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County social work program credited with double-digit drop in juvenile recidivism, judge outlines court role
Summary
The county’s Social Work Intervention Program (SWIP) reported a drop in short‑term recidivism from about 25% to roughly 14% for youth receiving clinical services in 2025; the juvenile judge described how the court, risk tools and diversion programs shape detention decisions and alternatives.
Shelley Klingen, director of the Washington County Social Work Intervention Program, told the County Services Committee that the program’s 2024–25 service statistics and internal analysis indicate a substantial reduction in short‑term recidivism among youth who received SWIP clinical services. "For 2024 and 2025, we provided roughly 5,500 services to about 75 percent of the youth detained," Klingen said, adding that recidivism within the same service year averaged about 25 percent but fell by about 11 percentage points for those who received SWIP services, to roughly 14 percent in 2025.
Klingen described a 2025 pilot TBI (traumatic brain injury) screening of 92 youth, of whom about 43 percent screened positive for potential TBI; she cautioned the screening flags potential issues that require fuller assessment. She also said the program authors a 23‑page annual report and is working with partners including UAMS to train…
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