Juvenile Justice Reform Progress in Spokane County
Nov 5, 2009, Washington State Models for Change
Models for Change staff in Washington is excited about the progress Spokane County is making with alternative options in juvenile justice. Through collaborated efforts, Spokane County has expanded its education offerings to truant youth by moving to a new location that allows for a more ideal educational setting.
Education offerings for truant youth began in 1995. Spokane County initiated a program to provide additional, more immediate and less costly sentencing alternative for juveniles who had committed crimes. The program was called the Structured Alternative Confinement (SAC) program and was formed on the basis of three primary components: electronic monitoring, day school and community service.
As the program evolved it soon became apparent that there was a need for a separate classes between status offenders and criminal offenders. In order to address this need, NorthEast Washington Educational Service 101, Spokane County Juvenile Court and Spokane County Superior Court collaborated to move the school to a newly renovated location to allow for expansion of classes and provide a more ideal educational setting. The move of the SAC school took place in October 2009.
The accommodation of separate classrooms for status and criminal offenders supports Spokane’s target area of improvement, alternatives to formal court processing and secure confinement for truant youth. Bonnie Bush, Juvenile Court Administrator for Spokane County, said “The multi-systems collaboration for the success of this school is ideal. Together, we work to provide an educational opportunities and transitions while youth are involved in the juvenile justice system.”
The success of the expansion of the SAC school demonstrates that Models for Change staff in Spokane are working diligently within the community. For more information on the progress of the Models for Change initiative in Spokane or the SAC school please contact Courtney Meador, Models for Change coordinator, Spokane at cmeador@spokanecounty.org.
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