Final answer:
The effort to reduce the use of juvenile detention is motivated by evidence showing that incarceration increases future crime, disrupts education, and has poor outcomes compared to alternatives like diversion and rehabilitation programs, which are proven to be more effective in reducing recidivism.
Step-by-step explanation:
The primary reason behind the effort to reduce the use of juvenile detention is multifaceted. Most notably, research indicates that compared to other measures, incarceration often fails to prevent recidivism—the tendency of a convicted person to reoffend—and in some cases can even increase the likelihood of future crimes.
Juvenile incarceration, in particular, poses significant drawbacks; it hampers educational opportunities, which reduces human capital and subsequently increases the opportunity cost of crime. In contrast, diversion programs such as community service can provide more positive outcomes by better equipping juveniles with the tools they need to reintegrate into society while also holding them accountable for their actions.
Furthermore, the use of incarceration has been debated internationally, with other countries experiencing decreasing crime rates without heavily relying on mass incarceration, as seen in the case of Canada. The shift towards rehabilitation, including therapy, counseling, educational and vocational programs, helps in altering cost-benefit analysis for individuals, creating better labor market alternatives and reducing the likelihood of reoffending.
In the broader context of criminal justice reform, the effectiveness of rehabilitation measures has been shown to often outweigh punitive approaches.