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Lessons from Abroad: Dutch Juvenile Justice System Shifting to Family-Oriented Approach

By Henk Rigter, May 14 2014

For years, the capacity to detain delinquent juveniles – from 12 to 23 years of age – has been expanded in the Netherlands. However, the tide is changing. In 2007, the Netherlands had 16 active Juvenile Justice Detention Institute (JJI) sites for a population of 16 million. Today, there are just 11 JJI sites in operation and this number will drop further in the next few years.

More important than the number of sites are the number of detention slots: this number decreased from 1,300 in 2007 to 800 today. The decline is expected to continue to just 635 in 2017. One reason for this change may be the tendency for crime rates among youth to drop in the past few years. Moreover, juvenile judges increasingly prefer to impose alternative sanctions like community work assignments and referral to mandated treatment programs.

At the same time, Dutch juvenile detention institutes are reinventing themselves. A major group working on this process is Multidimensional Family Therapy (MDFT) Academy, based in Oegstgeest, the Netherlands. At the recent Linking Systemic Practice and Systemic Research conference in Heidelberg, Germany, Henk Rigter and Kees Mos from MDFT Academy outlined the steps taken by JJIs to accept the family of detainees as being important for achieving good detention and treatment outcomes.

The key message for JJI professionals – guards, social workers running groups of detained youth, psychiatrists and psychologists doing assessments and making treatment decisions, and so on – is to work in a family-friendly way, accepting that family involvement helps the youth to change his or her ways. In what eventually will be a national JJI-staff training program, carried out by MDFT Academy in collaboration with the Academic Workplace Forensic Care for Youth, JJI professionals are tought to motivate family members, win their trust, to establish alliances with family members, to inform them regularly, and to invite parents to key JJI meetings where it is decided how their son or daughter is going to be treated. In every step, the parent is acknowledged. Parents are encouraged to join evenings where special themes are being discussed or when their kids prepare meals or sit together to watch movies.

In this panorama of changing interactions between the institute and family members, JJI’s offer the additional advantage of family (systemic) treatment intended to improve the behavior of the youth, family interactions, and work and school prospects for the youth upon release. This treatment is to be continued on an outpatient basis for a few months after release. One such treatment program is Multidimensional Family Therapy (MDFT). The therapist uses every feasible moment (parents’ visits, furloughs) to hold sessions and increase a youth’s motivation to change. The positive Dutch experience with MDFT matches the outcomes of U.S. trials of MDFT, carried out by the Miami developers of this treatment program (H. Liddle; G. Dakof), as regards to Juvenile Drug Courts and Detention to Community approaches.

Topics: Juvenile Justice Reform, No bio box

Opportunity Board Roundup: Juvenile Justice Grants, Jobs, Webinars and Events

By Cecilia Bianco, May 13 2014

Below you'll find a selection of the latest grants, jobs, webinars and events posted to our Opportunity Board. Please share the Reclaiming Futures Opportunity Board with your colleagues in the juvenile justice, adolescent substance abuse and teen mental health areas. It's free to browse and post!
Webinars

Events

Grants

Topics: Events, Grants, Jobs, No bio box, Webinars

OJJDP Releases New Funding Opportunity for Two-Phase Juvenile Reentry Demonstration Program

By Cecilia Bianco, May 12 2014

The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) is seeking applicants for a newly released funding opportunity: the FY2014 Second Chance Act Two-Phase Juvenile Reentry Demonstration Program: Planning and Implementation.

This two-phase grant program will provide up to $750,000 to help state and local governments, as well as federally recognized Indian tribes, plan and implement programs or strategies that achieve the following:

Support the successful reentry of youth released from confinement.
Reflect an enhanced emphasis on the adoption, integration, and effective implementation of practices that research has demonstrated improves juvenile reentry outcomes.

Successful applicants will be required to complete two phases of work: a project-planning phase—which must receive OJJDP approval—and a project-implementation phase. The initial award period will be 24 months, with up to six months to complete the planning process.

During the fiscal year, OJJDP may make as many as 15 awards under this program. As opposed to previous fiscal years, applicants will apply for a single award that includes both the planning phase and the implementation phase with specific deliverables required during each.

Topics: Grants, Juvenile Justice Reform, Juvenile Reentry, No bio box

Mental Health Week: Some Numbers to Remember; News Roundup

By Ashley Heinonen, May 09 2014

Juvenile Justice Reform

Juvenile Justice in Illinois: A Data Snapshot [PDF] (Chicago Youth Justice Data Project)
Nationally, there’s been a steady decrease in the rate of violent crime committed by juveniles over the past fifteen years.
Webinar | Using Social Impact Bonds to Improve Juvenile Justice Outcomes (NJJN.org)
Find out what has been learned about social impact bonds and how they should be structured for best results in our May 27, 2014 webinar, "Using Social Impact Bonds to Improve Juvenile Justice Outcomes," presented by John Roman, Ph.D., a national expert on social impact bonds.
Removing Youth From the Adult Criminal Justice System: A Win-Win Situation (NCCD.org)
Incarcerating youth in adult jails and prisons is the most expensive option for the juvenile justice system and unfailingly produces the worst results.
Local Juvenile Probation GED Program Shows Higher Success Rate (WacoTrib.com)
McLennan County students who stay at the Bill Logue Juvenile Justice Center for longer than 90 days have a higher chance of graduating with a GED or earning high school credit than the majority of incarcerated students across the country, according to a Southern Education Foundation report.

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

Welcome Judge Anthony Capizzi as new Reclaiming Futures Judicial Faculty

By Susan Richardson, May 08 2014

I am very pleased to announce that the Honorable Anthony Capizzi, of Montgomery County Juvenile Court, Dayton, OH, will serve as Judicial Faculty for Reclaiming Futures! You might remember Judge Capizzi from our blog in late March. We published a story about the Judge getting snowed in during the Washington D.C. storms and how he used Skype to hold court in Ohio without interruption–a first for the court.

In addition to serving as the long-time judicial fellow at his site, Judge Capizzi is a nationally recognized leader in juvenile justice, a national juvenile drug court trainer/expert, a Reclaiming Futures judicial trainer, leader of the Reclaiming Futures spread initiative in Ohio, and presenter of Reclaiming Futures across the country. In Ohio, Judge Capizzi serves on the Board of Trustees of the Judicial College and has served as the initial Chair of the Ohio Judicial College Juvenile Law Curriculum Committee. Under his leadership over the last three years, they have completely revised/updated the juvenile judges training curriculum in Ohio. Judge Capizzi also serves as a Trustee of the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges Association (NCJFCJ) and is active on several board committees.

Judge Capizzi is very excited about working with our judges to strengthen Reclaiming Futures in their communities. Please join us in welcoming Judge Capizzi to his new role!

Topics: No bio box

Former Justice-Involved Teen Becomes Juvenile Youth Advocate

By Ashley Heinonen, May 07 2014

A moving video on the Juvenile Justice Information Exchange tells the story of a former justice-involved teen. Now a youth justice advocate at the Campaign for the Fair Sentencing of Youth, Xavier McElrath-Bey had been arrested 19 times by the time he was 13 years old. He grew up in an impoverished area in the South Side of Chicago that was known for its violence, crime, and drugs. His stepfather was abusive, his mother suffered from depression and schizophrenia, and his family was unable to afford basic necessities including gas, electricity and even food, and they were often evicted and forced to move.
Over 250,000 youth are being charged as adults every year. Like Xavier, these are children that have the odds stacked against them to begin with. Most of these youth experience trauma, endure physical abuse, and come from backgrounds with poor education and little opportunity for employment. In addition, these children are disproportionately Latinos and African Americans.
Now an advocate to reform the juvenile justice system, Xavier hopes that through sharing his story, he’ll also change people’s perceptions of formerly incarcerated youth and help them understand that these kids have great potential for positive change.

Topics: Juvenile Justice Reform, No bio box

Opportunity Board Roundup: Juvenile Justice Grants, Jobs, Webinars and Events

By Ashley Heinonen, May 06 2014

What Works in Co-Occurring Treatment with Justice Involved Youth: May 6

Events

Grants

Topics: Events, Grants, Jobs, No bio box, Webinars

Get Involved in National Children's Mental Health Awareness Week 2014

By Cecilia Bianco, May 05 2014

In 2004, the National Federation of Families for Children’s Mental Health (NFFCMH) declared the first full week of May as National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week. This year that week falls on May 4-10, and all are encouraged to participate in a weeklong celebration of advocacy and awareness efforts.

The NFFCMH is striving to make this year’s National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week the best yet in honor of its 25th Anniversary as the voice for children’s mental health!

The theme for this year is Building a Circle of Wellness to recognize the NFFCMH’s focus on debunking myths, spreading awareness, and promoting not only positive mental health but also overall health for our nation’s children.

This week is designed for those at the national, state and local level to come together and strive toward the vision for healthy children and families. Get involved in any or all of the following ways to show your support for this cause:

Attend the Reclaiming Futures webinar, "What Works in Co-Occurring Treatment with Justice Involved Youth," on May 6 at 1pm ET
Share any activities your organization is planning or attending with the NFFCMH via Corey Brown.
Sign up for updates on exciting activities and new initiatives throughout the week.
Participate in the Green Ribbon Campaign by ordering your own ribbons to spread awareness of the cause.
Download the Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week Activity Workbook to get a jump-start on planning activities.
Submit an entry in the NFFCMH’s 2014 Poster Contest.

Topics: Adolescent Mental Health, No bio box

Local Teens Work to Restore History; News Roundup

By Ashley Heinonen, May 02 2014

Juvenile Justice Reform

Local Teens Work to Restore History (KTSM.com)
Kids from El Paso gathered to restore the Trinity Community Center as a part of Global Youth Service Day.
Efforts Underway to Boost Low Juvenile Expungement Numbers (JJIE.org)
Thousands of young adults in Cook County are missing out on getting a clean start in life by failing to take advantage of the state’s liberal expungement laws for individuals who’ve committed crimes as a juvenile.
Report Says Prosecution of Minors as Adults Has Poor Outcomes (The Chicago Bureau)
An independent advocacy non-profit has concluded that a piece of legislation dating to 1982 and dubbed the “automatic transfer law,” which compels children ages of 15 or 16 charged with certain felony offenses to be charged as an adult, has significantly problematic consequences that go beyond discouraging rehabilitation and positive development of those sentenced.
Models for Juvenile Justice Schools (JJIE.org)
When 17-year-old Moriah Barrett first entered Camp Scott, a juvenile detention facility in Los Angeles County, Calif., she was already far behind in school credits in completing the 11th grade. Because of her charges, she would be spending the next five months of her life at the all-girls’ facility — finishing high school wasn’t on her mind.
The Revolving Door: Wyoming Reliance on Jails for Mental Health Services Comes With Consequences (Trib.com)
In Wyoming as well as around the country, jails and prisons operate as de facto mental health facilities, treating a disproportionately high number of offenders with mental illnesses, substance abuse issues and often both.

Topics: Adolescent Mental Health, Juvenile Justice Reform, News, No bio box

Helping Young People Get Treatment in Juvenile Justice and Beyond

By Susan Richardson, April 30 2014

Focal Point magazine, produced by the Pathways Research and Training Center (RTC) at Portland State University, recently published a collaborative article [PDF] between current and former Reclaiming Futures staff and partners examining how the Reclaiming Futures model saves money, reduces recidivism and improves abstinence from drug and alcohol abuse.
The article’s introduction is included below:

Why focus on the juvenile justice system? Despite the fact that most juvenile justice-involved young people are not being treated for substance abuse and mental health needs, the juvenile justice system is still the single largest referral source for adolescent treatment and this system is where young people in trouble often first come to our attention. Young people involved in the juvenile justice system often are challenged with substance use issues.
Nationally, about half of young people in the juvenile justice system have drug related problems. In fact, four of five young people in the juvenile justice system are under the influence of alcohol or drugs while breaking the law; test positive for drugs; are arrested for committing an alcohol or drug offense; admit having substance abuse and addiction problems; or share some combination of these characteristics.
Additionally, many young people in the juvenile justice system have a co-occurring disorder (both substance abuse and mental health). Yet in spite of research that shows treatment helps reduce recidivism and saves money, juvenile courts usually are not set up to detect and treat substance abuse or to provide mental health and other important services.
Instead, most of the young people in the juvenile justice system who need treatment for drugs, alcohol, and mental health problems are not getting it. Fewer than one in twelve young people who need such supports actually receive treatment of any kind. For those who receive treatment, less than half are retained for 90 days as recommended by research. Many communities are not using evidence-based treatments that have been tested in the field for many years.
Young people need different care than adults: care that addresses adolescent development and brain science, and that utilizes support from families and community. Too many juvenile courts mirror a more punitive approach appropriate to adult criminal court rather than the rehabilitative civil court envisioned when the juvenile court was first established in the late nineteeth century.

The good news is that there's already a solution to the issues outlined above: Reclaiming Futures! We know from our evaluations that the Reclaiming Futures model helps teens overcome the cycle of drugs, alcohol and crime by addressing their co-occurring needs. Again from the article, "The Reclaiming Futures JTDC model has potential to increase drug and alcohol abstinence, reduce young people’s illegal activity, and reduce the cost of crime to society."
Learn more about the Reclaiming Futures model here >>
For the rest of the article, jump to page 18 in the linked PDF for our Reclaiming Futures article, or scroll through the whole magazine for more great articles about co-occurring substance abuse and mental health issues facing teens and young adults.

Topics: Juvenile Justice Reform, No bio box, Reclaiming Futures

Study Finds Early Intervention Crucial In Preventing Future Delinquent Behavior

By Ashley Heinonen, April 30 2014

A new study from the National Survey of Children’s Exposure to Violence[PDF] (NatSCEV) underscores the importance for early intervention of childhood exposure to violence to prevent these children from future delinquency (also referred to in other studies as “bullying”). This study offers a new look at the relationship between victimization and delinquency for children 10 to 17 years-old and through four different categories:

Primarily delinquent behavior and not victims
Primarily victims and no delinquent behavior
Both delinquent behavior and victims
Neither victims nor delinquent behavior

Delinquency includes violent behavior, drug and alcohol use, and actions that involve property destruction, such as stealing or breaking property. Research has found that boys and girls experience and react to violence differently, and this study is no exception. Boys in the delinquent behavior and victim group experienced much more victimization in the past year than boys in the primarily victim group. In addition, these boys also had more delinquent behavior than the primarily delinquent behavior group.
Girls had different patterns in their behavior. Most girls were neither victims nor acted out with delinquency (as opposed to boys, who mostly engaged in delinquent behavior), and the second biggest group of girls were primarily victims. This information reflects that girls tend to engage in less delinquency than boys. However, like boys, the girls that were victims and engaged in delinquent behavior had greater levels of victimization and delinquency than girls that were either primarily victims or acted out with delinquency. These boys and girls that behaved with delinquency and were victims often experience more mental health symptoms and life adversities and receive less social support than other groups.

Topics: adverse childhood experiences, bullying, No bio box, violence

Opportunity Board Roundup: Juvenile Justice Grants, Jobs, Webinars and Events

By Ashley Heinonen, April 29 2014

Events

Grants

Topics: Events, Grants, Jobs, No bio box, Webinar

SAMHSA Sponsors Local Town Hall Meetings in Recognition of Alcohol Awareness Month

By Cecilia Bianco, April 28 2014

April is Alcohol Awareness Month, and proactive organizations like the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) are doing their part to recognize its importance by supporting and assembling local underage drinking prevention initiatives.

Underage drinking kills approximately 4,700 youth a year, among many other tragic consequences, and prevention is crucial to reduce the negative impacts it has on families and communities.

This is the fifth year SAMHSA has sponsored national Town Hall Meetings that have proven effective to achieve the following:

Educating community members about the consequences of underage drinking.
Empowering communities to make environmental changes to prevent underage drinking.
Mobilizing communities around underage drinking prevention initiatives at the local, state, and national levels.

More than 2,000 communities across the nation will be hosting these meetings to coincide with Alcohol Awareness Month, and anyone interested is welcome—and encouraged—to attend and join their community in observance of this problem that affects us all.
Hear an important message from Frances M. Harding, Director of SAMHSA’s Center for Substance Abuse Prevention, on why you should attend Town Hall Meetings this month!

Topics: Adolescent Substance Abuse Treatment, alcohol, No bio box

Juvenile Justice System Not Meeting Educational Needs; News Roundup

By Ashley Heinonen, April 25 2014

Juvenile Justice Reform

PACE Embracing the Needs of Girls, Looks to Expand Beyond Florida (JJIE.org)
PACE Center for Girls was called "the most effective program in the nation for keeping adolescent girls out of the juvenile justice system” by the Annie E. Casey Foundation in its 2008 Kids Count report.
Inside Calif. Juvenile Hall, Rare Glimpse at Solitary Confinement Cells (The Center for Investigative Reporting)
Although solitary confinement for extended periods is considered one of the most psychologically damaging forms of punishment – particularly for teenagers – no one knows how many juveniles are held alone in cells in California.
Juvenile Justice System Not Meeting Educational Needs, Report Says (Education Week)
Many of the teenagers who enter juvenile-justice systems with anger problems, learning disabilities, and academic challenges receive little or no special help for those issues, and consequently fall further behind in school, a report released Thursday concludes.

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

Reclaiming Childhood: A Call to Action

By Susan Richardson, April 23 2014

As we reported earlier in April, James Bell, founding Executive Director of the W. Haywood Burns Institute presented at the Portland State University School of Social Work’s annual Charles Shireman Memorial Lecture on April 17, 2014.
His presentation, “Reclaiming Childhood,” was a call to action for communities to begin looking at child well-being as the preferred child safety strategy. Mr. Bell urged the audience to remember that the ills of humanity are best healed by more humanity. Additional key points made by Mr. Bell include:
Moving Beyond Trauma Informed
There is a need for systems to move beyond trauma informed and become trauma responsive. Many service providers are trauma informed, but becoming trauma responsive would help improve safety, trust and collaboration.
Shifting Service Paradigms
When the risk to public safety is low, a youth’s need for services should not lead to their secure confinement. Focus instead on child wellbeing as a child safety strategy means assessing life outcomes as the measure of success. One strategy to move toward this paradigm shift would be for the juvenile justice system to refuse to accept referrals from schools and/or mental health providers and hold those systems accountable for finding appropriate responses for youth with a low risk to public safety, but a high need for services.
A big thank you to Mr. Bell for all of his great work in juvenile justice reform.

Topics: Juvenile Justice Reform, No bio box

Mental Health Month Begins Next Week: Mind Your Health

By Ashley Heinonen, April 23 2014

For 65 years now Mental Health America has celebrated May as Mental Health Month and this year’s theme is “Mind Your Health.” Mental Health America and their nationwide affiliates have reached millions of people to bring awareness to the importance of mental health to overall health and wellness, inform people about how the body and mind interact, and offer tips and tools to protect and promote health.
Here are a few of the ways you can get involved with Mental Health Month this May:

Take a three minute mental health screening to assess if you could be experiencing signs of a mental health condition.
Social support can lessen the effects of stress on depression, anxiety, and other health problems. Create a plan to strengthen connections in your life and positively impact your emotional health.
Learn about the effects of stress on the body and find tips to help cope with everyday stress.
Find resources for help if you or a loved one might be suffering from a mental health disorder.
Download the 2014 May is Mental Health Month toolkit for your organization for media and marketing materials, statistics, and information for public education.

Topics: Adolescent Mental Health, No bio box

Opportunity Board Roundup: Juvenile Justice Grants, Jobs, Webinars and Events

By Ashley Heinonen, April 22 2014

Grants

Multi-State Mentoring Initiative: Ends May 27

Topics: Events, Grants, Jobs, No bio box, Webinars

Suspensions in Preschool? Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights Finds Racial Disparities

By Cecilia Bianco, April 21 2014

The Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights recently released a study on school discipline that reported significant racial disparities in out-of-school suspensions starting as early as the preschool level.
This disparity brings about a myriad of concerns including an opportunity gap among students and the impact out-of-school suspension can have on the children’s future at such an early stage of life. Suspensions can lead to delays in academic advancement and increase the likelihood of students dropping out and entering the juvenile justice system.
While 94 percent of school districts do not use out-of-school suspension for preschoolers, there were concerning inequalities among those that did: African American children represent 18 percent of preschool enrollment but 42 percent of students suspended once, and 48 percent of the students suspended more than once.
Conversely, white students represented 43 percent of enrollment but only 26 percent of students suspended more than once.
Attorney General Eric Holder says on the issue, "Every data point represents a life impacted and a future potentially diverted or derailed. This Administration is moving aggressively to disrupt the school-to-prison pipeline in order to ensure that all of our young people have equal educational opportunities."
President Obama has proposed a new initiative called Race to the Top-Equity and Opportunity (RTT-Opportunity) to address the inequalities among students. This initiative would create incentives for states and school districts to drive change in how they identify and close opportunity and achievement gaps.

Topics: civil rights, early education, No bio box

Study Looks at Kids Who Do Time For Offenses That Aren’t Crimes; News Roundup

By Ashley Heinonen, April 18 2014

Juvenile Justice Reform

Study Looks at Kids Who Do Time For Offenses That Aren’t Crimes (The Washington Post)
The Texas Public Policy Foundation (TPPF) has an interesting report out on the detainment and incarceration of juveniles for “status offenses,” or offenses that wouldn’t be crimes if the juveniles were adults.
Florida Law, Used in Jacksonville, 'Violates International Human Rights Obligations,' Rights Group Declares (The Florida Times-Union)
Nearly 40 percent of juveniles prosecuted as adults in Florida in the past five years were charged with property crimes rather than violent offenses, according to a report released Thursday by the international rights group Human Rights Watch.
A House Divided No More: Common Cause for Juvenile Justice Advocates, Victim Advocates, and Communities (NJJN.org)
Our juvenile justice system fails everyone—it fails youth because it rarely holds them accountable with age-appropriate responses known to be effective at changing behavior, and it fails to provide victims of crime with adequate support services that can help them return to healthy, productive lives.
Fed Gov’t Sues Ohio Juvenile System (Sandusky Register)
The U.S. Department of Justice and Ohio officials have reached an agreement that will reduce the amount of time spent in isolation by young people in state juvenile correctional facilities.

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

2014 Leadership Institute Highlights

By Susan Richardson, April 16 2014

Last week, Reclaiming Futures fellows from across the country gathered in New Orleans to share experiences, learn together, and get inspired all over again. For those who were unable to attend, see below for highlights, including an inspiring interview with Father Greg Boyle of Homeboy Industries.
Father Greg Boyle on why he Supports Reclaiming Futures

Our two efforts and movements are completely aligned. We're the largest gang intervention rehab reentry program in the country, so gang members and folks who have been in the system, felons between the ages of 14 and 50 come through our doors. It's a community that's therapeutic, engages in attachment repair, is interested in healing and moving people toward exactly a reclaiming of their own futures.
Our program is not for those who need help; it's for those who want it. That's the only way rehab works. It never works with somebody who's dragged and forced.
But once they walk through the doors it's ticker tape parade and streamers so that they feel welcomed, accepted, not judged. We help them re-imagine their futures because gang violence is a lethal absence of hope. It's an inability to conjure up an image of what tomorrow looks like, which is exactly in line with what Reclaiming Futures is all about.

#rfutures14 pic.twitter.com/Xuir5W8JcU
— Brittini Long (@longred3316) April 10, 2014

Topics: 2014 leadership institute, leadership institute, No bio box

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