Cass County gets $60,000 grant for juvenile jail alternative

LOGANSPORT, Ind. (AP) - Northern Indiana's Cass County is getting a $60,000 grant to help start an alternative jail program for juveniles who are accused of crimes.

Officials have not yet determined what specific jail alternatives they may adopt. The (Logansport) Pharos-Tribune reports (http://bit.ly/1X0sRlv ) that possibilities include increasing the use of ankle GPS monitors or starting a short-term, non-secure facility where law enforcement officers can house juvenile offenders.

Experts say many juveniles who are locked up pose little threat to public safety. But incarcerating them can increase the chance they will be found delinquent and can seriously damage their futures.

More than 50 Cass County children were placed in secure detention in 2014.

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Information from: Pharos-Tribune, http://www.pharostribune.com