suggest that each year the United States incurs over $8,000,000,000 in long-term costs for the confinement of young people. The average annual cost to incarcerate one youth is $146,302. (8) Coordinated efforts of stakeholders in the juvenile justice system in a local community, together with other organizations and community members concerned with the safety and welfare of children, have a strong record of demonstrated success in reducing the impact of youth and gang-related crime and violence, as demonstrated in Boston, Massachusetts