Models for Change Home page

New Data on Sanctions and Services Supports the Use of Non-Institutional Alternatives

03/09/2010 03:02 PM

Mar 9, 2010 | LaWanda Johnson | REFORM PROGRESS

Does placing youth who commit offenses in expensive, out-of-home placements improve their chances of not reoffending? New preliminary data from the Pathways to Desistance study reported by the MacArthur Foundation Research Network on Adolescent Development and Juvenile Justice suggests that, compared with probation, the answer may be “no” –even for youth who commit serious and sometimes violent offenses.

The data found that institutional placement – which includes both correctional and residential treatment facilities - appears to have no advantage over community-based services in addressing delinquency. For youth involved in ‘low-level’ offending, institutional placement raised their level of future offending by a statistically significant amount. The study also found that most youth with serious felony offenses ceased to re-offend after their contact with the system, regardless of the intervention.

“We see a lot of variability in these [youth], which means there are a lot of places for successful interventions and a lot of places where we can promote positive changes,” said University of Pittsburgh Professor Ed Mulvey, the Principal Investigator of the study. “But as long as we continue to create policies that say once a kid commits a certain kind of crime that they are on the road to adult criminality, that’s just a bad assumption from the start.”

The Pathways to Desistance study is a multi-site collaborative project which followed 1,354 juvenile offenders for seven years after their conviction. The research is the most intense look to date at the results of sanctions and services provided to youth who have committed serious offenses. Dr. Mulvey believes it can be used to dispel the commonly held beliefs that these youth are destined for a life of serious criminal offending.

“This study underscores the importance of taking into account individual and developmental differences—that adolescents change, they grow out of these behaviors that got them into trouble, and can turn their lives around. Youths who have committed serious offenses are not all the same, and not all headed for the same life of adult crime,” said Laurie Garduque, Director of Juvenile Justice for the MacArthur Foundation’s Program on Human and Community Development.

State advocates say the research supports many of their current reform efforts, and believe the study will help juvenile justice leaders steer systems struggling with conditions in juvenile institutions and help policymakers better manage dwindling public safety budgets towards better, more effective choices.

“We have been too heavy-handed with our use of out-of-home, institutional placements for youth,” stated Sarah Bryer, director of the National Juvenile Justice Network. “These findings support discontinuing the use of these types of placements in most cases, and provide political coverage to legislators who want to solve budget problems and help kids. They can be ‘tough on crime’ by supporting community-based alternatives.”

Reducing out of home placements: saving money and reducing re-offending in Illinois

States participating in the Models for Change Initiative have prioritized “right-sizing” their juvenile justice systems with innovative practices that have led to thousands of youth being diverted from out-of-home and institutional placements. This has had significant cost-saving benefits, and has contributed to reductions in recidivism.

Since 2005, Illinois has been decreasing the number of youth committed to its state facilities by providing fiscal incentives that encourage communities to treat and rehabilitate their youth in community-based settings. Through Redeploy Illinois, a program supported by Models for Change grantees, Illinois youth who have committed serious offenses - that would have otherwise landed them in one of the state’s juvenile facilities—have been diverted to programs in their home communities where they receive help, guidance and supervision. After years of being a pilot program, in January 2010 Redeploy Illinois was adopted in all 102 counties statewide.

Tailoring interventions: assessment helps direct expensive interventions where most appropriate

In line with one of the Pathways report’s key findings – that there is no “typical” justice-involved youth -- other Models for Change states have been adopting risk/needs assessment tools to help determine the risk level and criminogenic needs of youth who offend. One such tool, the Structured Assessment of Violence Risk in Youth (SAVRY), is being used by probation officers and court officials in Louisiana to guide out-of-home placement decisions in hopes that use of these placements are restricted to those at highest risk for serious re-offending. According to Dr. Gina Vincent, co-director of the National Youth Screening and Assessment Project, tools like the SAVRY are needed to decrease subjectivity and increase the likelihood of successful community supervision and service delivery. She is conducting a study which examines if probation officers and court official are using SAVRY to its full advantage in Louisiana and to determine if this leads to lower placement and recidivism rates. She is conducting the same study in Pennsylvania using a similar tool, the Youth Level of Service/Case Management Inventory (YLS/CMI).

“The SAVRY and YLS/CMI are not just risk assessment tools; the tools help probation officers to make objective decisions based on the research that we know about youthful re-offending. It is the quintessential example of translating research into practice,” says Dr. Vincent. “Research indicates that human judgment is not a good indicator of who is really at-risk of serious re-offending. This tool enhances one’s ability to tell who’s most likely to reoffend, who will need the most intensive level of intervention, and which types of services are most likely to decrease one’s chances of re-offending.”

Pathways research highlights need for more innovation

Several states and jurisdictions have already begun rethinking how they handle juvenile offenders, including New York City, which recently announced plans to merge the city’s Department of Juvenile Justice into its child welfare agency in hopes of having a more therapeutic approach toward delinquency that will send fewer youth to institutional placements. Campaign for Youth Justice executive director, Liz Ryan, believes more states should follow suit.

“Why are states continuing to invest millions in a strategy that simply doesn’t work?” said Ryan. “This study underscores the reasons why these large juvenile correctional institutions should be closed. It’s an abysmal failure, it’s a poor investment and it’s a waste of taxpayers’ dollars. Furthermore, it harms kids. States can and should do better.”

Funded in part by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, the Pathways study, which includes more than 24,000 interviews, covers a wide range of topics including psychological development, mental health, behavior, attitudes, family and community context, and relationship. The study has produced several briefs on serious adolescent offenders intended to provide policymakers and practitioners with analyses to help in the development of a more rational, effective and developmentally appropriate juvenile justice system. For more information on Pathways to Desistance, please write to the project coordinator, Carol Schubert, at schubertca@upmc.edu.

National Symposium Highlights Juvenile Indigent Defense

03/09/2010 09:17 AM

Mar 9, 2010 | Rey Banks, National Juvenile Defender Center | REFORM PROGRESS

The juvenile defense agenda was squarely and resolutely placed on the indigent defense landscape at the 2010 National Symposium on Indigent Defense hosted by U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) in Washington, D.C. last month.

Attorney General Holder told the audience of indigent defenders, judges, and policy makers that the Department of Justice recognizes the special nature of juvenile defense. He noted that in the nearly half a century since the Supreme Court’s decision in Gideon v. Wainwright, “these cases have yet to be fully translated into reality.”

The symposium’s ambitious agenda included over 145 speakers, many with roots deep in the juvenile defense community. Representatives from the indigent defense community in each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, American Samoa, Guam, Micronesia, the Northern Mariana and Virgin Islands attended. In addition to exposing indigent defense leaders and key policymakers to the special challenges of juvenile indigent defense, the symposium reaffirmed Attorney General Holder’s recognition of the importance of developing juvenile specific approaches to indigent defense. An entire plenary panel was devoted to juvenile justice issues and juvenile defenders participated in a number of other panel discussions and workshops

Through the sustained efforts of the National Juvenile Defender Center (NJDC), the juvenile indigent defense community played a prominent role in shaping the agenda and identifying faculty and other key symposium participants. Positioning Models for Change and its Juvenile Indigent Defense Action Network (JIDAN) members on a number of panels served to highlight the strategic reform work and juvenile defense-led innovations of the initiative in a significant way.

At the urging of juvenile stakeholders, NJDC also disseminated three talking points to infuse into conversations, ensuring the cohesive voice of juvenile defenders throughout the event. Those messages included:

The federal government must provide resources to support effective juvenile defense. Currently, the government provides no such resources.
The federal government should recognize juvenile defense as a specialized area of law through practice and policy enhancements.
Innovations in Juvenile Defense Delivery Systems are necessary for improving practice and policy.

This is the first symposium DOJ has convened on indigent defense to place juvenile defense issues front and center. The spotlight on juvenile defense has already contributed to the existing momentum to improve practice and policy. The juvenile sessions provided cutting-edge information, allowing participants to highlight unique collaborations that have led to thoughtful strategies to strengthen and enhance juvenile defense systems nationwide. The work of the JIDAN teams was represented in both plenary and breakout sessions, creating a tangible buzz and excitement about these innovations.

For many years, the juvenile indigent defense community has worked for a seat at the table. The attention placed on juvenile representation at the symposium and the Attorney General’s opening remarks demonstrate his commitment to providing the infrastructure and resources needed to elevate juvenile defense as a specialized area of law through practice and policy enhancements and represents a significant step forward. The partners in Models for Change and the Juvenile Indigent Defense Action Network will play a key role in these emerging efforts.

Illinois Models for Change Leader Honored as Faculty Member of the Year at Loyola University Chicago

03/01/2010 03:59 PM

Mar 1, 2010 | Illinois Models for Change | REFORM PROGRESS

Diane Geraghty, a leader of the Illinois Models for Change, has been recognized as the 2009 Faculty Member of the Year at Loyola University Chicago.

Geraghty is founder and director of the Loyola Civitas ChildLaw Center, which is the lead entity for Models for Change in Illinois. Since the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation selected Illinois as one of four states to participate in its national initiative in 2006, Geraghty has played a leadership role to accelerate promising models for juvenile justice system reform through Models for Change in Illinois.

Loyola University Chicago chose Geraghty for the award from among the

more than 2,000 faculty at the Lake Shore, Medical Center, Water Tower, and overseas (Rome and Beijing) campuses.

“One of the great pleasures of teaching at Loyola over the last three decades has been the opportunity to work in concert with faculty not only in the law school but throughout the university in our collective pursuit of a more just society for children and families, the essential building block of all societies and a value espoused by all faiths,” Geraghty state in remarks at the awards ceremony. “The discipline of children's law in particular is inherently interdisciplinary. One cannot truly prepare students to serve the interests of children and families without exposing them to the research, literature, and insights of other disciplines, not just psychology and social work and education, but other fields, such as medicine and economics and the sciences.”

A member of the Loyola faculty since 1977, Geraghty also is the A. Kathleen Beazley Chair in Child Law at Loyola University Chicago School of Law.

Photo Credits: Bruce Powell

New Chair of Illinois Juvenile Justice Commission Talks About Future of Reform in Illinois

02/24/2010 09:53 PM

Feb 24, 2010 | Illinois Models for Change | REFORM PROGRESS

Retired Judge George W. Timberlake, who is a member of the Illinois Models for Change Coordinating Council, recently was named Chair of the Illinois Juvenile Justice Commission (IJJC).

Timberlake retired in 2006 as Chief Judge of the Second Judicial Circuit in Southeastern Illinois where he served as a trial court judge for 23 years. He is Chairman of the Second Circuit Juvenile Justice Council, which administers one of the five Models for Change demonstration sites in Illinois. He is president of the Jefferson Policy Consultants in Mt. Vernon, Illinois, and is a volunteer member of the boards of the Illinois Balanced and Restorative Justice Project, the Juvenile Justice Initiative, and the Redeploy Illinois Oversight Board.

The following interview was conducted shortly after Gov. Pat Quinn designated him as Chair of the IJCC.

Q. For those not familiar with the Illinois Juvenile Justice Commission, why does it exist and what does it do?

A. It has three main responsibilities.

First, it decides how to spend the federal Title II money for a variety of juvenile justice activities. It also decides how to use Title V funds, which help prevention efforts at the state and local levels. That’s about $2.4 million for juvenile justice. Those federal funds have been reduced in recent years but are still considerable.

As required by the federal Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act, the money is used to ensure that Illinois is in compliance with its core requirements -- reducing the disproportionate number of minority youngsters coming in contact with the system; keeping incarcerated adult and juvenile offenders separated so that cannot see or hear one another; reporting statistics on status offenders securely detained in a jail, lockup or detention center; and making sure those juveniles placed in a locked setting during an investigation be transferred to a juvenile detention center within six hours.

Second, the Commission provides policy advice to the Governor and the Illinois Department of Human Services.

Third, we create a juvenile justice plan for the Governor, and provide annual reports about progress in meeting that plan.

So, the Commission spends money, but it also reports on how the money has been spent, gives the public data about the system and advises government leaders on how to make more improvements.

Q. Gov. Quinn, who just finished his first year in the office, has named several new members to fill vacancies on the 25-member commission. How did the vacancies impact the commission’s work?

A. As with any board with several vacancies, it can be hard just to get enough members together to have a quorum to conduct business. For far too long, all of the work of the Commission was carried on the shoulders of the few remaining members and staff at the Department of Human Services. There is no question they are dedicated to improving juvenile justice and have been conscientious about the business of the commission, but it’s just not healthy to put all of the responsibilities of a large commission in the hands of a few. It also did not meet the mandate of the rules that say you must have representation from several different categories like the field of drug treatment, law enforcement, volunteers working with delinquents and even young people who have been in the juvenile justice system.

Q. The law requires at least five of the 25 members are to be under the age of 24 and at least three of them must either now be under the jurisdiction of the juvenile justice system or have been earlier in their lives. Why is that important?

A. The youth really do need to be represented. One of our counties has a youth advisory board and their maxim is: “Don’t make decisions about us without us.” And I agree. The youth voice ought to be there, and it ought to be from kids who have been in the system. It is good for us to hear about their experiences in society in general and how the system affects them. We’re not just getting a different point of view. It comes from someone with some first-hand experience in the system.

Q. How do you view the commission’s role in giving advice to the Governor?

A. The commission should be the forum for discussing juvenile justice issues in Illinois. The commission should acquire information from advocacy groups, from basic research, from other state agencies and actors. Based upon all of that information-gathering, the commission should make recommendations to the Governor’s Office and to the Secretary of the Illinois Department of Human Services. In addition, I would like to see us publish issue briefs on a frequent basis.

Q. The state has a separate advisory board to the Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ), which was created in 2005. Will the IJJC also give advice to DJJ?

A. There is some overlap with that advisory board, but I don’t see any conflict. In fact, I would like to see more direct collaboration between the Commission and the advisory board. DJJ is in a great state of flux, and the federal funds allocated by IJJC to DJJ have been appropriate. The Department has made great stride in planning and some progress at education, programming and re-entry. I would like to see greater funding flexibility for DJJ and generally more adequate resources. Going forward, however, if the IJJC is going to continue to fund DJJ, it should be in the quest for a model that is less reliant on the use of the juvenile correctional institutions.

Q. What’s your view of juvenile justice in Illinois today?

A. There are a lot of committed people with a lot of energy working to improve the system in Illinois, and change is in progress. Nonetheless, the state and most counties rely too much on incarceration as a response to crime by youth. We know it is ineffective. We know it is too expensive. We also know there are many better alternatives, and the commission must do more to encourage alternatives to incarceration.

As a general principle from research, we know that half of the kids in DJJ are mentally ill and 80 percent of them abuse substances. A disproportionate number have been involved in the child welfare system, and domestic battery is a driver of juvenile crime.

Thanks to research, we know a lot about these kids, and we know the system we have does not adequately respond to the research that exists. Therefore, the outcomes we get are not as effective for public safety as they could be. And they certainly are not as effective in changing the juveniles so that they commit fewer crimes in the future.

Q. How long before Illinois is an ideal state for juvenile justice?

A. With sustained effort over the next 10 years, we could have a model system – one that is a model from a youth’s first contact with the police all the way to when the youth leaves the Department of Juvenile Justice and returns to his or her neighborhood. We can get to the ideal in 10 years, but we need to see significant improvements each and every year.

The focus has to be on positive outcomes for kids in the juvenile justice system. We want to be a state where a kid looking back should be able to say: That was the best thing that ever happened to me. My contact with the juvenile justice system made me a better person . . . saved my life.

Illinois Governor Taps Models for Change Leaders to Help Shape Juvenile Justice Policy

02/24/2010 09:50 PM

Feb 24, 2010 | Illinois Models for Change | REFORM PROGRESS

Illinois Governor Pat Quinn recently reinvigorated the state’s Juvenile Justice Commission (IJJC) by naming 16 new members to the 25-member advisory group. Several of the new commission members are leaders of the Illinois Models for Change initiative, including the IJJC’s new chairman, George W. Timberlake, a member of the Illinois MfC Coordinating Council.

“I am confident that this diverse group of leaders will work tirelessly to ensure that youth in the Illinois juvenile justice system receive the quality services and care they need,” said Governor Quinn. “I want to thank each of these members for answering the call to serve at-risk youth in our state.”

Serving as the federally mandated state advisory group to the governor, the Illinois General Assembly and the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS), the IJJC develops and approves the state’s plan for the expenditure of about $2.4 million annually in Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act funds.

"The commission should – and can – be the voice of juvenile justice in Illinois,” said Judge Timberlake. “I look forward to working with the other commission members to lead the discussion about dedicating adequate resources, enacting needed reforms and producing positive outcomes for kids in Illinois’ juvenile justice system.”

Judge Timberlake was a trial court judge for 23 years and remains active in promoting juvenile justice reform since his retirement in 2006,

“There are a lot of committed people with a lot of energy working to improve the system in Illinois, and change is in progress,” Judge Timberlake said. “Nonetheless, the state and most counties rely too much on incarceration as a response to crime by youth. We know it is ineffective. We know it is too expensive. We also know there are many better alternatives, and the commission must do more to encourage alternatives to incarceration.”

“Thanks to the efforts of many – state government leaders, the veteran members of this commission, as well as the new members and several other reform advocates – improvements in juvenile justice have earned national recognition for Illinois,” said Lisa Jacobs, Program Manager, Illinois Models for Change. “By turning the Redeploy Illinois pilot into a permanent statewide program and establishing the Department of Juvenile Justice as an agency independent of the adult Department of Corrections, there is momentum for reform in Illinois. By working together and in partnership with others, the members of the IJJC must keep those improvements on track, introduce other promising approaches and accelerate reform.”

The IJJC includes a locally-elected official; experts in programs addressing violence, alternative care and special-needs youth; and members from law enforcement, a juvenile justice agency, public agencies concerned with delinquency prevention and treatment, non-profit agencies, and volunteers who work with delinquents. In addition, some IJJC members are under the age of 24 with experience in the system.

The recent IJJC appointees are:

• Rodney J. Ahitow*, Past President of the Correctional Education Association and former Educational Executive for the Illinois Department of Corrections School District;

• Roseanna Ander, Founder and Executive Director of the University of Chicago Crime Lab;

• Julie L. Biehl, Clinical Assistant Professor, Director of Policy and Programs, the Children and Family Justice Center at Northwestern University School of Law:

• Patricia Connell, an attorney and Volunteer Monitoring Coordinator, John Howard Association’s Juvenile Justice Reform Initiative;

• Edith Crigler, Associate Executive Director of the Chicago Area Project;

• Debra Ferguson, Associate Deputy for Forensics, Division of Mental Health, Illinois Department of Human Services;

• Esther Franco-Payne, Program Director, Juvenile Justice/Violence Initiative of Chicago Metropolis 2020, and member of the Illinois Models for Change Coordinating Council;

• Kurt Friedenauer. Director, Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice;

• Gene Griffin, Clinical Director of the Illinois Childhood Trauma Coalition and Assistant Professor of the Mental Health and Services Policy Program at Northwestern University School of Medicine;

• George H. Hill Jr.*, President and Founder of Mid-States General and Mechanical Contracting and member of the Board of the Juvenile Justice Initiative;

• Lisa Jacobs, Program Manager, Illinois Models for Change;

• Rev. Charles Jenkins, Pastor, Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church, Chicago;

• Patrick Nelson, Cook County Juvenile Probation Officer and former high school principal;

• Edwin Reyes, Cook County Commissioner for the 8th District and member of the Illinois State Police;

• Pamela Rodriguez, President, Treatment Alternatives for Safe Communities Illinois

• Randall Strickland, State DMC Coordinator, Illinois Models for Change;

• Wayne Straza*, Deputy Director of Enforcement Administration, Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation;

• George W. Timberlake, retired Chief Justice, State of Illinois Second Circuit Court and member of the Illinois Models for Change Coordinating Council; and

• Rick Velasquez, Executive Director, Youth Outreach Services.

* Denotes reappointments to the IJJC. All others are new members.

2010 Illinois Juvenile Defender Symposium

03/10/2010 03:37 PM

Jun 4, 2010 | Northwestern U. School of Law, Chicago, (Map) | CALENDAR

The Illinois Juvenile Defender Resource Institute's annual symposium will focus on alternatives to incarceration/detention and the documented consequences of depriving youth of their liberty. There is no cost for the program. Scholarships to cover travel expenses for Illinois defenders are available. For more information, please contat Cecilia Torres at 312-503-0681/c-torres@law.northwestern.edu.

The 2010 CMHS National GAINS Center Conference

02/22/2010 10:08 AM

Mar 17–19, 2010 | Coronado Springs Resort in Orlando, FL, Lake Buena Vista FL (Map) | CALENDAR

The Backdoor of the Juvenile Courts: Waivers and the Impact of Criminalization

02/11/2010 03:37 PM

Mar 19, 2010 | LSU Law Center, (Map) | CALENDAR

The Backdoor of the Juvenile Courts: Waivers and the Impact of Criminalization

Location: LSU Law Center, David Robinson Courtroom

1 East Campus Drive

Baton Rouge, LA 70803

Date: March 19, 2009

Time: 8:45 a.m.- 4:00 p.m.

Who: All are invited. Five (5) hours of free CLE credit for attorneys.

The Louisiana Law Review, The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, and The George W. & Jean H. Pugh Institute for Justice cordially invite you to a symposium examining the increased use of statutory waiver and transfer provisions to try juveniles for offenses in the criminal courts, rather than the juvenile courts, and whether such a phenomenon can be reconciled with the original purposes resulting in the creation of juvenile courts a century ago. For more detailed information, agenda and speaker bios, please visit our website at www.law.lsu.edu/seminarsandconferences

There is no cost for the symposium and the luncheon will be catered by the LSU Faculty Club. Pre-registration is required to attend the luncheon. Also, this symposium has been approved for five (5) hours of free CLE credit. To register, mail the attached registration form to Brenda Salassi, Clinic Coordinator, Paul M. Hebert Law Center, P.O. Box 25080, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70894, fax to (225) 578-6018, or email clinic@law.lsu.edu

Juvenile Justice and Child Welfare: Multi-System Integration Certificate Program for Public Sector Leaders

02/02/2010 07:53 AM

Jul 9–15, 2010 | Georgetown University Hotel and Conference Center, (Map) | CALENDAR

The Center for Juvenile Justice Reform at Georgetown University‘s Public Policy Institute has announced its 2010 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
July 9 to July 15, 2010
Georgetown University
Washington, DC
Application Due: March 24, 2010

For more information and to apply, visit http://cjjr.georgetown.edu/ and click on Certificate Programs.

JIDAN SIG Meeting

01/20/2010 11:20 AM

May 24–25, 2010, 9:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m. | Chicago, IL, Chicago IL (Map) | CALENDAR

Spring Strategic Innovations Meeting.

Palomar Hotel

505 North State Street

Chicago, IL 60654

877-731-0505

DMC Action Network e-News - February 2010

02/23/2010 10:01 AM

Feb 23, 2010 | DMC Action Network | PUBLICATIONS

Keeping youth of color from entering the juvenile justice system is a big part of eliminating racial and ethnic disparities - but it isn't the only way to reduce DMC. This month, representatives from eleven DMC Action Network sites met to discuss strategies to prevent post-disposition youth of color from unnecessarily progressing deeper into the system.

Download publication (pdf, 284 KB)

Pathways to Desistance Talking Points

01/28/2010 11:07 AM

Jan 28, 2010 | National Juvenile Justice Network | PUBLICATIONS

New Research Shows Community-Based Alternatives as Effective as Institutional Placements for Curbing Re-arrest in Youth with Serious Offenses

Findings from a longitudinal study on serious youth offenders offer guidance for state policymakers concerned with over-reliance on expensive youth incarceration.

Download publication (pdf, 311 KB)

Juvenile Delinquency: The Case for Specialty Training

01/20/2010 11:03 AM

Jan 20, 2010 | Sue Burrell | PUBLICATIONS

Each year, more than 100,000 young people in California face juvenile court delinquency petitions alleging violations of the law - more than in any other state. Most are represented by an attorney - and for good reason. The potential consequences of juvenile court proceedings are serious and far-reaching.

Download publication (pdf, 89 KB)

Advances and Innovations Emerging from the Mental Health/Juvenile Justice Action Network: 2009 Update

01/20/2010 08:58 AM

Nov 1, 2009 | National Center for Mental Health and Juvenile Justice | PUBLICATIONS

Offers a brief update on the Mental Health/Juvenile Justice Action Network’s strategic innovation group (SIG) projects. Through the SIG process, the Network developed and piloted front-end diversion programs at three points of contact (schools, law enforcement, and probation), and developed and implemented a mental health training curriculum for juvenile justice staff. The Network has recently launched a third SIG project focused on families and youth.

Download publication (pdf, 213 KB)

DMC Action Network e-News - January 2010

01/12/2010 01:49 PM

Jan 12, 2010 | DMC Action Network | PUBLICATIONS

The DMC Action Network had much to celebrate at the end of 2009. Last month, the MacArthur Foundation's Fourth Annual National Working Conference in Washington, DC highlighted successes in DMC reduction in sites throughout the country. In the past year, jurisdictions have expanded their capacity for data collection, reduced their use of secure detention and out-of-home placement, and improved the cultural competence of services in the juvenile justice system.

Download publication (pdf, 359 KB)

Scandals Highlight the Need for Juvenile Justice Reform

03/04/2010 09:37 AM

Mar 4, 2010 | Jamey Dunn | Illinois Issues | NEWSROOM

Just a few months ago, it looked as if the scandal surrounding the “Meritorious Good Time Push” prisoner-release program could cost Gov. Pat Quinn a win in the primary election. Under the program, exposed by the Associated Press in December, the Illinois Department of Corrections was awarding prisoners months of early release time for good behavior in the first few days of their sentences, thus returning some violent offenders to the streets after they spent just a few weeks behind…

Outreach Group Matches Homeless Teens With Adults

02/26/2010 03:51 PM

Feb 24, 2010 | Kristyn Hartman | WBBM-TV, Chicago | NEWSROOM

CHICAGO -- It's tough enough growing up, but imagine having to find your way to adulthood homeless, and without a mom or dad. It happens to thousands of kids in Chicago each year. Would you be willing to step up, and be a parent for one of them? That's the question CBS 2's Kristyn Hartman saw in an ad on the "L." She called about it, and learned Youth Outreach Services placed the ad. It helps young people who have been cast out because of things like pregnancy and sexual orientation,…

The 2010 CMHS National GAINS Center Conference

02/22/2010 10:58 AM

Feb 22, 2010 | NEWSROOM

Every two years, the National GAINS Center organizes a conference for mental health and criminal justice professionals, policymakers, consumers, family members, administrators, and researchers. The 2010 CMHS National GAINS Center Conference is scheduled for March 17-19, 2010 in Orlando, FL. While the conference focuses primarily on adult criminal justice/mental health topics, the National Center for Mental Health and Juvenile Justice (NCMHJJ) is partnering with the National GAINS Center to…

Kids Should Never Be Tried As Adults

02/18/2010 02:43 PM

Feb 18, 2010 | Bob Schwartz | CNN | NEWSROOM

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (CNN) -- About 20 years ago, 9-year-old Cameron Kocher fired a rifle out of a window of his home in upstate Pennsylvania and hit his 7-year-old neighbor, who was riding on a snowmobile, and killed her. The prosecutor decided to try the 9-year-old as an adult. When the charge is murder, Pennsylvania is one of a handful of states that has no lower age limit for trying children as adults. The district attorney argued that Cameron had lied when asked about the shooting…

New Law Helps Teeens Avoid Criminal Record

02/13/2010 01:00 PM

Feb 12, 2010 | Dorothy Tucker | WBBM-TV, Chicago | NEWSROOM

CHICAGO -- You're arrested. You're charged. But thanks to a new law in Illinois, you won't have a criminal record. CBS 2's Dorothy Tucker reports on the new life-changing rules for thousands of teenagers.