New Youth Assessment Center coming to Ada County

Research shows jail — and the court system in general — is bad for kids. Especially for the kids that should not be considered criminals.

"Adolescents make bad decisions all the time," Alison Tate, with Ada County said. "Kids that are just showing normal adolescent behavior, we want them — the kids and their family, to be able to access resources without coming into the criminal justice system which can have negative impacts for them in the future."

Outside of the juvenile justice or child welfare system, there are no other options for juvenile offenders in Ada County. That is why Idaho's largest county is creating a new option, in hopes of preventing kids from landing behind bars.

The day a teen gets put behind bars can be very traumatizing to them.

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