State poised to reduce juvenile incarceration numbers

Although Nebraska has fallen behind the rest of the nation in cutting back on youth incarceration numbers, recent policy changes put the state on a path toward significant improvement over the coming years.

According to a recent report from the National Juvenile Justice Network and the Texas Public Policy Foundation, the number of youths currently detained in state and county facilities nationwide declined sharply in 2011, due to reforms in many states.

In the ten years between 2001-2011, the number of young people in detention facilities dropped 41 percent nationwide. This was an average decl...