But as the interview wears on, Buller's frustrations rise to the surface. He expresses many of the same concerns voiced by the critics. There's no question there's a need for more programs, a need for more prevention and intervention activities. In a state juvenile correctional facility in Missouri, teddy bears sit on many of the beds in the 40-bed dorm room. Vases filled with flowers brighten a common living space.
Fish dart back and forth in a huge aquarium.
But the biggest change, says Mark Steward, director of Missouri's Division of Youth Services, is that the Missouri Youth Service began to emphasize treatment rather than punishment. It wasn't helping kids. Now, he says, the agency is more interested in getting at the underlying causes of a youth's antisocial behavior. Juvenile offenders are held accountable for their actions by being remanded to the youth authority, but they're surrounded by a variety of counseling services inside the facility and out in the community once they're released. Working in tandem with community-based organizations, the state provides counseling for the youth and their family, drug and alcohol treatment, job training, and jobs.