ALBUQUERQUE – Federal officials have revised their guidelines for handling juvenile criminal cases in tribal courts with recommendations that favor treatment, counseling and foster care over fines and detention.
The Interior and Justice departments released their guidelines Monday, updating a three-decade-old juvenile justice code. The update recommends that detention be a last resort for disciplining youth, especially runaways and those who may struggle with addiction or truancy.
The guidelines reflect a national shift in juvenile justice reform that has led more states to find alternatives to detention.
The Interior Department’s Bureau of Indian Affairs is required by law to establish a suggested framework for tribes for handling juvenile cases.
A tribe has final say over whether it will adopt the recommendations.
