INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (WOWO): Steuben and Whitley Counties are joining a national initiative to reform juvenile justice systems.

The Juvenile Detention Alternative Initiative is a program sponsored by the Annie E. Casey Foundation to improve the outcome of youths in the criminal justice system and reduce recidivism rates. The project works with state agencies to come up with different ways to detain minors before they go to court.

The project came to Indiana 10 years ago and also exists in Allen, Kosciusko, and Elkhart Counties, among others.