Skip to main content
NC DPS logo NC DPS

Topical Navigation

  • Home
  • Our Organization
    Our Organization
    • Law Enforcement
    • Adult Correction
    • Juvenile Justice
    • Emergency Management
    • Homeland Security
    • North Carolina National Guard
    • Office of Recovery & Resiliency
  • DPS Services
    DPS Services
    • Offender Search
    • Victim Services
    • Permits & Licenses
    • Grants
    • Prison Rape Elimination Act
    • Safety Tips
    • Samarcand Training Academy
    • Spanish Resources
  • Careers That Matter
    Careers That Matter
    • Career Fairs
    • Correctional Officers
    • DPS Healthcare
    • Probation and Parole Officers
    • State Highway Patrol
    • Alcohol Law Enforcement
    • Emergency Management
    • Juvenile Justice Careers
    • State Capitol Police
    • Contact a DPS Recruiter
    • NCDPS Internships
  • About DPS
    About DPS
    • Office of the Secretary
    • Administration
    • Professional Standards, Policy and Planning
    • Divisions
    • Boards and Commissions
    • Statistics and Data
    • Administrative Rules
    • Current Initiatives
  • News
    News
    • Press Releases
    • News Conferences
    • Blog: DPS Dispatch
    • In Case You Missed It
    • Calendar of Events
    • Media Contacts
  • Contact
    Contact
    • Frequently Called Phone Numbers
    • Public Records Request
    • Directory
    • Report Fraud, Waste or Abuse
    • Send Email
  • NC.GOV
  • AGENCIES
  • JOBS
  • SERVICES
NC DPS »   Home »   blog

Proper Preparation Critical to Juvenile’s Reentry Success

April 23, 2021

Author: Gary Skinner, Director of Social Work for Juvenile Justice

The North Carolina Juvenile Justice Section is continually increasing and improving opportunities available for juveniles to return to their communities following commitment in youth development centers. The importance of proper reentry was heightened over the past 17 months when the age of youth potentially housed in juvenile hustice facilities was raised to 18. This change meant older teenagers and young adults involved in non-violent offenses could receive more focused and age-appropriate rehabilitation and reentry services.

On an average day, about 150 juveniles reside in North Carolina’s YDCs: locked, secure facilities that are the most restrictive, intensive dispositional option available to juvenile courts. Youth are admitted to these facilities only if the court has determined they pose a potential danger to the community, or who have a lengthy delinquency history. Young people stay at a YDC for an average of 14 months, depending on their positive engagement and progress with rehabilitation activities. In recent years, fewer youth have needed to be committed to a YDC: In 2020, 43 fewer youth were admitted to a YDC than in 2019, a drop of 22%.

Since a goal of Juvenile Justice s to prepare a juvenile for success at home and in the community, planning for release and reentry begins early in the juvenile’s YDC commitment. Youths in YDCs interact daily with staff focused on providing treatment, education and skills development. Staff members also meet formally each month with the juvenile, their parents, and a team of professionals to plan for the youth’s reentry into the community.  

A reentry plan may include family therapy, additional support to complete their education, partnering with a mentor around a specific area of interest, or enrollment in another residential program to help the young person develop more skills or get more education to be a productive family member and adult.

Each week, about three youths leave YDCs and matched with programs and services to assist in developing the knowledge, skills, attitudes and behaviors which lead to good outcomes. Many partners across the state work effectively with juvenile court counselors to teach and support youth leaving YDCs to be successful in many areas.

North Carolina’s juvenile justice system – as well as children, families and communities throughout the state – reap the benefits of the many professional and evidence-based programs and services that empower youth. Information about the partnering programs and services that help youth successfully reenter their community can be found in the Juvenile Justice Service Directory, found here. 
 

This blog is related to:

  • DPS Dispatch
  • Juvenile Justice

Related Articles

  • Two Years Later, Corrections Leadership Class Graduates
  • Safeguarding our Communities
  • One Week at Camp Creates a Lifetime of Memories for Juveniles
  • Community Corrections Director’s Award 2022
  • Legacy of the Furr Family: From Grandfather to Father to Son and Extended Family
  • Hazard Mitigation Professional Lops off Locks for Childhood Cancer Research
  • Reentry conference 2022
  • Caught in the Act
  • N.C. Prisons Honors Fallen Staff
  • Hundreds Gather to Honor the State’s Fallen Officers
  • Second Chance Month 2022
  • Interns Leave Lasting Re-Entry Solutions for Older Juveniles
  • ALE: Enforcement with Education
  • Re-Entry To Resilience Model Presented at the NC Re-entry Conference
  • Justice Counts Event Offers Insights on Criminal Justice Data

Share this page:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Email

How can we make this page better for you?

Back to top

Contact

NC Department of Public Safety

Physical Address: 
512 North Salisbury Street, Raleigh
 
Mailing Address:
4201 Mail Service Center, 

Raleigh, NC 27699-4201
 

919-733-2126

Activity Feed

Activity Feed

Follow Us

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Flickr
  • YouTube
  • LinkedIn
  • Employee Directory
  • Translate Disclaimer
  • Accessibility
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Open Budget
NC DPS
https://www.ncdps.gov/blog/2021/04/23/proper-preparation-critical-juvenile%E2%80%99s-reentry-success