South Dakota Voices for Children: Our Work: Juvenile Justice

Voices developed a Guidebook for Youth and Parents to the South Dakota Juvenile Justice System. Written in question-and-answer format, this guide provides information to court-involved youth and their parents. The guidebook is now in its third edition.
South Dakota Voices for Children convened a series of regional juvenile justice planning sessions that resulted in adoption of the following principles:
- Ensure safety - of the community and of the child.
- Place youthful offenders in the least restrictive environment.
- Create regional community-based services that are delivered within a coordinated state system.
- Be cost-effective in the delivery of all services.
Based on these principles, Voices successfully advocated for a change in state law to bring South Dakota into compliance with the federal Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act.
Voices developed the first-of-its-kind directory of juvenile justice services for each of South Dakota's nine tribes. This directory is updated annually.

Sioux Falls Office:
808 N. West Avenue � PO Box 2196 � Sioux Falls, SD 57101-2196
605-367-9667 � Fax: 605-335-3836
office@sdvoicesforchildren.org

Black Hills Office:
1010 9th Street � Suite 4A � PO Box 9575 � Rapid City, SD 57701
605-721-0699 � Fax 605-721-0699
bhoffice@sdvoicesforchildren.org