvenile correctional facilities has declined by 70% over the decade.
• Racial disparities remain significant at all stages of the juvenile justice system.
• The number and effectiveness of community-based alternatives to incarceration and the use of research-based practice throughout the juvenile justice system have increased.

Based on the trends identified in the report, as well as the large volume of research findings on juvenile corrections in recent years, Wisconsin Council on Children and Families recommends:
• Returning 17-year-olds to the juvenile system, since the juvenile system is proving to be effective, has the capacity to handle it, and would avoid the unnecessary harm youth experience from being in the adult system
• Reaffirming what is working with youthful offenders, such as local approaches that keep youth in their own communities
• Reinvesting savings from reduced use of incarceration to support the continued expansion of evidence-based, cost-effective community alternatives to confinement

The complete The State of Juvenile Justice in Wisconsin: What Do We Really Know? report may be found on the Wisconsin Council on Children and Families website, www.wccf.org.