Abstract

Prior to 1968, complete responsibility for the administration of Arizona's juvenile correctional facilities was vested in a five-member board. With the creation of the State Department of Corrections [SDOC] in 1968, both adult and juvenile correctional services were merged under that single state agency. The director of the SDOC is appointed by the governor and is responsible for the administration and supervision of all correctional facilities, halfway houses, and parole services. A three-member Youth Hearing Board [YHB], which must approve all releases and interdepartmental transfers of juveniles, also is under the auspices of the SDOC.

A juvenile committed to the State Department of Corrections is in a unique position in that he is the only type of state "prisoner" for whom the goal of his period of incarceration is solely rehabilitation. This section will examine juvenile incarceration steps: first, an examination of the commitment process itself; second, a broad overview of the correctional program with special emphasis on the correctional institutions themselves; and finally, a discussion of some of the "problem areas" of Arizona juvenile corrections.

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