The Department of Youth Services (DYS) is the Commonwealth's juvenile justice agency responsible for the enhancement of public safety, crime prevention, and rehabilitation of delinquent youths and youthful offenders. The Department is primarily responsible for two categories of youths who come before the courts: those who have been charged with offenses and are being held on bail or without bail; and those who have been committed by the Juvenile Court to remain in the custody of the Department.

The Department provides a continuum of services for approximately 3,150 youths. These services range from secure residential treatment programs to non-residential community supervision. Treatment services in residential facilities provide education, clinical and family services, and vocational training designed to reduce the risk that youthful offenders pose to the community. These residential programs allow youths to maintain ties with their families and schools, ensuring a more successful transition to their communities.

More than half of the youths committed to DYS have completed a residential placement and have been returned to the community. These youths are supervised by caseworkers and community monitors. In Fiscal Year 1998, the Department opened four day reporting centers which provide daily supervision of committed youths and programs such as job training, family and individual counseling, and tutoring by teachers in after-school programs. Some of these centers also provide drug testing, electronic monitoring, and group sessions to discuss victim rights and how to manage anger and violence. The Department will open four more day reporting centers in Fiscal Year 1999, for a total of 12 statewide. These centers will monitor and supervise more than 1,000 youths committed to DYS custody.

In its effort to prevent further juvenile crime, DYS is working with district attorneys, courts, probation offices, local law enforcement agencies, social services organizations, and schools to develop programs for at-risk youths. As a result of a collaborative project in Hamden County, the number of youths committed to DYS custody from that region declined, while commitments in other regions increased. The Department will continue to form collaborative associations in the rest of the state to further prevent juvenile delinquency.

Objectives

In Fiscal Year 1999, the DYS will pursue the following objectives:

• expand capacity at residential facilities by adding 145 beds, including two halfway houses/community living programs to provide a stable living environment and employment support for 40 youths making the transition from other residential placements to home;
• expand foster care placements for an additional 25 youths who require less restrictive programs, or who are leaving residential programs but cannot return to their homes; and
• hire additional caseworkers to more effectively assess risk, determine program placement and service decisions, work in the new day reporting centers monitoring youths in the community, and collaborate with community agencies involved with juveniles.

Budget Recommendations

The Fiscal Year 1999 recommendation for DYS is $105.8 million. This level of funding includes an increase of $8.5 million for expected caseload growth.

These recommendations also include $745,341 to improve salaries for the Department's lowest paid, contracted, direct care workers. In Fiscal Year 1998, this funding was appropriated as part of a reserve account in the Executive Office for Administration and Finance.

Budgetary Direct Appropriations

DEPARTMENT OF YOUTH SERVICES ADMINISTRATION
4200-0010	For the operation of the department of youth services	4,955,382

NON-RESIDENTIAL SERVICES FOR COMMITTED POPULATION
4200-0100	For supervision, counseling, and other services provided by the department incidental to the operation of certain non-residential care programs; provided, that the commissioner is hereby authorized to transfer an amount not to exceed 2 per cent of the funds appropriated herein to item 4200-0300	18,535,862

RESIDENTIAL SERVICES FOR DETAINED POPULATION
4200-0200	For pre-trial detention programs, including purchase of service and state-operated programs incidental to the operation of certain residential care programs	12,932,744

RESIDENTIAL SERVICES FOR COMMITTED POPULATION
4200-0300	For secure facilities, including purchase of service and state-operated programs incidental to the operation of certain residential care programs; provided, that the commissioner is hereby authorized to transfer an amount not to exceed 2 per cent of the funds appropriated herein to item 4200-0100	69,380,083

Trust and Other Spending

4233-1600

EDUCATIONAL BENEFIT EXPENDABLE TRUST

15,000