Can Structured Detention Screening Reduce Admissions to the Juvenile Legal System?: Evaluating the Impact of the Detention Assessment Tool (DAT)

Abstract

Aligning with our increased focus on juvenile rehabilitation, actuarial assessment tools have been implemented across the juvenile legal system. While post-conviction tools are intended to identify needs and reduce recidivism, the primary goal of pretrial assessment tools is to reduce detention admissions while maintaining public safety. However, a limited number of research evaluations to date have assessed if juvenile pretrial assessment tools reduce detention admissions. The current study assesses if the implementation of the Detention Assessment Tool (DAT; implemented in two-phases) reduced detention admissions in North Carolina from 2004-2024. The current study revealed that the DAT 1.0 was associated with immediate reductions in detention admissions ( b = −5.230, p < 0.001), the effects of which were sustained from 2012-2020. Between county variation on detention admissions was observed, suggesting that targeted engagement with juvenile legal system officials to increase fidelity to assessment implementation could further reduce the amount of youth admitted to pretrial detention.