Arizona Youth Assessment System

In 2011, the Juvenile Justice Services Division (JJSD) of the Arizona Supreme Court entered into a contract with the University of Cincinnati to adapt the Ohio Youth Assessment System (OYAS) for use in our state. The OYAS consists of six (6) unique tools: Diversion, Detention, Pre-Disposition, Disposition, Residential and Re-Entry. The JJSD has worked with the fifteen Arizona counties to implement the Arizona Youth Assessment System (AZYAS) Pre-disposition and Disposition1 tools. Neither of those tools, however, provides guidance for juveniles being considered for residential placement.

In 2012, eleven Arizona Department of Juvenile Corrections (ADJC) employees were certified by University of Cincinnati staff to train others in the use of all six (6) of the AZYAS tools, but with special emphasis upon the Residential and Re-entry tools. Since that time ADJC staff (and contractors) have conducted over 600 AZYAS Residential assessments and 48 AZYAS Re-entry assessments on many of those released from ADJC secure care back into the community. In addition, ADJC has trained 66 juvenile probation and corrections staff in the use of the AZYAS and continues to provide both AZYAS training as well as residential and re-entry assessments.

¹ An agreement between the Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) and ADJC is being finalized which will allow ADJC staff to view AZYAS Disposition tool results prepared by country court staff and for AOC and county court staff to view the AZYAS Residential and Re-entry results.