Juvenile Justice Reform

Big news in the field of juvenile justice reform: initial results from the "Pathways to Desistance" research project are now available.  And the implications for juvenile justice policy -- and opportunities for debate -- are significant. 
Conducted by the MacArthur Foundation's Models for Change initiative, "Pathways to Desistance" is a large, multi-site project that follows 1,354 racially and ethnically diverse juvenile offenders over seven years and tries to answer the basic question we all want the answer to: what combination of sanctions and services helps kids stop re-offending, i.e., desist from crime?  
Specifically, it's looking at youth who committed "the most serious felonies that come before the court, including murder, robbery, aggravated assault, sex offenses, and kidnapping" between the ages of 14 and 17. Over 90% of the followup interviews -- over 25,000 of them -- have been completed so far.
One key finding:

Last summer, the Campaign for Youth Justice (CFYJ) launched its National Parent Caucus to build leaders among those most affected by the juvenile justice system. Every month, it holds conference calls with parents and caregivers. They've reached over 100 families from all over the country.
Next spring, CFYJ will host a three-day gathering in Baltimore of emerging family leaders from the National Parent Caucus to share experiences and skill. (I'll keep you posted as I learn more.)
 
Can't wait that long? Then dial in to the Caucus' next conference call at 1.866.670.5105 and enter the code 448194#. Or pass the number on to a parent of a child in the justice system. All calls take place at 1 pm PST/ 4 pm EST.
 
Here's the 2010 conference call schedule:

Juvenile Justice System News - An Important Survey, plus Webinars and One Grant Opportunity

• Please take or pass on this quick online survey for kids who used to be in the juvenile justice system, family members of kids in the system, and people of color new to the field of juvenile justice reform. The National Juvenile Justice Network (NJJN) compiled the survey to help shape its first Juvenile Justice Leadership Development Institute, which it plans to hold in July 2010. The mission of the Institute is to create a "more effective juvenile justice reform movement by developing a strong base of well prepared and well trained advocates who reflect the communities most affected by juvenile justice system practices and policies, with a particular focus on cultivating and supporting leaders of color, youth and family members." Hurry, though, the deadline to complete it is Monday, December 14th!

Concerned about youth who are victims of violence, or who've witnessed it? 
Practitioners, researchers, and policymakers can get news and resources from the Safe Start Center, run by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP).
Places to start:

• “Issue Brief #1: Understanding Children’s Exposure to Violence”
• “Healing the Invisible Wounds: Children’s Exposure to Violence”
• Victimization and Juvenile Offending, from the National Child Traumatic Stress Network, which also put out Helping Traumatized Children: Tips for Judges
• Judges might also be interested in the Judicial Checklist for Children and Youth Exposed to Violence from the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges (NCJFCJ)

You can also follow the Safe Start Center on Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube.
 

Juvenile Justice Reform & Related News

• "How long are we as a nation going to allow justice policy to be determined by anecdote, storytelling and worst-case scenarios?" James Bell asks in an excellent op-ed he published just before Thanksgiving in support of the renewal of the federal Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDPA). A week earlier, he also published another op-ed, in which he eloquently attacked juvenile life without parole.
• This week, the W. Haywood Burns Institute (which Bell directs) issued The Keeper and the Kept (see image at right), the second in a series of excellent reports on the nature of disproportionate minority confinement in the juvenile justice system and how to address it. Check it out.
• A new national standard for defining juvenile recidivism may be on the way, reports Youth Today.
  

Got a juvenile drug court? Considering starting one?
The MacArthur Foundation's juvenile justice reform initiative, Models for Change, recently released a set of evidence-based practice recommendations for juvenile drug courts.
Developed in a statewide project in Louisiana, the recommendations focus on

1. screening and assessment;
2. improving alcohol and drug treatment (along with treatment for co-occurring disorders); and
3. outcome monitoring.

(Hat tip to Christa Myers of the  Reclaiming Futures initiative in Hocking County, Ohio.)
Related Post:

• Here's a handy list of existing evidence-based treatment programs, information about evidence-based practices and tips for implementing your own practice.
• Check out this post for research on what works best when implementing an EBP.

Your Juvenile Justice System: Share Local Needs with OJJDP

• What training and technical assistance does your system need?  The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) wants to know. Complete their online needs assessment for your juvenile justice system, and help them improve their understanding of local needs to build capacity and sustainability among juvenile justice organizations. 

 
Juvenile Justice System and Adolescent Substance Abuse Treatment News

• Laurence Steinberg, co-author of Rethinking Juvenile Justice, was just awarded $1 million for his work on adolescent developmental psychology -- work that has made him an expert on juvenile justice. Steinberg is the first winner of the Klaus J. Jacobs Research Prize, believed to be one of the largest prizes given in the social sciences.

Background on the Juvenile Life Without Parole Cases

Today, the U.S. Supreme Court is hearing appeals on two cases where teens were sentenced to life without parole for non-homicidal crimes.
The court's decision has the potential to significantly curtail the use of "life without parole" sentences for teens, especially in cases where no one is killed. Youth Today has very thorough coverage, including links to lots of editorials on the topics, and you can find a piece from The Atlantic, "Kids Locked Up for Life."

Juvenile Justice Reform News

• The Coalition for Juvenile Justice has an update on the Congressional reauthorization of the federal Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDPA), one of the key engines of juvenile justice reform. (Thanks to the Coalition for Juvenile Justice for sharing its slide deck.)
• Big news from Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, in the juvenile "kids for cash" case. The state Supreme Court overturned thousands of juvenile adjudications made by former Judge Mark A. Ciavarella, Jr., because he consistently failed to inform juveniles of their right to representation. Only the cases of youth still under court supervision would be eligible for retrial. (Hat tip to Youth Today.)

Yesterday, to celebrate the first anniversary of this blog, we began reposting our top 10 posts from the past year, including one on engaging the families of youth in the juvenile justice system, how to handle confidentiality and consent issues when connecting kids with adolescent substance abuse treatment, and more.
Today, our celebration continues with our top five posts (in reverse order of popularity):