Juvenile Justice Reform

A New Journal Focused on Juvenile Justice

The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) will launch the Journal of Juvenile Justice in March 2011. It'll be published twice a year for researchers, clinicians, practitioners, administrators, policy analysts, educators, and students.
 
How to Submit

Manuscripts will be peer-reviewed; topics can cover what the journal's web site calls "the full range of issues in juvenile justice," including juvenile victimization. Prospective authors can find guidelines and more by logging on here.
 
Questions?

Email the journal's managing editor, Monica Robbers, Ph.D.

Want to help teens understand the juvenile justice system? Draw them a picture -- or rather, lots of them. 
Case in point: I Got Arrested! Now What? It's a comic book/fold-out poster that describes New York's juvenile justice system by following the case of one youth named Chris. (Hat tip to @servicejunkie.)
Developed by the Center for Urban Pedagogy in collaboration with the Center for Court Innovation, the Youth Justice Board, and graphic novelist Danica Novgorodoff, it's visually interesting and thorough. (It also has a happy ending.) 
You can download a PDF or purchase print copies for $6.00 through PayPal. I recommend reviewing it. You might be able to use it for your own juvenile court. You might have to create your own if you're not in New York, but it's a great model. 

Work with juveniles in the justice system? Know what these text messages mean? 
1. LM4a~~#ZZZZZZ>
2. WTG 4 a \%/
3. %*@:-(

Representing America's Youth: Addressing the Juvenile Justice Paradox, a symposium hosted by the National Partnership for Juvenile Services (NPJS), will be held on October 10-13, 2010, in San Antonio, TX. (Hat tip to OJJDP.)
The NPJS is made up of the National Association for Juvenile Correctional Agencies, the National Juvenile Detention Association, the Juvenile Justice Trainers Association, the Council for Educators of At-Risk and Delinquent Youth, and the National Association for Children of Incarcerated Parents. 
 
Workshop training sessions will address:

Last year, we posted about a hugely important study by the Center for Court Innovation. In it, young people reported that they did not receive a clear explanation of the juvenile justice system when they entered. Nor did they -- or their parents and guardians -- learn how their actions affected what happens in juvenile court. 
Our Reclaiming Futures site in Orange/Chatham Counties, North Carolina is trying to change this and created the video above for parents/guardians of youth entering juvenile court. Congratulations!  (They're also working on a handbook for youth; I'll share it when it's available.)
Has your jurisdiction done something similar? Leave a comment or drop me an email and we'll be glad to post it!

 
Hello, I'm the new voice of the Reclaiming Futures Facebook page. I'm new to the fields of juvenile justice and adolescent treatment but I’m learning fast. I thought I'd share what I'm learning and ask for your advice.
 
Helpful Facebook Pages

Here are two lists of Facebook pages that have been helpful to me in not only learning more about juvenile justice and adolescent treatment, but also in becoming acquainted with Reclaiming Futures’ peer groups. These lists might be helpful to others… even to seasoned practitioners who are new to Facebook or are looking for fresh sources of info.

 
On September 14, 2010, the National Council on Crime and Delinquency's (NCCD) Children's Research Center (CRC) will present a webinar on "Improving Educational Outcomes of Youth in Juvenile Justice Facilities." (Hat tip to Randy Muck at SAMHSA.)
 
Presented by Janice Ereth, Ph.D., Special Advisor, Susan Gramling, J.D., Senior Program Specialist, and Andrea Bogie, MSW, Research Associate from NCCD/CRC, this free webinar will be held at 10:00 am PDT/ 12:00 pm CDT / 1:00 pm EDT. 

 
Resources for the Juvenile Justice System

• The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) has completed its first-ever "Census of Juveniles on Probation" (CJP), which it says "provides critical data on the characteristics of youth on probation, the nature of their offenses, and how they are served." Initial findings were presented at the American Probation and Parole Association's Annual Training Institute on August 17, 2010. I can't find a report on line, but I expect it'll be out shortly. If I've just overlooked it, let me know where I can find it and I'll post it here. 
• Work with Native American youth, or for a tribe? You might be interested in the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention's (OJJDP) Tribal Youth Program Web site. There, you'll find funding opportunities, resources on culturally appropriate prevention and intervention strategies, and federally-recognized tribes can request "web-based resources, individualized technical assistance, or on-site training or technical assistance."

Here's a brilliantly simple, inspiring video designed to get adults involved in the lives of teens. What a great tool for recruiting mentors for youth in the juvenile justice system! (Hat tip to Lane County Prevention.)
As the video mentions, adults avoid teens because they think they want to be left alone.
But nothing could be further from the truth.

Juvenile Justice Reform in Jeopardy, or Headed for a Golden Age? 

• The Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDPA) may be in trouble, if Congress reauthorizes it without increased funding for states to comply. That could mean that cash-strapped states may opt out, despite its long success and the high marks given to the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) for the training and technical assistance it provides to support the JJDPA. What would happen in your state, if the federal allocation was reduced or stayed the same?