Lawmakers probe juvenile justice reforms, DYS capacity and rising costs; committee seeks follow‑up

Lawmakers pressed state judges, Division of Youth Services (DYS) officials and education leaders on Tuesday over juvenile justice data, the use of validated risk assessments and the availability of community‑based mental‑health and substance‑use services.

Representative Shepherd opened the discussion with HCR 10, urging the committee "to not look away" from juvenile justice data and citing a delinquency plan and a figure she said showed Arkansas "locks up more children than most states". She told members the reported annual cost of incarcerating a child is roughly $127,750 (around $350 per day), a number that framed later questions about alternatives and costs.

Judge Troy Braswell and other juvenile judges described the system reforms that began after 2013, the adoption of validated risk assessments (SAVRY and related tools) and the statutory requirement that judges complete a risk assessment before committing a youth to the Department of Youth Services. Braswell and fellow judges emphasized assessments focus on family circumstances, trauma and service needs rather than only the immediate offense, and they offered several case examples where assessment results led to diversion or tailored services instead of long residential commitments.

"Without that information, it would be very easy for me to come down heavy and let her leave that courtroom without being seen or without being heard," Judge Braswell said of assessment results in a case he described involving a 13‑ or 14‑year‑old with a traumatic history.

DYS Director Michael Crump presented operational data and program details. He said commitments by calendar year peaked at 466 in 2023 and have slowly declined; about 320 youth are currently in secure residential placements operated under contract by Rite of Passage, and community‑based residential beds averaged roughly 34 in 2025. Crump gave demographic and program data: DYS commitments across six years aggregated to roughly 45.5% Black and 42% White youth, about 80% male, and more than half of youth are age 16–17.

Crump cited cost figures from contracts and practice: a secure residential bed costs roughly $320 per day (not counting pharmacy or off‑site medical costs), juvenile detention center beds run about $90–$100 per day, and Medicaid coverage is typically suspended while a juvenile is incarcerated, increasing agency medical expenses. He reported recidivism back to DYS within three years runs about 15–19%, and said DYS currently has 28 youth in dual DCFS/DYS custody.

Committee members repeatedly raised gaps in state data. Brooke Stain of the Administrative Office of the Courts said reporting varies by county; some data fields (for example, school‑related incident checkboxes) are optional in the case management system and can be missed when staff turnover occurs. Stain and judges said the AOC and county courts are working on a new, more user‑friendly case management system and data projects to improve coverage and accuracy.

Representatives and witnesses emphasized the role of schools and early intervention. Department of Education deputy commissioner Stacy Smith said statewide chronic absenteeism (missing more than 10% of the school year) is about 15%, concentrated in grades 9–11; she described local pilot programs, alternative learning environments and a Care Solace care‑coordination contract to link schools with available providers. Several lawmakers tied early reading levels and chronic absenteeism to later involvement with the juvenile system.

Panelists and advocates urged funding for community‑based programs and more capacity for mental‑health and substance‑use treatment. Judge Braswell and others said the state has limited inpatient substance‑use beds for juveniles and that closures of facilities have constrained options for courts seeking community placements. Keesa Smith Brantley of Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families urged a statewide needs assessment and a stable funding stream for community programs rather than relying on ad hoc grants.

The committee recorded two formal, voice‑vote actions earlier in the meeting: approval of the Dec. 10 minutes and confirmation of Representative Mary Bentley to the Child Maltreatment Investigations Oversight Committee (both approved by voice votes). Representative Shepherd requested follow‑up meetings with agency leaders to identify representatives and continue work on alternatives to incarceration, data tracking improvements and funding options.

Committee members did not adopt new legislation at the hearing but asked staff to coordinate follow‑up information, including more granular assessment‑to‑commitment linkage data requested by Representative Shepherd.