Mayor Bloomberg wants control of city's juvenile delinquents, eyes overhaul of system

Bloomberg's plan would strip control over jailing juveniles to local governments, meaning all 650 New York City kids in detention would remain in the five boroughs instead of jails upstate.

"What the mayor is proposing is a combination of bold and practical," said Jeremy Travis, president of John Jay College of Criminal Justice and head of Gov. Paterson's task force on transforming juvenile justice.

"The current system is so counterproductive in terms of the public interest, it's hard to imagine designing something worse."

Critics say the state-run system is too expensive - roughly $220,000 a child per year - and totally ineffective, with an 81% recidivism rate.