Programming for Older Youth in Juvenile Justice Facilities

This white paper focuses on programming for youth ages 17 and older residing in secure custody settings. The purpose is to provide the audience with program-related resources for working with these youth and introduce potential funding resources for age-appropriate programming. This white paper also intends to bring to the forefront the shared challenges that juvenile justice facilities face when serving older individuals and offers feasible solutions to these challenges. It is the hope of the Center for Coordinated Assistance to States and its partner that readers will consider the innovative practices offered in this document when working with older youth. Finally, this white paper provides policy, practice, and legislative considerations that may warrant future exploration by juvenile justice professionals and policymakers.