The reforms initiated over forty years ago have proven to be sustainable and remain foundational to the state's juvenile justice system.
[5] DYS operates more than 80 total residential and community programs across Massachusetts, including: The Department has a dual mandate of rehabilitation and public safety.
In keeping with these two objectives, DYS has a system of classifying committed youth according to their offense patterns and other pertinent history.
The Positive Youth Development framework revolves around the cognitive, emotional and social needs of a young person.
Licensed mental health clinicians provide psychosocial interviews, administer psychological testing, and review prior records that include educational, medical and criminal histories.
Screening instruments are used to determine if the youth needs to be referred for a comprehensive neuropsychological evaluation to aid in treatment planning.