Blog: Juvenile Justice Reform

States Cut Juvenile Justice Budgets: Who Wins?

By Claudia Rowe, March 16 2011

juvenile-justice-system_dark-stairwayIn low-income communities already reeling with double-digit unemployment, news that your state plans to trim several million dollars from juvenile corrections might not cause much outcry except for the loss of jobs. But consider the implications.
With states from Florida to California closing youth prisons, thousands of young people needing jobs, education services or drug treatment will be coming home. Yet little of the savings will go into funding such programs. Instead, youth advocates across the country fear that teens-in-trouble will be essentially cut adrift. This could add new pressures to already-stressed communities and leave many to balance public safety against the needs of young offenders and their families. 
Certainly, the $5.7 billion spent each year to lock up some 90,000 kids could be better spent. Recidivism rates are miserable – in many cases, worse than adult corrections – despite costs that can top $200-a-day for each incarcerated youth. What works with most court-involved teens, experts say, is a combination of family therapy, drug or mental health treatment, and employment. None of those things, however, are on the books.

Topics: Juvenile Justice Reform, No bio box, Public Policy

Peer Reviewers Wanted for 2011 Tribal Grants

By Benjamin Chambers, March 16 2011

juvenile-justice-system_glasses-on-paperWant to serve as a peer reviewer on the U.S. Department of Justice's Coordinated Tribal Assistance Solicitation for fiscal year 2011? 

The U.S. Department of Justice is currently recruiting Indian country professionals to serve as peer reviewers for the FY 2011 Coordinated Tribal Assistance Solicitation. Applicants should be knowledgeable about tribal cultural beliefs, traditions, and practices, and must be able to demonstrate expertise in an issue relevant to the grant applications being reviewed. Topics will include community policing, tribal court development and administration, child sexual abuse, elder abuse, juvenile detention and reentry programming, developing and operating housing programs for victims of violence against women, and more.

Interested individuals already in the OJP Peer Reviewer Database need only make sure their current profile is up to date, reflecting any applicable tribal experience. Individuals new to the peer review process may submit a copy of their curriculum vitae or r—êsum—ê for consideration to Vicky.Tsaparas@usdoj.gov. All non-federal reviewers will be compensated for their work. CTAS will close on April 21, 2011, at 9:00 p.m. E.T.; however, peer reviewer recruitment will continue in support of funding opportunities available in the Office of Justice Programs.

More Information:

>> Tribal justice and safety
>> Peer review requirements
 

Topics: Juvenile Justice Reform, No bio box

National Juvenile Justice Network Launches Fiscal Policy Center; Seeks Applicants for Budget Analyst

By Benjamin Chambers, March 16 2011

In December, I met with Sarah Bryer, Executive Director of the National Juvenile Justice Network (NJJN), and asked her what it was planning for the coming months. You can see her answer in the video above -- tools for local sites to help them push juvenile justice reform during the fiscal downturn. 
 
Now, the NJJN is about to launch a new Fiscal Policy Center. Here's what they say about it: 

Topics: Juvenile Justice Reform, No bio box, Public Policy

Adolescents: What's the Difference Between Assessing "Risk" and "Need"?

By Evan Elkin_2, March 15 2011

juvenile-justice-reform_completed-your-risk-assessment-signWhen it comes to assessing young people in the juvenile justice system, does the difference between “risk assessment” and “needs assessment” seem overly academic or technical to you?
It's actually very important.
Why? Because the lack of clarity about this distinction, and the tendency to conflate risk of delinquency with treatment need are obstacles to establishing a more strength-based and therapeutically informed attitude and process in juvenile justice systems around the country.

Topics: Adolescent Substance Abuse Treatment, Juvenile Justice Reform, No bio box

Juvenile Justice System Improvement Project: Apply Now

By Benjamin Chambers, March 15 2011

juvenile-justice-reform_hand-with-penI've written several times about the excellent work done by Dr. Mark Lipsey, his colleagues, and the Center for Juvenile Justice Reform (CJJR) at Georgetown to help local jurisdictions do a better job of providing evidence-backed services in their juvenile justice systems. Here's your chance to benefit. 
Background
Dr. Lipsey's research team drew on almost 50 years' worth of studies on what works in juvenile justice to develop principles of effective programming.
Then they partnered with Georgetown's Center for Juvenile Justice Reform (CJJR), led by Shay Bilchik, to create the Juvenile Justice System Improvement Project (JJSIP), which -- according to the official announcement from CJJR -- "embeds [those principles] 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."
Your State Can Benefit
Three states will be chosen to participate in an intensive training, followed by 18 months of technical assistance to implement this approach.

Topics: Juvenile Justice Reform, No bio box

Got a Juvenile Drug Court? Let CSAT Know!

By Benjamin Chambers, March 14 2011

juvenie-drug-courts_census-signHow many juvenile drug courts are there in the United States?  The Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT) at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Admininstration (SAMHSA) wants to know by March 17, 2011.
Here's the announcement -- please note that you do not need to be a CSAT grantee to qualify or participate:

We are writing to request your help with an important data inquiry. In order to enhance SAMHSA/CSAT’s programmatic and advocacy efforts concerning adolescent substance abuse treatment and recovery, we are seeking to update our knowledge concerning the number of juvenile drug courts in the United States.
 
To help us close this knowledge gap, we are asking all of our current JTDC grantees to reply to this email with a listing of any juvenile drug courts that you and your organization are aware of. Please complete and return the attached template with your reply.
 
The term “juvenile drug court” means a specially designed court calendar or docket within a juvenile court to which youth having problems with alcohol and/or other drugs are referred; a separate or special jurisdiction court is neither necessary nor encouraged. The juvenile drug court judge maintains close oversight of each case, and both leads and works as a member of a team that comprises representatives from treatment, juvenile justice, social services, school and vocational training programs, law enforcement, probation, the prosecution and the defense.
 
Please complete the attached document and send your replies to (adlist@jbsinternational.com) no later than March 17, 2011. Thank you in advance for any assistance with this important inquiry that you and your agency can provide!

(Hat tip to Christa Myers.)

Topics: Adolescent Substance Abuse Treatment, Juvenile Justice Reform, Juvenile Treatment Drug Court, No bio box

Is the Juvenile Justice System "Improving Lives or Devastating Them?" and More: a Roundup

By Benjamin Chambers, March 11 2011

  • juvenile-justice-system_old-TVIs the Juvenile Justice System "Improving Lives or Devastating Them?" U.S. Attorney General Asks
    Attorney General Eric Holder wants to see the juvenile justice system shift from prosecution and punishment to prevention and intervention, as he made clear in a March 7th speech to the National Association of Counties Legislative Conference. Among other things, he pointed to the evidence showing that "scared straight programs" are ineffective, and the high rate of sexual victimization of detained youth. 
     
  • States Try Fewer Youth in Adult Court  
    Only a few states -- New York and North Carolina among them -- continue to treat 16-year-olds as adults when it comes to the justice system. Money's an issue, because it's more expensive to try them in the juvenile justice system. However, a new analysis from the Vera Institute of Justice finds that the fiscal benefits outweigh the costs.
  • States Back Away From Punitive Drug Laws
    The high cost of imprisoning low-level drug offenders is adding momentum to efforts to reform punitive drug laws that incarcerate people without addressing their underlying treatment problem.

Topics: Juvenile Justice Reform, No bio box, Positive Youth Development, Public Policy, Resources, Scared Straight, Youth Engagement

How Juvenile Probation Officers Identify Youth Mental Health Needs

By Gail Wasserman Ph.D., March 11 2011

juvenile-justice-system_broken-pencil-crumpled-paperA few weeks ago, my colleague, Jeff Butts, discussed here the implications of our recent study of rates of psychiatric disorder in almost 10,000 young persons at various levels of penetration of the justice system. (Here's the original study: "Psychiatric Disorder, Comorbidity, and Suicidal Behavior in Juvenile Justice Youth.")
He drew attention to our finding that, when evaluated in a standard way, approximately 35% of young persons at system entry (i.e., entering the juvenile justice system via probation or family court processing) met criteria for a mental health or substance use disorder.

In that work, we relied on a well-validated, computerized, instrument which aggregates a youth’s answers to specific questions about symptoms to generate a set of provisional psychiatric disorders (the DISC-IV). But what happens about identifying mental health problems in settings where such research activities are not in place?

Topics: Adolescent Mental Health, Adolescent Substance Abuse Treatment, Juvenile Justice Reform, No bio box, Research Updates

What is the Real Cost of Trying Teens as Adults?

By Sonya Ziaja J.D., March 09 2011

juvenile-justice-system_empty-jail-cellsThe New York Times reported March 5 that the national trend of trying teens as adults in criminal cases is reversing. Almost all states have raised, or are raising, the age teens are tried as adults. The opposition to this trend argues that it is too costly to try teens as minors.

The generally accepted assumption is that states save money by trying teens in adult criminal court, rather than in juvenile courts. But is this assumption really true in the long run? What is the real cost of trying teens as adults?

Certainly, in the short-term, the more involved and supportive approach of juvenile courts may cost more than criminal courts. Juvenile courts emphasize treatment rather than punishment. That focus can mean that more people are employed in the care and rehabilitation of offenders in juvenile court than in the adult counterpart. 
These costs, however, yield long-term benefits. Youth and society benefit from supportive rehabilitation. And states can make back the money from that initial investment. A recent study by the Vera Institute on the cost of raising the age of juvenile jurisdiction in North Carolina found that with an investment of $70.9 million a year to include 16 year olds in juvenile court, the state would accrue “$123.1 million in reoccurring benefits to youth, victims, and taxpayers over the long term.”

Topics: Juvenile Court, Juvenile Justice Reform, No bio box, Public Policy

Georgia Could Become “Asylum State” for Juvenile Delinquents

By Ryan Schill - J..., March 09 2011

juvenile-justice-system_FenceGeorgia is set to become the go-to state for delinquent juveniles trying to escape the system.  If legislation is not passed in this session of the General Assembly, Georgia will become the only state without pending legislation to enact the new Interstate Compact for Juveniles (ICJ), an agreement that allows for the transfer of delinquent juveniles and runaways between states.

The potential implications are enormous.  Without an agreement with other states, Georgia will have no mechanism for sending delinquent kids from other states back home or for registering teen sex offenders who cross the border into Georgia, according to Rick Masters, General Counsel for the Interstate Commission for Juveniles, in Lexington, Ky., the governing body of the ICJ,

The ICJ replaces and updates a compact established in 1955 that Georgia was a member of.   Currently, Georgia still operates under the framework for the old compact, but the transition period expires on June 30, 2011.  After that date, Georgia will no longer be able to do business with member-states of the ICJ.

Topics: Juvenile Justice Reform, No bio box, Public Policy

The National Parent Caucus; Meeting the Needs of Forgotten Families

By Grace Bauer, March 09 2011

juvenile-justice-reform_forget-backwardsBeginning in 1998, with my son's first arrest at the age of 12, I embarked on a journey that I was ill-equipped to handle. When I gave birth to my children, I had high hopes and dreams for them -- this arrest and the succeeding problems that lay ahead for him were never a part of those hopes and dreams.
I, like most family members who find themselves involved in the juvenile and criminal justice systems, was incredibly naive and made decisions based on what system professionals told me, never considering that it wasn't their job to help my son. Those decisions set a predictable course for my son, for those with knowledge and understanding, that would leave him emotionally and physically scarred for the rest of his life. I made those decisions without an understanding of what they meant for him or a conception of what it meant to have a "system-involved" child.  For the next three years, I walked this path alone in confusion and isolation. 

I sat through meetings where professionals talked about my son and I said nothing, because they presented themselves as the experts and seldom asked me anything. I sat in court rooms in front of a judge without an attorney or advocate, because I was told an attorney would only slow down my son getting the help he needed, and I believed this lie to be the truth. I sat outside the court house on the day my son was adjudicated as a delinquent and sent to a far-off facility because my legs would not carry me away from my baby, and still believed that I had done what was right. I sat by the phone for days, awaiting a call from the facility to inform me of where my son would be placed and when I would be able to visit.

Topics: Family Involvement, Juvenile Justice Reform, No bio box

Apply Now for NJJN Youth Justice Leadership Institute

By Benjamin Chambers, March 07 2011

"It's important that people really do understand that this void in [juvenile justice reform] leadership really is a hindrance ..."
-Diana Onley-Campbell, Program Manager, NJJN Youth Justice Leadership Institute
 
The National Juvenile Justice Network (NJJN) is seeking applicants for its new Youth Justice Leadership Institute. For a quick introduction to what the institute is and why it's critical to juvenile justice reform, check out my 6-minute interview with Ms. Onley-Campbell above, conducted in December, 2010. (Sorry the audio isn't quite in synch - I'm having extended technical difficulties - but I figured it worked well enough to get the point across.)

Topics: Family Involvement, Juvenile Justice Reform, No bio box

Justice for an Awful Juvenile Court Judge, and More: Roundup

By Benjamin Chambers, March 04 2011

Topics: Adolescent Substance Abuse Treatment, Funding, Juvenile Justice Reform, News, No bio box

OJJDP Funding: Mentoring for Juveniles Leaving Secure Confinement

By Benjamin Chambers, March 04 2011

juvenile-justice-system_funding-smartiesThe Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) is offering grants to support mentoring for youth  leaving secure facilities. One-time awards of up to $625,000 will be made for a project period of up to three years. (Hat tip to Mark Fulop.) 
From the call for proposals: "The purpose of this initiative is to support the successful and safe transition of juvenile offenders from correctional facilities to their communities. To this end, OJJDP will provide funding to develop, implement, and expand mentoring programs and transitional services. OJJDP expects successful applicants to integrate best practices and proven principles into mentoring service models, develop strategies to recruit and maintain mentors, and assess and develop services to respond to the needs of youth offenders reentering their communities. Local community collaboratives should lead such programs, design them to address local needs, and use local resources. If local resources are not available, the program should obtain resources outside of the community through partnerships and other collaborative efforts.
Application deadline: May 2, 2011. 
[UPDATE March 11, 2011:  Got questions?  Check the FAQ.]

Topics: Juvenile Justice Reform, Juvenile Reentry, No bio box, Positive Youth Development, Youth Engagement

For Youth Removed From Home, Is it Helpful to Meet with Parents Not in Recovery?

By Benjamin Chambers, March 03 2011

juvenile-justice-system_question-mark-spray-paintedRecently, I posted a question from a juvenile justice professional about what the research said about possible harm done to youth who visit their family members in juvenile detention or prison. We got an answer to that one, but it raised a new question from someone else:

What about children who are removed by either family or the state from parents who are addicted to drugs and have previously exposed the child to unsafe situations as well as neglect? 
Is it beneficial or harmful to the child for the absent parent who is addicted to substances to allow visitation, knowing that the parent will be intoxicated at the time of visitation?  And does age make a difference?  Is it different for a 5 year old vs a 12 year old? 
Any info would be appreciated.

What do you think? Anyone know what the research says about this?  Please share, and I'll post what I learn -- leave a comment, drop me an email, or start a discussion in our LinkedIn group, "Juvenile Justice Reform and Adolescent Substance Abuse Treatment." 

Topics: Evidence-Based Practices, Juvenile Justice Reform, No bio box

Interview: Implementing Multidimensional Family Therapy for Teens in the Justice System

By Benjamin Chambers, March 01 2011

adolescent-substance-abuse-treatment_MDFT-coverMultidimensional Family Therapy (MDFT) is an evidence-based practice for working with adolescents struggling with substance abuse – the manual can be downloaded from SAMHSA for free. (SAMHSA is the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.) One of five treatment protocols developed and tested in the past decade by SAMHSA, it has been shown to be clinically and cost-effective.
As it happens, the creator of MDFT, Dr. Howard A. Liddle, Ed.D., will be doing a webinar for us on family engagement on April 30, 2011, at 11 am PST / 12 pm CST / 2 pm EST. You can learn more and register for it on our webinars page.
Dr. Liddle told me recently that there was an MDFT program operating in Portland, Oregon, where I live, so I set up an interview with Deena Corso, who is a clinical supervisor in the Juvenile Treatment Services unit at the Department of Community Justice (DCJ) in Multnomah County, Oregon. (Deena and I were co-workers when I was employed there between 2000 and 2007.)
 

Benjamin: What are the top reasons to implement MDFT?
Deena: We picked MDFT as our treatment model because it's an evidence-based practice, effective at reducing substance abuse and delinquent behavior for populations that looked like ours. We’d had a Multi-Systemic Therapy [MST] program for many years with good outcomes, but budget cuts forced us to look for an alternative, and once we looked at the research, we decided on MDFT. 

Topics: Adolescent Mental Health, Adolescent Substance Abuse Treatment, Evidence-Based Practices, Juvenile Justice Reform, No bio box

Hip Hop for Prevention and Therapy: Are There More Examples from the Juvenile Justice System?

By Benjamin Chambers, February 28 2011

juvenile-justice-system_H.Y.P.E.-coverjuvenile-justice-system_hip-hop2prevent-coverMaybe it's just me, but I don't hear very often about hip hop in services aimed at youth in the juvenile justice system or in prevention programming. If it is rare, that's strange, since hip hop matters to a lot of youth, not least because it's a key avenue for self-expression.
So here's a couple examples I'm aware of, where hip hop is a key part of the intervention.
First, you may have heard about H.Y.P.E. hip hop therapy (Helping Young People Thru Empowerment), a curriculum in which a mental health therapist in Stone Mountain, Georgia, incorporates hip hop into counseling sessions with African-American teen males. Her approach -- which has been turned into a book you can buy for $20 (click on the image on the far left)-- has been featured in JET magazine, on NPR, and on television. I'm not certain if it's been evaluated. (Hat tip to the Juvenile Justice Information Exchange.)
Second, when I was at the Joint Meeting on Adolescent Treatment Effectiveness (JMATE) in Baltimore in December 2010, I I saw a presentation on a substance abuse and HIV prevention curriculum that was built around hip hop. Aimed at middle-school youth, the Hip-Hop to Prevent Substance Abuse and HIV (H2P) curriculum has been listed in the National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practices (NREPP), run by Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).  
Anyone aware of any other interventions for teens -- particularly for youth in trouble with the law -- that build on hip hop in a significant way?  Drop Drop me an email, leave a comment below, leave a comment in our discussion group on LinkedIn called "Juvenile Justice Reform and Adolescent Substance Abuse", and I'll post what I learn.
[Update March 3, 2011: Check out the comments below for at least two resources. Also, it looks like we'll be able to post a lot more information here soon. Stay tuned.]
 

Topics: Adolescent Substance Abuse Treatment, Juvenile Justice Reform, No bio box

JMATE 2010: Advancing Evidence-Based Programs in Juvenile Justice with Mark Lipsey

By Benjamin Chambers, February 23 2011

 
When I was at the Joint Meeting on Adolescent Treatment Effectiveness (JMATE) in 2010, I interviewed Dr. Mark Lipsey about a new tool he and several other colleagues developed to improve the implementation of evidence-based juvenile justice programs. Dubbed the Standardized Program Evaluation Protocol (SPEP), the tool uses a massive meta-analysis of nearly 700 evaluations to help local jurisdictions identify what they're already doing that's working, and to improve on what they've got. 
I asked Dr. Lipsey the following questions:

  1. Why did you do the meta analysis and develop this tool to improve effective programming in juvenile justice? (:20)
  2. How is the new tool different from simply implementing evidence-based programming? (2:35)
  3. How do I get my hands on it? Can I just download it? (6:36)
  4. How do I access the assistance I need to implement the SPEP? (8:57)

Topics: Evidence-Based Practices, Juvenile Justice Reform, No bio box

Coalition for Juvenile Justice Conference: Call for Presentations

By Benjamin Chambers, February 22 2011

juvenile-justice-reform_microphoneThe Coalition for Juvenile Justice (CJJ) is seeking presentation proposals for its May 20-24, 2011 national conference, “Fair & Equal Justice: Alternative Sentences and Sanctions for Youth.” 

Each spring, CJJ hosts a national conference focused on improving juvenile justice and delinquency prevention systems, services, practices and policies. This conference is expected to draw more than 250 juvenile justice practitioners and advocates from across the United States and its territories.

CJJ will select a maximum of six (6) proposals for presentations lasting up to 90 minutes.  Workshops must address one or more of the following subject areas:

Topics: Juvenile Justice Reform, No bio box

The Bond Market and Public Safety

By John Roman Ph.D..., February 21 2011

[The following column on using social impact bonds to promote effective programs in juvenile justice (and adult criminal justice) has been republished with permission from The Urban Institute website. --Ed.]

 
juvenile-justice-reform_invest

Abstract
At least 40 states face swelling budget deficits. Likely targets for reductions include the discretionary social programs that protect public safety. Rather than jeopardize the public's safety and well-being with imprudent cuts, a different and better way out of the financing crunch is explained by two criminologists: the social impact bond.

State and local governments are in trouble. At least 40 states face swelling budget deficits. While few details of next year’s budgets are available, likely targets include the discretionary social programs that protect public safety.

Often, programs that serve criminal offenders, at-risk youth, people with mental illness and drug addictions, and prisoners returning home are the first to get hacked when budgets are cut. In a preview of what is likely to come, governors in Virginia, Texas, and New York have proposed cutting funding for at-risk youths, increasing the chances of future crime increases.

Rather than jeopardize public safety and well-being with imprudent cuts, here’s a different and better way out of the financing crunch: the social impact bond (or SIB).

Topics: Juvenile Justice Reform, No bio box, Public Policy

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