Justice Services is committed to the elimination of violent juvenile crime, major drug/alcohol abuse, teenage pregnancies, and high educational dropout rates. The exploding issues confronting the juvenile justice system pose some of the most challenging problems in our country today. Our traditional methods of treating juvenile offenders have been overwhelmed by the size and complexity of the problems presented.

Justice Services' cognitive-behavioral treatment curriculum with juvenile populations is based on MRT (Moral Reconation Therapy). The MRT steps help participants see what choices in the past led them to where they are today. The juveniles advance through a process where they begin to practice honesty and can choose to behave in a manner because it is the right choice to make. Clients must accept responsibility for problems, symptoms, situations, and emotions so that they are able to change.

Seven MRT® Major Treatment Components
Confrontation and Assessment of Self: Assesses clients' beliefs, attitudes, behavior, and defense mechanisms	Enhancement of Self-Concept: Ego-enhancing exercises and habits change what clients think of themselves
Assessment of Current Relationships: Includes planning to heal damaged relationships	Decrease Hedonism: Teaches clients to develop delay of gratification and control of pleasure-seeking behavior
Reinforcement of Positive Behavior and Habits: Helping others raises awareness of moral responsibility	Develops Higher Stages of Moral Reasoning: With greater concern for others and social systems
Positive Identity Formation: Exploration of Inner Self and goal-setting

Juvenile Programs offered by Justice Services:

Alcohol and drug education and treatment
Underage drinking
Anger Management
Domestic Violence
Shoplifting/Theft
Sex Offenses
Truancy
Electronic Monitoring (EM)
Remote Alcohol Testing
Urinalysis Testing

Justice Services' Juvenile Program also provides the following:

Corrective classes lead to:

MRT® participation has been consistently demonstrated in both institutional and community corrections settings to positively impact offender behavior, reduce technical violations, increase stability, and have a long-term positive impact on recidivism. Research findings demonstrate that the more steps that an offender completes, the greater the probability that the person will complete the program and demonstrate a long-term behavioral impact on his/her life.

Ann Wallace, Director of the 3rd Judicial District Drug Court in Las Cruces, New Mexico, reports that 65% of those youth using the MRT curriculum who have graduated from the Juvenile Drug Court program have not reoffended. Ms. Wallace states, "our counselors believe that MRT has been a success because not only does it provide a mechanism for counselors to hold our drug court participants accountable, it offers an opportunity for the participants to hold each other accountable."