Overuse of detention has been attributed partly to failure of probation department staff to consider alternative options at the time a youth is taken into custody. As demonstrated in other jurisdictions, however, when community agencies are present to advocate for alternatives to detention, secure custody rates decline. A study conducted in the mid-1980's by the Massachusetts Department of Youth Services found that advocacy by community agencies on behalf of youth at detention hearings leads to significant reductions in detention rates. Subsequent participants have included the city's juvenile probation department, the public defender's office, the San Francisco Education Services Corporation, the Log Cabin Ranch aftercare program, and the Omega Boys Club. Detention advocacy involves identifying youth likely to be detained pending their adjudication.
Emphasis is placed on allowing the youth to live at home while going through the program.
If home placement is not a viable option, program staff will identify and secure a suitable alternative. If the judge deems the release plan acceptable, the youth is released to DDAP supervision. The case management model provides frequent and consistent support and supervision to youth and their families. Case managers link youth to community-based services and closely monitor their progress. DDAP requires the case manager to have daily contact with the youth, his or her family, and significant others, including a minimum of three in-person meetings a week with the youth.