PbS

 

Since the release of the fiscal year 2012 budget, the Administration has heard a great deal from the states, from the juvenile justice community, and from congressional offices about the proposal for juvenile justice spending in the President’s budget. Concerns have been expressed, for example, about the potential impact on states’ compliance with mandates under the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (JJDP) Act and on other protections for system-involved young people. Drawing on the feedback, the Administration has developed an alternative to its original Race to the Top-style incentive grants program and is now proposing that the $120 million in the budget could be allocated in the following fashion:

• $110 million as formula funding
• $80 million under Title II, Part B of the JJDP Act–Formula Grants program -
• $30 million under the Juvenile Accountability Block Grants (JABG) program
• $10 million in a demonstration program to encourage innovation and juvenile justice system improvements.

This revamped approach would preserve, and add funding to, the important Part B Formula Grants program; continue the JABG program; and create a new discretionary funding program to encourage innovation and evidence-based reforms in the juvenile justice system, which would showcase approaches other states may then consider embracing.

Resource:
http://www.ojjdp.gov/enews/11juvjust/110401.html

 

As governors delivered their 2011 State of the State addresses, they continue to face fiscal stress and high unemployment, according to an issue brief released by the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center).

Interim Analysis: 2011 State of the State Addresses signals that state government redesign is not a temporary issue; it is part a new reality that will bring about fundamental change in the nature and volume of state services. Therefore, this year's speeches focus on tough budget choices, smaller government and strategies to create jobs.

Resources:
For more information on state government redesign, visit NGA's redesign page or visit www.nga.org.

 

The Center for Juvenile Justice Reform at Georgetown University‘s Public Policy Institute has announced the launch of the Juvenile Justice System Improvement Project (JJSIP). The program is designed to reduce crime and delinquency and improve positive outcomes for youth in the juvenile justice system through the implementation of more efficient and effective juvenile justice administration.

This new project will help states improve outcomes for juvenile offenders by better translating knowledge on “what works” into everyday practice and policy. The JJSIP takes the vast amount of knowledge gained through Dr. Mark Lipsey’s meta-analysis of effective juvenile justice programs and embeds it within the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention’s Comprehensive Strategy for Serious, Violent, and Chronic Juvenile Offenders as developed by Dr. James C. Howell and John Wilson. In doing so, the JJSIP provides a framework for improving juvenile justice practice throughout the entire juvenile justice continuum.

Three states will be selected through a competitive application process to participate in an intensive training and then receive 18-months of technical assistance to implement this approach. Letters of Interest are due by April 14. A conference call for prospective applicants will be held on March 30, 2011 at 3:30pm EDT (1-866-910-4857, code 863624#).

Resources:
For more information on the project please visit: http://cjjr.georgetown.edu/jjsip/jjsip.html or email CJJR at jjreform@georgetown.edu.

 

The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention has published "Highlights From Pathways to Desistance: A Longitudinal Study of Serious Adolescent Offenders." This fact sheet presents findings from a project that followed 1,354 serious juvenile offenders for 7 years after they had been adjudicated or convicted and examined the factors that caused these young offenders to continue, reduce, or stop offending. It describes how longer juvenile sentences, community-based supervision and aftercare, and substance abuse treatment may affect reoffending.

Resources:
"Highlights From Pathways to Desistance: A Longitudinal Study of Serious Adolescent Offenders" (NCJ 230971) is available at http://www.ojjdp.gov/publications/PubAbstract.asp?pubi=253020.

 

Washington, D.C. – New Report Shows Trend of Nearly Half the States Changing or Considering Change More than 20 states in the United States have changed or are considering changes to their policies around trying kids as adults according to a new report, State Trends: Legislative Changes from 2005-2010 Removing Youth from the Adult Criminal Justice System, released today by the Campaign for Youth Justice.

State Trends highlights the policy changes by examining the impact that the reforms have already had, as well as showcasing states currently contemplating reforms. In the past 5 years, 15 states have changed their state policies and at least another 9 are underway with active policy reform efforts. The report starts with an overview of the major problems that result from trying youth in adult criminal court, and then examines four distinct ways that States and local jurisdictions are changing the politics of youth crime.

In this report we have identified four specific types of trends:
• States and Local Jurisdictions Remove Youth from Adult Jails and Prisons
• States Raise the Age of Juvenile Court Jurisdiction
• States Change Transfer Laws to Keep More Youth in Juvenile Court
• States Rethink Sentencing Laws for Youth

The following states are included in these trends: Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Maine, Mississippi, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, Virginia, and Washington. Other states mentioned in the report that are on the horizon for reform are Florida, Maryland, Massachusetts, Missouri, Nebraska, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, and Wisconsin.

“State policy makers are beginning to understand the research that kids are not adults and need educational and rehabilitative services,” said Neelum Arya, State Trends Author and Research and Policy Director for the Campaign for Youth. “State Trends documents the ineffectiveness of prosecuting youth in adult criminal court and tracks the trends of returning to the original promise of the juvenile court.”

Resources: To view the full State Trends report visit: http://www.campaignforyouthjustice.org/documents/CFYJStateTrends_Report.pdf

To view a YouTube Video of State Trends report author Neelum Arya visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gajq48d8mho

 

Register Now for OJJDP's 2011 National Conference! On October 12-14, 2011, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) will host its National Conference, "Children's Justice & Safety: Unite, Build, Lead," at the Gaylord National Hotel & Convention Center in National Harbor, MD.

Workshops, plenaries, and presentations by leading experts and researchers will promote evidence-based practices that address emerging concerns in delinquency prevention, juvenile justice, and victimization. Topics will include crimes against children, anti-gang strategies, children's exposure to violence, disproportionate minority contact, girls' delinquency, tribal youth programs, emergency planning for juvenile justice, faith-based and community involvement, mentoring, truancy and bullying, and substance abuse, among others. Registration is free. Register today.

Resources:
For more information about the conference, go to http://www.ojjdp.gov/2011conference.

To register, go to http://guest.cvent.com/d/tdqbfs

 

The Council of Juvenile Correctional Administrators (CJCA) works to improve services and outcomes for youths in the juvenile justice system. Every year, CJCA publishes a national yearbook describing the juvenile corrections systems across the country. To encourage and recognize arts programming in correctional systems, and to celebrate the artistic expression of youths within these systems, CJCA holds a national art contest for the cover of our annual Yearbook publication.

This year's contest theme is "Change"
What is change? Have you experienced the challenges, power and impact of change in your life? How can personal change impact other people - friends, family, neighborhoods, communities and society as a whole? Think about these questions as inspiration for your artwork.

View the full contest details

Apply to sponsor the 2011 contest

 

In remarks to the National Association of Counties Legislative Conference on March 7, 2011, Attorney General Eric Holder discussed his vision for the future of the juvenile justice system. Holder emphasized the Department's priority on improving the effectiveness of the country's juvenile justice system, calling for an approach that combines evidence-based research and comprehensive community partnerships.

He remarked, "I believe that the best—and most targeted—solutions won't be imposed from on high. And they won't be born of a single county-level effort. They will be shared solutions, created together—after rigorous scientific evaluation and innovative resource levering."

Resources:

Read the full speech at http://www.justice.gov/iso/opa/ag/speeches/2011/ag-speech-110307.html.

 

The Coalition for Juvenile Justice (CJJ) is pleased to announce its national spring conference in Washington, DC on May 20-24, 2011 at the Liaison Capitol Hill Hotel. Each year, CJJ hosts a national conference uniquely focused on improving juvenile justice and delinquency prevention systems, services, practices and policies. The theme for the 2011 conference is “Fair & Equal Justice: Alternative Sentences and Sanctions for Youth.” More than 250 juvenile justice practitioners and advocates from across the U.S. and its territories are expected to attend.

CJJ invites presentation proposals for concurrent workshops to be held on Monday, May 23rd. Deadline for submission of presentation proposals is March 11, 2011, 5 pm EST; contact Mark Ferrante at ferrante@juvjusitice.org for more information.

Resources:
For more information about CJJ's Annual Spring Conference visit http://www.juvjustice.org/conference11.html
For more information about submitting presentation proposals visit http://www.juvjustice.org/media/resources/public/resource_554.pdf

 

The National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention has a new website! Come take a look at the new website from the public-private partnership addressing the preventable public health problem of suicide. It offers the latest news and information about the Action Alliance to the general public, suicide prevention community, media, policymakers, and other key stakeholders in suicide prevention.

Resources:
Visit this new website at http://actionallianceforsuicideprevention.org/ and Sign up for the Action Alliance newsletter to receive quarterly updates on this tremendous suicide prevention initiative. The first issue will be coming soon!

 

The National Institute of Corrections (NIC) currently has funding available for technical assistance to help states and facilities implement the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) and/or prepare for the PREA standards to be promulgated by the US Attorney General. Technical assistance may be used for all issues related to PREA, including: investigative training, policy development, staff training, youth assessment and placement, gender-responsive training and other operations.

Resources:
For more information or to request technical assistance, please contact Dee Halley at dhalley@bop.gov.

 

The Center for Juvenile Justice Reform at Georgetown University‘s Public Policy Institute has announced its 2011 Juvenile Justice and Child Welfare: Multi-System Integration Certificate Program for Public Sector Leaders. The program is designed to advance cross systems work to improve outcomes for youth involved in the juvenile justice and child welfare systems. Participants will attend a week-long program in Washington, DC where they will be taught by expert faculty on topics including multi-system integration (information sharing and joint case assessment, planning and management), developing collaborative leadership skills, the effective use of communication strategies, reducing disproportionality in the child welfare and juvenile justice systems, and more. After the program, participants will develop a Capstone Project to implement systems reform in their home jurisdiction. The Certificate Program is designed for public agency leaders at the state, local, tribal and national levels within the juvenile justice, child welfare, education, behavioral health and related systems of care who are committed to cross systems efforts. In order to enhance the possibility of implementing cross systems change after returning from the program, applicants from the same jurisdiction are encouraged to apply as “mini-teams.”

Certificate Program for Public Sector Leaders is held July 15 to July 21, 2011 Georgetown University Washington, DC Application Due: March 31, 2011

Resources:
For more information and to apply, please visit http://cjjr.georgetown.edu/certprogs/public/certificatepublic.html or email CJJR at jjreform@georgetown.edu.

 

Gail Wasserman and her colleagues from the Center for the Promotion of Mental Health in Juvenile Justice at Columbia University published an important new study that was released just this week in Criminal Justice and Behavior: "Psychiatric Disorder, Comorbidity, and Suicidal Behavior in Juvenile Justice Youth." It may be the best source of information yet on the prevalence of substance abuse and mental health disorders among youth in the juvenile justice system.

Resources: This study is available online at http://cjb.sagepub.com/content/37/12/1361.abstract.

 

Juvenile Justice Matters, a production of the Campaign for Youth Justice, will preview the incredible story of Nashville’s Cyntoia Brown on Thursday, Feb. 24 at 4:30 pm EST. This 30-minute live radio show will discuss the upcoming documentary, Me Facing Life: Cyntoia’s Story. Brown is a young woman currently serving a life sentence for a murder she committed at age 16. Joining us on the program will be the Film’s Director Daniel H. Birman and Cyntonia’s adoptive mother Ellenette Brown.

Resources:
More Information on this preview can be found at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/jjmatters

 

The National Center for Education Statistics has published a report that provides high school dropout and completion rates in the United States between 1972 and 2008. Data also present students' age, sex, and race/ethnicity, and the rates of on-time graduation from high school. Findings show that approximately 3 million 16–24 year-olds were not enrolled in high school or had not earned a high school diploma or alternative credential by October 2008.

Resources: View the full report, "Trends in High School Dropout and Completion Rates in the United States: 1972–2008" at http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2011012.

 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – House Appropriations Chairman Hal Rogers today announced a partial list of 70 spending cuts that will be included in an upcoming Continuing Resolution (CR) bill. The CR legislation will fund the federal government for the seven months remaining in the fiscal year and prevent a government wide shut-down, while significantly reducing the massive increases in discretionary spending enacted in the last several years by a Democrat majority. A full list of program cuts will be released when the bill is formally introduced.

The total spending cuts in the CR will exceed $74 billion, including $58 billion in non-security discretionary spending reductions. The statement by Chairman Rogers on these cuts follows:

“Never before has Congress undertaken a task of this magnitude. The cuts in this CR will represent the largest reduction in discretionary spending in the history of our nation.

The DOJ programs cut are: ONDCP -$69M Drug Intelligence Center -$11 Law Enforcement Wireless Communications -$52 US Marshals Service -$10M FBI -$74M State and Local Law Enforcement Assistance -$256M Juvenile Justice -$2.3M COPS -$600M

Resources:
More information is available at: http://appropriations.house.gov/index.cfm?FuseAction=PressReleases.Detail&PressRelease_id=259

 

The National Council of La Raza (NCLR) recently released a white paper on the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974, "Reauthorizing the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act: The Impact on Latino Youth" By Marguerite Moeller. This white paper analyzes the impact on Latino youth of the JJDPA and provides recommendations for a reauthorization of the law that takes a rational approach to juvenile justice and strengthens the well-being of Latino youth.

 

The National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center) today released a new report, "The Transition to Adulthood: How States Can Support Older Youth in Foster Care", which provides states with strategies for supporting foster youth as they age out of the foster care system and transition to adulthood.

Resources:
The Transition to Adulthood: How States Can Support Older Youth in Foster Care is now available at http://www.nga.org/Files/pdf/1012FOSTERCARE.PDF.

 

In an op-ed published February 1, 2011, in the Baltimore Sun, Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Justice Programs Laurie Robinson and the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention's Acting Administrator Jeff Slowikowski discuss how the use of scared straight programs to prevent delinquency is ineffective and can harm youth.

Robinson and Slowikowski comment on a study by Anthony Petrosino and researchers at the Campbell Collaboration, which analyzed results from nine scared straight programs and found that participants were up to 28 percent more likely to offend in the future. As a result of such evidence, the U.S. Department of Justice does not support scared straight-style programs, and instead focuses on programs that research has proven effective, such as mentoring programs, which use positive relationships to modify youth's behavior.

Robinson and Slowikowski write, "The fact that [scared straight] programs are still being touted as effective, despite stark evidence to the contrary, is troubling."

Resources:
Read the full article at http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2011-01-31/news/bs-ed-scared-straight-201101311straight-type-programs-straight-program-youths.

 

The Justice Department today released a proposed rule that aims to prevent and respond to sexual abuse in incarceration settings, in accordance with the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA). Based on recommendations of the National Prison Rape Elimination Commission (NPREC), the proposed rule contains four sets of national standards aimed at combating sexual abuse in four types of confinement facilities: adult prisons and jails, juvenile facilities, lockups and community confinement facilities.

A 60-day public comment period will follow publication in the Federal Register, after which the department will make revisions as warranted and the standards will be published as a final rule. The department expects the final rule will be published by the end of the year.

Resources:
The Justice Department’s complete rule can be found online at: www.ojp.usdoj.gov/programs/pdfs/prea_nprm.pdf
Following publication in the Federal Register, the proposed rule will be available at www.regulations.gov, through which comments on the proposed rule may be submitted.

 

The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) has published a Notice of its Proposed Plan for Fiscal Year (FY) 2011 in the January 12, 2011, Federal Register. The Proposed Plan describes discretionary program activities that OJJDP proposes to carry out during FY 2011. Taking into consideration comments received and its final FY 2011 appropriation, OJJDP will develop a Final Plan describing program activities that the Office intends to fund during FY 2011. The Final Plan will be published in the Federal Register. Comments on the Proposed Plan must be received by February 28, 2011, and may be submitted online or mailed to OJJDP. Online submission of comments is recommended.

Resources:
To view OJJDP's Proposed Plan and detailed guidance on submitting comments, visit ojjdp.gov/funding/FY11OJJDPProposedPlan.pdf.

Comments may be submitted online at www.regulations.gov/#!documentDetail;D=OJJDP-OJP-2011-0001-0001.

 

New Issue of Justice Research and Policy just released, Volume 12, No. 2, 2010 Is Now Available at: http://jrsa.metapress.com

This issue of JRP contains a Juvenile Justice Section with these articles:
• "Pathways to Adult Court: Does the Road Traveled Impact the Final Destination?" by Megan C. Kurlychek
• "Under Lock and Key: Trauma, Marginalization, and Girls' Juvenile Justice Involvement" by Lisa Pasko and Meda Chesny-Lind
• "Does the Gender of the Intake Probation Officer Contextualize the Treatment of Black Youth?" by Michael J. Leiber and Sarah Jane Brubaker

 

At a news conference today, Laurie O. Robinson, Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Justice Programs, joined representatives of the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) and Facebook as they announced a partnership to enable 140 million Facebook users across the country to receive AMBER Alerts via their accounts.

The AMBER Alert program works to mobilize communities to search for and rescue abducted children. In serious child abduction cases, law enforcement issues bulletins that are distributed by media, the trucking industry, the wireless industry, and Internet service providers to a targeted audience. The AMBER Alert program has been credited with recovering 525 children.

Robinson remarked, "These efforts demonstrate the high priority this Administration places on child protection. While we can't fulfill every parent's dream and completely insulate children, we can promote programs and partnerships that protect children and help bring them home."

Resources: The press conference will be streamed live and archived at www.livestream.com/facebookdclive

For more information about the AMBER Alert program, visit www.amberalert.gov.

Facebook users can sign up to get alerts by state by visiting: http://www.facebook.com/AMBERalert

 

The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) has published "Substance Use and Delinquent Behavior Among Serious Adolescent Offenders."

This bulletin presents results from the Pathways to Desistance study, which interviewed more than 1,300 juvenile offenders for the 7 years after their conviction to determine what leads them to persist in or desist from serious offending. It focuses on understanding the connection between substance use and serious offending, including how these behaviors affect one another in adolescence and how they change in early adulthood, particularly when one behavior ceases.

Resources: "Substance Use and Delinquent Behavior Among Serious Adolescent Offenders" (NCJ 232790) is available at www.ojjdp.gov/publications/PubAbstract.asp?pubi=254883

 

“Improving the Effectiveness of Juvenile Justice Programs: A New Perspective on Evidence-Based Practice,” a paper co-authored by Dr. Mark W. Lipsey, Dr. James C. (Buddy) Howell, Marion R. Kelly, Gabrielle Chapman and Darin Carver. The paper was released at a symposium on December 3.

The paper presents a new approach to evidence-based practice that has the potential to produce better outcomes for youth involved in the juvenile justice system. The paper begins with an overview of the different approaches to evidence-based practice and introduces a tool Dr. Lipsey has developed to better make use of our vast knowledge base. It then embeds this new approach within a comprehensive juvenile justice framework that will allow our increased knowledge to benefit the entire juvenile justice continuum, rather than a handful programs serving a limited number of youth.

This paper serves as a launching point for a new portfolio of work at CJJR. Beginning in January 2011, CJJR will launch the Juvenile Justice System Improvement Project to work with three states to implement the approach detailed in the paper.

Resources:
“Improving the Effectiveness of Juvenile Justice Programs: A New Perspective on Evidence-Based Practice” is available online at
http://cjjr.georgetown.edu/resources.html

 

The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) has published "Gang Prevention: An Overview of Research and Programs." The bulletin presents an overview of gang research and programs in the United States and examines how gangs form and why youth join them. It also describes how community members can start assessing their gang problems and enhance prevention and intervention activities to help prevent delinquency and gang violence. The author identifies promising and effective programs for gang prevention.

Resources:
"Gang Prevention: An Overview of Research and Programs" (NCJ 231116) is available at www.ojjdp.gov/publications/PubAbstract.asp?pubi=253165.

 

The Joyfield Institute for Professional Research will present a webinar on Evidence-based Practices for Effective Case Management

Dates: January 27 & 28, 2011
Times: 2:00 - 4:00 PM EST

Join online for this webinar presented by Mark Lowis, LMSW, MINT, President, MML Consulting, Inc. to learn evidence-based practices for this specialty area in human services.

Resources:
To learn more about this Webinar and register online, visit http://www.joyfields.org/trn/web/cm.html

 

The MacArthur Foundation December 2010 Newsletter on America's Fiscal Future is now available online at
http://www.kintera.org/cms.asp?id=1323624&campaign_id=152729&enString=x#feature

 

This special report from The American Prospect magazine Mass Incarceration in America includes essays from journalists and criminal justice experts on the policies that have contributed to the nation’s high rate of incarceration and the subsequent impact on youth and low-income communities of color in particular.

Kara Gotsch, Director of Advocacy for The Sentencing Project, contributed to the special report. Her article, “Bipartisan Justice” reviews the recent history of national criminal justice policy making, both punitive and progressive, and concludes that any movement to advance justice reform must incorporate a bipartisan strategy.

Resources:
"Mass Incarceration in America"
is available online at
http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/americanprospect/20110102specialreport/#/0

 

The Office of Justice Programs' Bureau of Justice Statistics, in collaboration with the National Center for Education Statistics, has published the report, "Indicators of School Crime and Safety: 2010"

The report draws on federally funded studies to present detailed statistical information about the crime that occurs in school and on the way to and from school. It presents data from the perspectives of students, teachers, and principals. Topics addressed include bullying, victimization, fights, weapons, drug and alcohol use by students, school conditions, and student perceptions of personal safety.

Resources:
"Indicators of School Crime and Safety: 2010" is available online at bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/content/pub/pdf/iscs10.pdf.

 

On December 14, 2010, at 2 p.m. E.T., the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office on Women's Health will present a Webinar on the effects of trauma over girls' lifespans.

Lifecourse Effects of Trauma in the Lives of Girls: Findings from the Adverse Childhood Experiences Study will explore the frequency of trauma in girls' childhood and discuss how that trauma affects women's physical and mental health and behavior. Participants will learn best practices in trauma-informed care and identify ways to integrate these practices when providing services to trauma victims.

Resources:
To learn more about this Webinar and register online, visit https://services.choruscall.com/links/womenshealth.html

 

The Federal Advisory Committee on Juvenile Justice (FACJJ) has published its 2010 Annual Report to the President and Congress. The report addresses significant issues facing our nation's juvenile justice system. Primary among its concerns, FACJJ urges reauthorization of the JJDP Act.

 

Mentoring programs have been shown to build self-esteem, enhance academic performance, and improve behavior. The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) has long supported mentoring as an effective way to prevent at-risk youth from becoming involved in delinquency.

Continuing its Be a Mentor campaign, OJJDP expects to reach some 3.5 million people through its ad in the game programs for Major League Baseball's 2010 American League and National League Championship Series and the World Series. The ad, which invites adults to "Step Up to the Plate" by becoming a mentor, will also appear in the program for the 2011 All-Star game.

A newly created page on the OJJDP Web site provides visitors with an array of resources related to mentoring.

Resources:
For information about mentoring-related resources, visit http://www.ojjdp.gov/programs/mentoring.html

 

The Department of Justice's Review Panel on Prison Rape has released its Report on Sexual Victimization in Juvenile Correction Facilities.

In compliance with the Prison Rape Elimination Act of 2003, the Review Panel conducted public hearings and gathered data based on the survey described in the Bureau of Justice Statistics report Sexual Victimization In Juvenile Facilities Reports by Youth, 2008-09.

The Review Panel's report provides observations and recommendations to assist practitioners and advocates in preventing sexual victimization in the nation's juvenile correctional facilities.

Resources:
"Report on Sexual Victimization in Juvenile Correctional Facilities" is available online at www.ojp.usdoj.gov/reviewpanel/pdfs/panelreport101014.pdf

 

On October 26, 2010, at 10:00 a.m. E.T., in Washington, DC, the Center for Evidence-Based Crime Policy will conduct the congressional briefing, "Juvenile Justice in the Age of the Second Chance Act, the Youth Promise Act, and the JJDP Reauthorization Bill: Research Guided Policy Implications for Maximizing Reentry Initiatives for Adolescents."

The 2-½-hour briefing, which is being cosponsored by the Center for Justice Leadership and Management, will be held in the Capitol Visitor Center. It will be led by Dr. Catherine Gallagher, Associate Professor, Department of Criminology, Law and Society, George Mason University, and feature briefs on key topics from 12 experts in research and policy, including staff from the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. Registration is free but required. Resources: To obtain additional information about the briefing and register online, visit gemini.gmu.edu/cebcp/Briefings/juvenilejustice.html.

 

On October 27, 2010, at 1:00 p.m. E.T. The Federal Partners in Bullying Prevention Working Group will air a Webcast on bullying prevention.

A follow up to the recent Federal Partners in Bullying Prevention Summit, the 90-minute session will feature presentations by:

• Dr. Catherine Bradshaw, Associate Director, Johns Hopkins Center for the Prevention of Youth Violence

• Kevin Jenkins, Assistant Deputy Secretary, Office of Safe and Drug Free Schools, U.S. Department of Education

• Capt. Stephanie Bryn, Director, Injury and Violence, Prevention Programs, Health Resources and Services Administration, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

A panel of individuals involved in bullying prevention efforts will discuss the challenges that they have encountered and the successes that they have achieved.

The registration deadline is October 25, 2010; however, early registration is recommended as the capacity to participate in the Webcast is limited.

Resources:
Register online at https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register827891504.

Questions regarding the Webcast or the registration process may be addressed to Andrea Massengile at amassengile@icfi.com

 

Renis Waters III returned Thursday to Jetson Center for Youth, but this time he came as a visitor to the state’s juvenile secure-care facility and not because of a judge’s orders.

Waters, 18, of Westwego, returned with his parents in tow, Nicole and Renis Waters Sr., to collect his class ring during a ceremony at the facility honoring students who earned their GEDs while serving sentences at the facility.

State Superintendent of Education Paul Pastorek was the featured speaker at the event.

But the program was run by some of Jetson’s teenage wards, all wearing dress slacks and polo shirts, who read poetry, sang songs and introduced the speakers.

The other teens who call Jetson home, all wearing T-shirts and jeans, sat attentively in the audience.

“I love these days,” said Daron Brown, director of Jetson. “We get to showcase our kids, and we’re really proud of them.”

Brown said there is no difference between other teenagers and the teenagers at Jetson, which is home to about 75 boys and young men ranging in ages from 13 to 20 who ran afoul of the law.

“Our kids have made a mistake,” Brown said. “But they’re working hard to overcome that.”

When Waters walked to the podium to get his high school class ring, the other boys cheered and applauded, almost as loudly as his parents.

“I never thought we’d see this day two years ago,” Waters’ mother said. “He was not going anywhere.”

That’s when young Waters ended up at Jetson after he fired a gun inside city limits when he was 16 years old.

“Back then, I was sleeping all of the time and just getting into trouble,” Waters said. “I decided I didn’t want to be like that anymore.”

While at Jetson, Waters said, he discovered he has artistic capabilities.

“One of his pictures was displayed in a local hotel,” his mother said. “I am so proud of him.”

And now Waters is attending classes at a college where he is focusing on art.

“He’s just changed so much,” Nicole Waters said. “And, oh my gosh, I give all of the credit to Jetson.”

She said Jetson counselors spent hours and hours of “one-on-one time” with her son, helping him work through his problems.

“This was it for him,” she said, indicating Jetson was her son’s last hope for straightening out.

But praise for the facility, which was built in the 1940s and has housed juvenile delinquents since then, has been sparse over the years.

About four years ago, Jetson was removed from federal court supervision, where it was placed in the late 1990s because of violence and abuse.

During the past two years, great strides have been made to reform the facility, said Jerel Giarrusso, a spokeswoman for the state Office of Juvenile Justice.

Gone are the razor wire fences that once surrounded each building. Now there are picnic tables on grassy areas landscaped with flowers, trees and shrubs.

Also gone are the color-coded T-shirts that identified what offense each boy committed, including sex offenders.

Another significant change is the number of boys. Only a few years ago, more than 200 boys were housed there; now, that’s been reduced to about 75.

The facility now is operated using a therapeutic approach rather than a correctional approach, Giarrusso said.

“Things are just much, much better out here,” she said.

Source:
http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/103686579.html?showAll=y&c=y

 

The Washington State Institute for Public Policy (Institute) has recently posted the following publications online:

http://www.wsipp.wa.gov/rptfiles/10-08-3401.pdf

The Institute was directed by the 2001 Washington State Legislature to “conduct a longitudinal study of long-term [mental health] client outcomes to assess any changes in client status at two, five, and ten years.” This latest report discusses supported employment and housing outcomes for Washington’s public mental health consumers.

The study discusses that employment history, diagnosis, and functioning all predict the likelihood of employment after treatment; earnings for employed adults remain low; and supported employment and housing programs can improve outcomes for clients if implemented according to recommended guidelines.

 

The National Academy for State Health Policy is pleased to announce that we are hosting a preconference session on juvenile justice and behavioral health issues in conjunction with our 23rd Annual State Health Policy Conference on Monday, October 4th in New Orleans, LA. A brief description is below and the session agenda can be found at: http://www.nashpconference.org/agenda/preconferences/. We hope you will share this with your networks and others!

Preconference Description: Young people in the juvenile justice system are among our nation's most vulnerable, facing many behavioral and physical health care problems. In order to meet the complex needs of these youth, states engage multiple systems of care, including Medicaid, mental health and even child welfare systems. During this day-long session participants will have the opportunity to engage in interactive sessions that explore successful models for delivering evidence-based strategies; the role officials and policymakers have in administering these programs in a health reform environment; and promising practices that address the challenges associated with building state, local, and community-based collaborations. Speakers will include state and national experts working to improve the health and well-being of juvenile justice-involved youth. This preconference is geared toward policymakers, officials, researchers and advocates from juvenile justice, mental health, substance abuse, and Medicaid.

 

Originally released online in 2008, the OJJDP bulletin "Juvenile Transfer Laws: An Effective Deterrent to Delinquency?" is now available for the first time in print.

The bulletin provides an overview of research on the deterrent effects of transferring youth from juvenile to criminal courts, focusing on large-scale, comprehensive, OJJDP-funded studies on the effect of transfer laws on recidivism. The information it provides should help inform public discussion and policy decisions.

Resources:

"Juvenile Transfer Laws: An Effective Deterrent to Delinquency?" is available online at: http://www.ojjdp.ncjrs.gov/publications/PubAbstract.asp?pubi=242419.

Print copies can be ordered online from the National Criminal Justice Reference Service.

 

The Justice Policy Institute has released "Healing Invisible Wounds: Why Investing in Trauma-Informed Care for Children Makes Sense."

The brief examines the relationship between childhood trauma and involvement in the juvenile justice system. According to the brief, while research shows that up to 34 percent of children in the United States have experienced at least one traumatic event, between 75 and 93 percent of youth entering the juvenile justice system annually are estimated to have experienced some degree of trauma.

Resources:
"Healing Invisible Wounds: Why Investing in Trauma-Informed Care for Children Makes Sense" is available online at www.justicepolicy.org/images/upload/10-07REPHealingInvisibleWounds_JJ-PS.pdf. For further information about the brief, see the Justice Policy Institute's press release at www.justicepolicy.org/content-hmID=1811&smID=1581&ssmID=102.htm#press.

 

Treating Juveniles in Community-Based Programs and Downsizing Institutions Most Cost-Effective Way to Rehabilitate Youth

WASHINGTON, D.C. - With many states facing alarming budget shortfalls, now is the time for cost-effective strategies to improve and shrink juvenile justice systems, according to a new report from the National Juvenile Justice Network (NJJN). The Real Costs and Benefits of Change: Finding Opportunities for Reform During Difficult Fiscal Times, explores an array of reforms that states have successfully utilized to improve outcomes for youth, increase public safety, and reduce costs.

The report highlights concrete strategies, both substantive and tactical, that have been proven to save states money and treat youth more appropriately and effectively. One such strategy is to adopt a fiscal realignment model, through which states provide incentives to encourage localities to treat young offenders through community- and evidence-based programs, and decrease their use of costly state-funded juvenile prison beds. Programs such as this in Ohio, Wisconsin, Illinois, and California have saved states significant amounts of money while improving outcomes for kids.

"Rather than indiscriminately cutting juvenile justice funding, we can use the current budget crisis as an opportunity to serve youth better by rethinking our current modes of spending," says Betsy Clarke, co-chair of NJJN. "By spending wisely, states can both save money and have better outcomes for youth, families and communities." NJJN also uses the report to demonstrate the cost-effectiveness of "downsizing" through closing youth correctional centers or lowering detention populations. Oregon, Rhode Island, Washington, and New Mexico, all have realized significant savings from downsizing. A growing body of research also points to the harmful effects of institutionalization on youth and the effectiveness of community-based programming. Studies have found that placing youth in "training schools" and other juvenile facilities increases their chance of future delinquent and adult criminal behavior, disrupts normal development and educational progress, and negatively impacts short- and long-term employment opportunities for youth.

According to Abby Anderson, co-chair of NJJN, the urgency of the changes cited in the report has been heightened by the current fiscal crisis. While many of these reforms were instituted before the current financial meltdown, their cost-savings benefits have become even more salient.

"This is documented proof that states must stop wasteful spending on archaic and expensive juvenile prisons, which can cost as much as $800 a day, or more than $290,000 per year to house just one youth," said Anderson. "Not only are these practices expensive, but they are also ineffective. The juvenile justice system's goal should be rehabilitation, and we know that community-based services are much more effective in helping kids get back on track."

NJJN urges advocates to help educate their local policymakers around the expense and disastrous effects of juvenile institutions and with the existence of sensible alternatives that will both achieve cost-cutting goals and increase public safety.

About the National Juvenile Justice Network: The National Juvenile Justice Network is a membership organization of state-based juvenile justice coalitions and organizations that advocate for state and federal laws, policies and practices that are fair, equitable and developmentally appropriate for all children, youth and families involved in, or at risk of becoming involved in, the justice system. For more information about NJJN, please visit www.njjn.org and/or email info@njjn.org.

 

The National Center for Juvenile Justice has published "Juvenile Court Statistics, 2006-2007," which was developed with funding from the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. Drawing on data from the National Juvenile Court Data Archive, the report profiles the nearly 1.7 million delinquency cases handled each year by U.S. courts with juvenile jurisdiction in 2006 and 2007. It also describes trends in delinquency cases processed by juvenile courts between 1985 and 2007 and status offense cases handled between 1995 and 2007.

Resources:
"Juvenile Court Statistics 2006-2007" is available online, via OJJDP's Statistical Briefing Book, at: ojjdp.ncjrs.gov/ojstatbb/publications/StatBBAbstract.asp?BibID=252137.

 

A recent publication about the development of the Juvenile Relational Inquiry Tool in the Child Welfare League of America's publication. Read full article here.

 

The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) has released four fact sheets providing data derived from the report "Juvenile Court Statistics 2006-2007." Resources:

• "Delinquency Cases in Juvenile Court, 2007" is available online at: ojjdp.ncjrs.gov/publications/PubAbstract.asp?pubi=252200.
• "Delinquency Cases Waived to Criminal Court, 2007" is available online at: ojjdp.ncjrs.gov/publications/PubAbstract.asp?pubi=252199.
• "Juvenile Delinquency Probation Caseload, 2007" is available online at: ojjdp.ncjrs.gov/publications/PubAbstract.asp?pubi=252202.
• "Person Offense Cases in Juvenile Court, 2007" is available online at: ojjdp.ncjrs.gov/publications/PubAbstract.asp?pubi=252201.

Print copies of "Delinquency Cases in Juvenile Court, 2007" may be ordered at www.ncjrs.gov/App/ShoppingCart/ShopCart.aspx?item=NCJ+230168.

 

The top priority of all directors, managers and staff of juvenile facilities is ensuring safety – public safety in the community and the safety of youths and staff within facilities. The personal commitment to youths’ safety by juvenile correctional professionals is magnified by the parens patriae role assumed by agency and facility staff as guardians of youths committed to their custody by courts. The systemic commitment to safety is the critical  foundation for establishing a safe environment necessary for effective rehabilitative programming, skill development and education to prevent future crime. With these guiding principles as introduction of our organization’s philosophy, the Council of Juvenile Correctional Administrators (CJCA) respectfully submits the comments below to the proposed Standards for the Prevention, Detection, Response and Monitoring of Sexual Abuse in Juvenile Facilities as proposed by the National Prison Rape Elimination Commission (NPREC.) Read more.

Submitted to Department of Justice by CJCA on May 10, 2010.

 

Georgetown Public Policy Institute's Center for Juvenile Justice Reform has released the paper "Addressing the Unmet Educational Needs of Children and Youth in the Juvenile Justice and Child Welfare Systems."

Written by Peter Leone, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, and Lois Weinberg, California State University, Los Angeles, CA, the paper reviews educational barriers encountered by youth involved in the juvenile justice and child welfare systems and describes recent legal and policy reforms.

Promising practices and evidence-based interventions to improve educational outcomes for these system-involved youth are also provided.

Resources:
"Addressing the Unmet Educational Needs of Children and Youth in the Juvenile Justice and Child Welfare Systems" is available online at cjjr.georgetown.edu/pdfs/ed/edpaper.pdf.

 

The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) has published "Conditions of Confinement: Findings From the Survey of Youth in Residential Placement."

The third in a publication series derived from findings from the Survey of Youth in Residential Placement, this OJJDP bulletin describes the characteristics of the facilities in which youth are confined and the programs that serve them.

Resources:
"Conditions of Confinement: Findings From the Survey of Youth in Residential Placement" (NCJ 227729) is available online at ojjdp.ncjrs.gov/publications/PubAbstract.asp?pubi=249736.

Print copies may be ordered at
www.ncjrs.gov/App/ShoppingCart/ShopCart.aspx?item=NCJ+227729.

For an overview of the series, see "Introduction to the Survey of Youth in Residential Placement" at ojjdp.ncjrs.gov/publications/PubAbstract.asp?pubi=240090.

 

The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) has published "Youth's Needs and Services: Findings From the Survey of Youth in Residential Placement."

The Survey of Youth in Residential Placement is the first national study to gather information on youth in custody by surveying detained offenders. The second in a series, the bulletin reports on the survey's findings on youth in custody's needs and the services they receive.

Resources:
"Youth's Needs and Services: Findings From the Survey of Youth in Residential Placement" is available online at ojjdp.ncjrs.gov/publications/PubAbstract.asp?pubi=249735.

Print copies may be ordered at www.ncjrs.gov/App/ShoppingCart/ShopCart.aspx?item=NCJ+227728.

For an overview of the series, see "Introduction to the Survey of Youth in Residential Placement" at ojjdp.ncjrs.gov/publications/PubAbstract.asp?pubi=240090.