The paper outlines the problems with incarceration and placements. It is "dangerous," i.e., it exposes incarcerated youth to systemic violence and the excessive use of isolation or restraints. It is "ineffective," i.e., it does not deter or change criminal behavior. It is also "unnecessary" (most youth are incarcerated for nonviolent offenses); "obsolete" (research has shown that incarceration is not the most effective response to delinquency); "wasteful" (significant costs without commensurate effects), and "inadequate" (prisons are not prepared to deliver cost-effective programs). This paper also outlines recent developments that challenge current corrections policies and practices for juveniles. Policy and practice implications are discussed for the JDAI's expanded focus on the development of programs that provide a more "effective, fairer, safer, and less costly" approach for addressing juveniles' delinquent behavior. Seven objectives of this expanded approach are outlined. They are to eliminate unnecessary and inappropriate out-of-home placement for youth adjudicated delinquent; to establish more robust, targeted, and effective community-based intervention; to improve public safety outcomes by reducing recidivism rates for juveniles; to reduce racial, ethnic, and gender disparities in how youth are treated; to redirect public resources from incarceration to more effective practices and programs; to ensure that violent youth who require confinement are held in safe, healthy, and humane conditions; and to focus juvenile justice system accountability on youth well-being. 6 notes