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Last Updated
September 06, 2007
Mission
The Division of Youth Services (DYS)
provides in a manner consistent with public safety, a system of high
quality programs to address the needs of the juveniles who come in
contact with the juvenile
justice system by:
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Providing
effective community-based prevention, diversion, and graduated
sanction programs.
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Providing
leadership for coordination, collaboration, and improvement of the
Arkansas juvenile justice system.
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Providing
supervision and effective treatment for juvenile offenders in
the community.
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Operating
safe and secure juvenile correctional facilities in a manner
consistent with best practices in the field and with effective treatment
programming for the population served in the community.
Specific
Beliefs
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Child
safety comes first
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Children
deserve to thrive, not just survive
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Communities
are to be safe from juvenile crime
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People
need skills to succeed
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Best
practices drive our work to succeed.
Outcomes
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Juveniles
in DYS facilities will be safe from abuse or neglect.
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Incidents
of assault will be reduced in DYS facilities.
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Juveniles
at DYS facilities will receive adequate medical screenings and
follow-up care.
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DYS
will reduce the recidivism rate among high risk offenders.
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Juveniles
in DYS facilities shall receive effective and appropriate
educational services.
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DYS
facilities will implement "Best Practice" and
research-based programming.
Historic Overview of DYS
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Act 199 of 1905 established the first reform schools in Arkansas in
Little Rock and Alexander, respectively.
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Act 67 of 1917, the Arkansas Boys' Reform School was relocated to
Pine Bluff.
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Act 60 of 1937 established two additional "training"
schools at Wrightsville and Fargo.
In 1968, the Department for Rehabilitative Services was assigned
responsibility to administer "training" schools. The Benton Services
Center was opened and controlled the diagnosis and intake responsibilities regarding the
youth committed to state custody.
In 1971, Act 38 established the Department of Social and
Rehabilitative Services (SRS), a fore-runner to the current Department of Human
Services. The Office of Juvenile Services was placed under the direction of the
Director of SRS. In 1977, the Division of Youth Services was formally
created as a division within the present Department of Human Services (DHS).
In 1985, Act 348 merged the Division of Youth Services with the
Division of Children and Family Services until Act 1296 of 1993 reestablished DYS as an
independent division [within DHS]. The Division of Youth Services (DYS) was authorized by
Act 1296 to be "devoted entirely to handling the problems of youths involved in the
juvenile justice system." DYS became operational in October 1993 and is responsible
for client-specific programming and individual treatment programs, serious offender
programs for violent youth offenders, providing alternative community-based programming,
and other services specified directly by Act 1296.
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