Competing for Limited Funding. In today's reality of shrinking budgets, states continue to look for money that is not being effectively spent. State legislatures want to ensure they are getting the most for their limited dollars. The legislature has requested you to present an overview of an effective juvenile justice alternative sentencing program that you are aware of from the text or your research, and explain why it is effective and why it should be funded. What is the intended population? What standard are you using to measure the effectiveness? Why do you think it is effective and worthy of continued funding?

Your colleague has made a presentation to the state legislature, and now it is your turn. You are the director of an intervention strategy (before your colleagues program) or a re-entry program (after your colleague's program) that is also being looked at to help fund other priority legislative programs. The legislature believes the juvenile justice system is too soft on crime and we need to get tough on crime. For this discussion, you may support either the rehabilitation camp or the get tough on crime camp as you prepare your answer. Make sure you address the social justice arguments based on your position. Build the case for one of the following:

a. Ensure that your program is a complimentary program to that of your classmate's, but both programs are serving separate and distinct critical populations. Both must be funded.

b. That the synergistic effect of the two programs together will result in both programs being more effective in the long run, and, therefore, enhancing social justice.

c. That your program is much more cost effective; it should be funded at the expense of the program outlined by your colleague. 

Connecting the Dots - What is an Effective Program? In Chapter 10, the text addresses primary, secondary and tertiary prevention programs. What are these levels? Give an example of an effective program in each level. Give a brief description of each program, its intended purpose, and target juvenile population. Why do you think they are effective?

When responding to one of your classmates, address one of the programs with a focus on one of the text's questions below concerning prevention programs. Select one bullet below and present the positives and the negatives for the issue addressed:

a. Does every juvenile who has been arrested need treatment? Should all juveniles arrested receive the same treatment services? Why or why not?

b. Should prevention programs be given to everyone, and if so, where? Should we consider ethnicity, race, education, socio-economic standing?

c. Are the services worth the taxpayer costs? Consider both financial and social costs.

d. Should we mandate prevention for school aged children, their parents, or for both? What if the parents refuse to participate?

e. What role does the state have in addressing pre-criminal, status offenses or delinquent behavior? Should the state have the authority to force parents to participate? What sanctions should the state have to enforce compliance?