The juvenile justice system has proven to be ineffective, harmful, and excessively expensive. The system is in need of complete transformation.

The National Institute for Criminal Justice Reform (NICJR) is proud to present “A Positive Youth Justice System," a report and campaign that provides a roadmap to comprehensive reform. The juvenile justice system can be successfully reformed if we Reduce, Improve, and Reinvest: Significantly reduce the size and the number of youth in the system; thoroughly improve the conditions and services provided and improve the outcomes of the small number of youth who remain in the system; and use the hundreds of millions of dollars in savings from a massive reduction in the size of the system to reinvest in the youth, their families, and the communities where they live.