When criminal justice policies make the headlines, especially policies pertaining to treatment of juveniles, it is not unusual for North Carolina to be touted as a leader in the field. Such is the case with the President Obama’s recent Executive Order to end solitary confinement of youth in federal prisons. The North Carolina Department of Public Safety has led the way on this issue, having abandoned this practice within our juvenile facilities in August 2015. Additional work remains, to include extending this change in policy to adult facilities in which 16- and 17-year-olds are held.
As a result of the good work involving a progressive and effective approach to juvenile justice, North Carolina’s juvenile crime rate has decreased for six consecutive years. During this same time period, the number of juveniles being housed in youth development and juvenile detention centers also decreased significantly. The Pew Charitable Trusts recently showed that North Carolina has reduced the number of juveniles committed to juvenile facilities by 65 percent over the last decade, a 15 percent greater decrease than accomplished nationally. The report also highlighted the fact that North Carolina has been able to decrease juvenile crime at a faster rate than any other state in the nation, with the exception of one. In short, the juvenile crime rate has decreased, and among juveniles who have committed crimes, fewer are placed in juvenile detention centers. This saves taxpayers money by avoiding exorbitant spending to house these youth, and increases the quality of life in our state by decreasing crime and supporting our young people.
How has this been accomplished? Governor Pat McCrory has been a strong advocate of the Department of Public Safety Juvenile Justice strategic plan that is heavily focused on prevention and intervention. This focus enables the state to serve juveniles in the communities and spend less on committing children to facilities. The state has taken a similar approach on the adult side with the implementation of the Justice Reinvestment Act, resulting in the need to house fewer juveniles in our adult facilities. The number of youths under the age of 18 housed in adult facilities decreased from 150 a decade ago to just 64 today. By placing fewer juveniles in adult prisons, fewer youth are at risk for being placed in restrictive housing.
Secretary Frank Perry stands with me in support of an end to restrictive housing, sometimes referred to as solitary confinement, for the youngest inmates in our adult prison system. The department is also working on policies to reduce restrictive housing for all age groups. We have been working with advocates to enact this change. To those outside the system it may seem like change takes a long time. The department’s leadership must account for the safety of our staff and the youth in our care, so we are taking the time and the steps necessary to do this correctly.
Considerable work remains to include extending this practice to the state’s adult prisons for the 16- and 17-year-olds who have been convicted as adults. While we have not yet been able to completely eliminate restrictive housing of youth in our adult prisons, we have made great gains. In the past year, the department has decreased the percentage of youth in adult prisons placed in restrictive housing from 52 percent to 26 percent. We have developed and implemented an incentive-based system aimed at behavioral change, individual skill development, education, and, ultimately, an increased likelihood of successful re-entry into the community. Our staff remains committed in efforts to engage youth incarcerated in adult prisons in a change process that serves them well while in prison, and opens up additional avenues for improved quality of life upon their return to the community. From leadership to the front-line correctional officer, we must aim our efforts at helping each individual make the necessary changes to leave our corrections system as a better person, with plans for making positive contributions as a law-abiding citizen.
These gains could not have been achieved without the Governor’s advocacy, significant effort, redirection of resources, and our administration’s commitment to changing the approach to juvenile and adult offender management. As we make these improvements within our facilities, we must do so in a measured, systematic way to ensure the safety of our staff, the juveniles, adult inmates and the public.