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May 2007
CJJ Conference News
- JJDPA Today—Just a Month Away!
CJJ Leadership News
- Message from Robin Jenkins, CJJ 2007 National Chair
CJJ Government Relations Alert
- Signed, Sealed, Delivered! CJJ and Individual SAGs Sign-on to the “Act 4 Juvenile Justice” Statement of Principles for JJDPA Reauthorization
- CJJ Opposes Counterproductive Policies for Children and Youth Adjudicated for Sexual Abuses
- Calling All SAGs! We Need Your GRC Liaisons!
CJJ Member Involvement Survey – Give Us Your Input
- CJJ Member Involvement and Services
State Advisory Group News
- Report from the CJJ Northeast Regional Meeting
Juvenile Justice Specialist and DMC News
- JJ Specialists and DMC Meetings to be held at CJJ National Conference
National Juvenile Justice Network (NJJN) News
- NJJN Hosts 5th Annual Forum
- NJJN Sponsors Two Briefings on the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child
- Update: Raising the Age of Juvenile Court Jurisdiction to 18 Years
Resources and Information of Note
- CJJ Remembers Reverend Warren Hugh Dolphus
- CDC Taskforce Releases Study, Recommends Against Trying Youth as Adults
- Juvenile Law Center Publishes on Protecting Youth from Self-Incrimination
- PBS Frontline Program Focuses on LWOP for Juveniles – May 8, 2007
- 2006 Report Addresses LGBT Youth, Homelessness and Juvenile Justice System
- Testimony Given on Reclaiming Futures in Anchorage, AK
- Chapin Hall Publication on Runaway Foster Youth and School Engagement
- National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges Hosts Conference
- National Institute of Justice Hosts Annual Conference
CJJ Conference News
JJDPA Today—Just a Month Away!
Please do not hesitate to register for JJDPA Today, CJJ’s Summit and Annual Conference, June 9-12, 2007! A very exciting agenda has been prepared and is available online at http://www.juvjustice.org/conference_4.html.
The CJJ Summit and Conference will bring together SAG members and other key leaders from across the nation to learn, discuss and strategize about the pending reauthorization of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDPA), as well as to conduct Hill visits with their congressional delegates. Conference topics will include:
- Changing the Status Quo for Status Offenders
- Juvenile Defense 40 Years After In re Gault
- Adolescent Brain Development: Implications for Juvenile Justice Policy
- Family-Community-Court Partnerships for Truancy Prevention
- DMC Evaluation Strategies
- Performance-based Standards to Increase Accountability and Effectiveness
- School Leadership for Preventing Placements in Juvenile Justice
- States’ Sight and Sound Separation Compliance
- Proactively Addressing Co-Occurring Disorders among Youth
CJJ’s Summit will feature presentations on the past, present and future of the JJDPA, the findings of the MacArthur Adolescent Development and Juvenile Justice Research Network, and CJJ Hill Trainings. Everyone is encouraged to visit their members of Congress for CJJ’s Hill Day, June 12.
On June 11, we will hold a luncheon with award presentations of CJJ’s A. L. Carlisle Child Advocacy Award, Spirit of Youth Award and Tony Gobar Outstanding National Juvenile Justice Specialist Award.
The conference will be preceded by the CJJ Board of Directors’ Meeting on the morning of June 10, as well as Regional Coalition Business Meetings, a Juvenile Justice Specialists’ Business Meeting, a DMC Coordinators/Committee Members’ Meeting and CJJ Leadership Committee Meetings.
Location:
Washington Plaza Hotel
10 Thomas Circle, NW, Washington, DC
Phone: 202-842-1300, Web: www.washingtonplazahotel.com
CJJ Room Block Rate: $159 per night for a single/double (subject to change)
Room block reservations are open now through May 19, 2007
To register go to:
www.Cvent.com
Click on the “RSVP for Event” tab
Enter event code 5VNNTF93T2W
Registration fees: $100 CJJ member rate, $200 non-member rate
$45 for “networking dinner” on Sunday, June 10
Questions? Please contact Idit Knaan at CJJ: 202-467-0864, ext. 122, and knaan@juvjustice.org.
CJJ Leadership News
Message from Robin Jenkins, CJJ 2007 National Chair
Was in the grocery store the other day … I live in a town adjacent to Ft. Bragg (NC) so there are always plenty of military folks around. One young soldier was checking out different types of produce. He came upon a “funny-looking” green variety of tomato. After a brief exchange of “What is it?” and “I’m not sure,” he just laughed and told me, “Hey, after where I’ve been over the last year, it all looks good!” He went on to add, “I’m infantry; I might even wash it off before I eat it!”
I chuckled, but reflected on what this meant to me personally. The sacrifices these young men and women make on behalf of their families, their country – to make sure that our freedom, choices, and religion are unrestricted – are monumental and hugely under-compensated. Yet, they do it because they believe in our ideals, values, and the ultimate foundations articulated in our Constitution. Whether you are a supporter of the current conflict or not, we all have to support our troops. Each time I get a chance, I thank them for all that they do – from combat, to support, to logistics, to the families that provide their emotional anchoring. I hope you do the same.
So how does this relate to CJJ? Whether a SAG Chair, SAG member, Specialist, Member-at-Large or ally, you come to this organization with a belief system about juvenile justice. Our beliefs are diverse, sometimes complimentary and sometimes not. But our strength lies in the same idea our military defends – no matter our differences, it is our diversity and common values, which include freedom of choice and openness in society, which are foundational ideals we strive to provide to children and youth in terms of the very best in accountability and restorative justice.
Presently, as in the past, CJJ is the only national vehicle available to you that is unfettered by restrictions or obligations. Your membership and involvement in CJJ is an investment in a fantastic connection to the most important audience on our radar screen in terms of policy and appropriations (Capitol Hill), as well as nationwide connectivity to each other and many leadership groups working toward common purposes.
CJJ is getting better all the time. A professional electronic information network has emerged (e.g., the e-Monitor, Web site, listservs and discussion groups) keeping you abreast of the field as well as alerting you to key legislative and appropriations information at a moment’s notice. Your CJJ Executive Director has recently hired a Deputy Director for Policy and Programs to be a point person on Government Relations and Capitol Hill; you wanted more Congressional education and presence and you got it! You get outstanding connectivity to cutting edge models and practices in terms of CJJ’s investments in detention reform (via the Annie E. Casey Foundation), Models for Change (via the MacArthur Foundation), and Reclaiming Futures (via the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation) – as well as access to the growing network of state and grassroots organizations making a tangible difference through CJJ’s sponsorship and support of the National Juvenile Justice Network (NJJN). You receive periodic issue briefs and papers on new dimensions of old problems, or new ideas as they emerge and begin to shape the field – all archived on the Web site and available to you via print copies. You also receive conference registration savings, as well as what I consider to be the most effective piece of it all – the warm, committed network of SAG members and others who do the work of state planning and programming using the limited federal dollars available through the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDPA).
There are other benefits as well, but I’ll stop here to make the most important point: all of these benefits – the network, the support, the infrastructure – are there because of you. CJJ is you, and you are CJJ. We are at a vital junction in the evolution of the organization. That is why attendance at the June 10 Board of Directors’ meeting in Washington, D.C., is critical! We will further our discussion and voting on CJJ’s governance and membership structure. We will look to you for more input into the types of business products and services you desire (see our survey invitation below). We will grapple with your very important opinions regarding CJJ’s continued viability and relevance. It is your organization; how will you have it?
Each of us leads very busy lives. For me to work as a CJJ volunteer, I now have even fewer nights and weekends to do my own agency or volunteer work, or to be with my family. But, I believe strongly in what CJJ is doing and why. Through my direct experience and that of others, I see that the FACJJ or other training groups cannot do for you what CJJ can. I am not suggesting either/or choices – you and your state can participate in each group as you deem feasible. But, while only one appointee per state/territory can participate with the FACJJ, every SAG Member and every ally is part of CJJ. All voices and opinions count. It is our depth and scope of membership that drives the vitality of CJJ.
Please join us in D.C. in June – not only to grow and strengthen CJJ, but to network around effective programs and strategies toward JJDPA reauthorization. Additionally, we’ll arm folks with updates from the Hill, providing advocacy tools and information so that you can visit your Congressional representatives. So, come learn with us, from us, and about us if you are new. Come uphold the legacy of A. L. Carlisle—whose vision emerged from her kitchen table to create a mighty volunteer-led national SAG organization, built over the past 30+ years.
Thank you for what you do today and every day to redirect problem behavior, protect and restore victims and build fairness into our juvenile justice system. While we have miles and miles to go, I’m very happy to be walking arm-in-arm with each of you. Let us keep going and growing stronger. As always, please let me know your thoughts: rjenkins@cccommunicare.org.
CJJ Government Relations Alert
Signed, Sealed, Delivered! CJJ and Individual SAGs Sign-on to the “Act 4 Juvenile Justice” Statement of Principles for JJDPA Reauthorization
Great news! By a majority vote, the CJJ Board, as convened in March in Minnesota, accepted a motion from the National Steering Committee and Government Relations Committee and voted to sign-on to the “Statement of Principles” for Reauthorization of the JJDPA (see: www.juvjustice.org/announcement_111.html) for its delivery to members of Congress.
The Statement was developed by the “Act 4 Juvenile Justice Initiative”—a collective effort of more than 150 national, state and local organizations, sponsored by the National Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Coalition. CJJ is pleased to serve—through staff and CJJ Government Relations Committee (GRC) involvement—as a leader in the Act 4 Juvenile Justice effort.
In addition, State Advisory Groups (SAGs) in New Mexico, Tennessee and Utah have taken the lead among SAGs to sign on, individually. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if all SAGs were represented as state-level signatories to the Statement of Principles?
If your SAG wishes to sign, please send full name, address, contact person and title, by email to info@juvjustice.org. If you have questions, feel free to contact Nancy Gannon Hornberger, CJJ Executive Director: 202-467-0864, ext. 111, or nancy@juvjustice.org
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JJDPA Statement of Principles
We, the undersigned, urge the Congress to adhere to the following four principles in approaching the Reauthorization of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDPA). These principles are grounded in research and their efficacy underscored by the fact that the JJDPA has for more than 30 years provided direction and support for juvenile justice system improvement and, thereby, significantly contributed to the diminution of juvenile crime and delinquency.
I. Keep children and youth out of the justice system: Whenever possible, keep children and youth out of the juvenile and criminal justice systems by addressing their needs and those of their families early and effectively.
II. Ensure equity and competence: Do everything possible to ensure equity and competence with regard to race, ethnicity, culture, language, gender and sexual orientation, in legal representation before the courts and throughout all system practices and policies.
III. Ensure responses appropriate to a young person’s age and stage of development: Do everything possible to ensure that children and youth in the justice system are treated in an age-appropriate manner and provided with developmentally appropriate, evidenced-based services and supports. Ensure, when needed, that sanctions are appropriate to a youth’s age and offense.
IV. Strengthen the federal partnership with the states: Strengthen the federal role in supporting state and local needs by providing sufficient resources and appropriations for jurisdictions to effectively implement the JJDPA, to fully comply with its core requirements/protections and to ensure state and local adherence to high standards of performance.
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CJJ Opposes Counterproductive Policies for Children and Youth Adjudicated for Sexual Abuses
In time for the April 30, 2007 deadline, the Coalition for Juvenile Justice (CJJ), upon approval by the National Steering Committee and Government Relations Committee, submitted comments to the U.S. Attorney General opposing an interim rule that applies the provisions of the Adam Walsh Child and Protection Act of 2006 retroactively, and which would mandate that children and youth adjudicated within the juvenile court system for certain sex abuses register with a national sex offender registry.
CJJ’s comments primarily addressed the Attorney General’s interim determination that Title I of the Act, also known as the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA), be applied retroactively to certain children and youth regardless of when they were convicted. CJJ asserted that given the varied structures, laws, policies and service-delivery systems of the 56 different states and jurisdictions, it would be procedurally impractical and burdensome for the states to comply with SORNA retroactively. In addition, CJJ asserted that states, territories and the District of Columbia would be forced to take on additional costs or to consider use of federal juvenile justice appropriations in a manner entirely at odds with the core prevention, early intervention and system improvement goals for federal appropriations to states and localities under current federal juvenile justice laws.
CJJ also took the opportunity to argue that it is bad public policy for SORNA to be applied at all—whether retroactively or prospectively to children and youth, and to urge the U.S. Department of Justice and Congress to revisit the Walsh Act and strike a more compassionate and productive balance between victims of sexual abuse, particularly children, and child victims of sexual abuse who sadly exhibit abusive behaviors. To view the letter in its entirety, visit the CJJ Web site at www.juvjustice.org/announcement_110.html.
Many, many thanks to the members of the Government Relations Committee—and more specifically to SAG members from New Hampshire, New Jersey, Tennessee and Utah—for helping us craft a letter that champions the needs of the states and the young people that we all work so hard to serve.
Questions? Please feel free to contact Tara Andrews, CJJ Deputy Executive Director for Policy and Programs: 202-467-0864, ext. 109, and andrews@juvjustice.org.
Calling All SAGs! We Need Your GRC Liaisons!
If you are looking for a meaningful way to enhance the work and progress of juvenile justice policy by educating and informing members of Congress, we are looking for you!
Per the invitation from Linda Hayes (CJJ Government Relations Chair) issued last month, we are signing on SAG members to serve as liaisons to the CJJ Government Relations Committee (GRC). To date we have received responses from more than 20 states! Yet, our goal is to have representation from all 56 SAGs.
We know that you’ve been thinking about it and for good reason. Your SAG’s participation in the GRC not only ensures that every state’s perspective is heard and represented, but also ensures that we reap the full benefits of the experience and the energy that each state brings to CJJ. Via your liaison to the GRC, you will receive:
- Timely information about activities on Capitol Hill with respect to appropriations and federal legislation, particularly reauthorization of the JJDPA;
- Sample letters and other template documents that your SAG may wish to use to communicate with your state and federal elected officials; and
- Occasional polling and inquiries from CJJ to ascertain the perspectives of your SAG and its members regarding positions on federal legislation, etc.
Please communicate the name and contact information of your SAG’s liaison ASAP to Tara Andrews, CJJ’s Deputy Executive Director for Policy and Programs: 202-467-0864, ext. 109, or andrews@juvjustice.org.
In addition, please let us know what we can do to ensure the participation of your group in our June meeting and Hill Day. This year is a critical year for juvenile justice, and we need your involvement to make sure good things happen!
Please be in touch. We look forward to hearing from you soon!
CJJ Member Involvement Survey – Give Us Your Input
CJJ Member Involvement and Services
Do you have a quick five minutes? Please—no matter how you are connected to CJJ—follow the link below and complete a very brief survey on CJJ member involvement and services. Your input, aggregated with that of other survey respondents, will be reported as major input into decisions about CJJ’s membership and programs in June. Thank you in advance for your participation. If you have any questions, please contact Kitty McCarthy, CJJ’s Communications and Program Associate at mccarthy@juvjustice.org.
Survey link: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=245293786005
State Advisory Group News
Report from the CJJ Northeast Regional Meeting
Contributed by Nancy Gannon Hornberger, CJJ Executive Director.
Have you ever been to Flushing Center in Queens, New York? When I arrived for the CJJ Northeast Regional Meeting—generously hosted by Michael Daly, SAG Chair for New York and Anne Cadwallader, Juvenile Justice Specialist for New York—I thought I had returned to Hong Kong.
Flushing is a vibrant multi-ethnic community in New York City, with tremendous diversity and where the ability to read in Chinese could be very helpful. The public library is the central feature of Flushing’s “Times Square” – where Mike Daly and his colleagues have created a haven for New York City youth. In fact, we learned that the library is the largest employer of teenagers in Queens.
The meeting for the CJJ Northeast Regional Coalition was a terrific example of what happens when volunteers step-up selflessly and effectively. About a year ago—at an event hosted by CJJ with a grant from the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP)—it became clear that there was dwindling or possibly no further federal support for the regional meetings held by and with CJJ since the 1970s. Yet, the Northeast Region determined that there was no stopping them and a meeting would take place in 2007, regardless.
On April 20, 2007, with seven Northeast states represented and three states of the National Juvenile Justice Network (NJJN) attending as well, CJJ’s National Chair, Robin Jenkins, and Government Relations Chair, Linda Hayes, were pleased to lead discussions about the future, growth and needs for juvenile justice in the region and the nation, on the eve of reauthorization of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDPA).
Attendees learned from Executive Assistant District Attorney of Queens Jesse Sligh and his staff about the “Second Chance Program,” operated by their office to redirect young, nonviolent and first-time offenders (see: www.queensda.org), as well as legislative reforms and alternatives to incarceration programs advanced by NJJN partners including Janet Leban, Delaware; Abby Anderson, Connecticut; and Ruben Austria, New York City. Frank conversations took place about issues that need serious attention, such as the deinstitutionalization of status offenders, preventing the flow of child welfare and non-criminal youth into the juvenile court, adultification of juveniles and their transfer to criminal court, and ways to work together to reduce racial/ethnic disparities.
As a final note, Joseph Diament, SAG member from New Hampshire, suggested a change in our lexicon that could have wide ranging implications—from describing “youth at risk” to describing them as “youth of promise.”
Juvenile Justice Specialist and DMC News
JJ Specialists and DMC Meetings to be held at CJJ National Conference
Contributed by Mark Ferrante, New Jersey Juvenile Justice Specialist and CJJ National Juvenile Justice Specialist.
On Saturday, June 9 from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. (please note time change), Juvenile Justice Specialists will convene to discuss issues of common interest and to share thoughts and concerns regarding the reauthorization of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDPA). Several agenda items have been received thus far. However, more are welcome. Please email mark.ferrante@njjjc.org to add or discuss agenda items.
Also on June 9, from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m., DMC Coordinators, JJ Specialists and DMC Committee members (and other interested parties) will meet to discuss methodologies for addressing racial and ethnic disparities in juvenile justice and to share state DMC reduction strategies. This meeting is an important opportunity to hear from experts around the country on these and other issues. Again, important feedback on the agenda already has been received and more is welcome. Please forward comments and suggestions to Kitty McCarthy, Communications and Program Associate, at mccarthy@juvjustice.org.
Finally, CJJ is pleased to announce that several excellent nominations for the 4th Annual Tony Gobar Award for Outstanding National Juvenile Justice Specialist have been received by the CJJ. The award will be presented at the CJJ national conference on June 11. Please stay tuned!
National Juvenile Justice Network (NJJN) News
NJJN Hosts 5th Annual Forum
The National Juvenile Justice Network’s 5th Annual Forum will be held June 13-15, 2007 in Washington, D.C. This forum brings together advocates from across the country to discuss their efforts in promoting state-based juvenile justice reform. This year’s event will include sessions on disproportionate minority contact (DMC), girls, using the media effectively, reentry, evidenced based practices, gangs and fundraising for advocacy. The event is open to NJJN members, partners and associates. NJJN members are also invited to come into Washington, D.C., early to participate in the June 12 Hill Day for JJDPA reauthorization—or any of the CJJ events held from June 9-12 (see above CJJ conference news). If interested in attending the NJJN Annual Forum and/or becoming a partner or associate of NJJN, please e-mail info@njjn.org.
NJJN Sponsors Two Briefings on the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child
In April, NJJN helped to sponsor two briefings on the Convention of the Rights of the Child (CRC), capitalizing on the presence in the U.S. of Jaap Doek, the recent past chair of the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child. Both briefings focused on the relevance of the CRC to juvenile justice reform. The first briefing, held on Capitol Hill for congressional staff, focused on the CRC’s mandates to end the disparate treatment of youth of color and to improve the treatment of youth in detention. The second briefing, a teleconference for NJJN members and allies, focused on how to use the language and tenets of the CRC to advocate for an improved juvenile justice system. The NJJN teleconference will be available for download on NJJN’s website in May 2007. More information on the CRC and on both these events can be found in the human rights section of the NJJN web page at www.njjn.org/issue_182.html.
Update: Raising the Age of Juvenile Court Jurisdiction to 18 Years
Contributed by Betsy Clarke of the Juvenile Justice Initiative, an NJJN co-chair and member representative from Illinois.
The following is a summary of recent developments in states working to raise the age of juvenile court jurisdiction to 18 years.
North Carolina’s Sentencing and Policy Advisory Commission, appointed in 2005 to study issues related to juveniles, has just submitted its report to the North Carolina Assembly recommending the state raise from 16 to 18 years the age of juvenile jurisdiction, except for traffic and transfer offenses. The Commission recommends that implementation be delayed for two years to allow for legal and organizational changes required. The full report is available at www.nccourts.org.
Connecticut’s Juvenile Justice Planning and Implementation Committee has filed a report with the Connecticut General Assembly that recommends raising the age of juvenile court jurisdiction to 18 years. The recommendations have a two-year delay in implementation to allow time for the appropriation of funds necessary to build the capacity to address the increased population. The full report is available at www.cga.ct.gov. Formal legislation for the proposal was introduced in February (SB 1196; HB 7246).
Illinois’ legislature is considering a proposal to raise the age from 17 to 18 for misdemeanor offenses, and to set up a task force to develop a plan to implement raising the age for felony offenses. HB 1517 can be reviewed at www.ilga.gov and background information and fact sheets are available at the Juvenile Justice Initiative’s web site at www.jjustice.org.
Resources and Information of Note
CJJ Remembers Reverend Warren Hugh Dolphus
Rev. Warren Hugh Dolphus passed away on February 18, 2007 with complications from a stroke suffered a week earlier. He was 49 years old. Rev. Dolphus was the founding president of the National Alliance of Faith and Justice (NAFJ) and a retired chaplain for the Federal Bureau of Prisons. In September 2007, he was a presenter at the CJJ/OJJDP 11th Annual DMC Conference “Law Enforcement Solutions for Reducing Racial Disparities and Disproportionate Minority Contact (DMC) in Juvenile Justice.” Presenting with his wife Addie L. Richburg, Rev. Dolphus led a session on promoting race and reconciliation between the faith community and law enforcement.
In addition to his work with the NAFJ, Rev. Dolphus served as the Chief Chaplain of the Federal Correctional Institution in Manchester, Kentucky, and Staff Chaplain at the Federal Correctional Institution in Danbury, Connecticut. His early years with the agency included service as a Senior Officer Specialist at the United States Penitentiary in Atlanta, Georgia, a former Bureau of Prisons’ maximum security institution.
In recognition of his many acts of service and exemplary leadership, Rev. Dolphus received numerous awards including the Daily Points of Lights Award presented by the Points of Lights Foundation and President George W. Bush with acknowledgement by Former President George Bush, and the Mary Church Terrell Award for outstanding leadership in issues of social justice and faith.
Rev. Dolphus earned his Master of Divinity from the Interdenominational Theological Center (Turner Theological Seminary) in Atlanta, Georgia in 1993, and a Bachelor of Science from Wayland Baptist University in Plainview, Texas. In addition to his wife, Rev. Dolphus is survived by two daughters, three sisters and two brothers.
In lieu of donations, Rev. Dolphus’ family asks that individuals consider membership in the NAFJ. For more information, visit www.nafj.org.
CDC Taskforce Releases Study, Recommends Against Trying Youth as Adults
A study conducted by a task force of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended against laws or policies facilitating the transfer of juveniles from the juvenile justice to the adult judicial system for the purpose of reducing violence. Outcomes from the task force, which was led by Robert Johnson, M.D., of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, are published in the April 2007 edition of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Major findings included:
- Transferring juveniles to the adult justice system is counterproductive as a strategy for deterring subsequent violence: The task force found strong evidence that youth who have been previously tried as adults are more likely to commit additional violent crimes. The weight of evidence shows that youth who are transferred from the juvenile court system to the adult criminal system are approximately 34% more likely than youth retained in the juvenile court system to be re-arrested for violent or other crime.
- Insufficient evidence that transferring youth to the adult criminal system prevents youth crime: The task force found insufficient evidence to justify assertions that trying youth as adults prevents youth from committing crimes in the first place.
- Strengthened transfer policies may be harmful for those juveniles who experience transfer: The review notes that other violent outcomes may result from the transfer of youth to the adult system. These violent outcomes include an increase in pretrial violence, victimization of juveniles in adult facilities, and elevated suicide rates for juveniles incarcerated in adult facilities.
- Costs/benefits unknown: The review notes a rarity of studies that compare the costs of transferring youth to the adult system against the costs of retaining youth in the juvenile justice system. While the review questions the motive for evaluating harmful interventions (transfer laws and policies), it suggests that a cost-benefit comparison of the adult and juvenile justice systems may foster a constructive debate over the economic consequences of reform.
View an abstract of the report at http://www.ajpm-online.net/article/PIIS0749379706005526/abstract.
Juvenile Law Center Publishes on Protecting Youth from Self-Incrimination
The Juvenile Law Center (JLC) has released a monograph titled “Protecting Youth from Self-Incrimination when Undergoing Screening, Assessment and Treatment with the Juvenile Justice System.” Authored by Lourdes M. Rosado, Esq. and Riya S. Shaw, Esq., the publication is based upon an extensive and systematic review of current federal and state laws that protect and prevent information elicited from youth during screening, assessment and treatment for mental health disorders from being used against them in a delinquency or criminal proceeding. Upon review of statutes, court rules and case law in each state and D.C., the authors concluded that the vast majority of states do not currently have comprehensive protections against self-incrimination in such situations. Information elicited from court-involved youth as part of a screening and assessment process within the juvenile justice system is often not protected by the same federal and state laws that govern the confidentiality of information gathered in purely clinical settings.
In the monograph, JLC highlighted statutes and court rules that policy makers can use as models to enact similar protections in their own states. JLC also offers technical assistance to states and localities interested in interagency efforts to enact such safeguards. For more information, visit www.jlc.org/index.php/publications/17.
PBS Frontline Program Focuses on LWOP for Juveniles – May 8, 2007
On May 8, 2007, the PBS program Frontline will run “When Kids Get Life,” an episode focused on juvenile offenders serving life without parole (LWOP). The episode will feature producer Ofra Bikel interviewing five young men in Colorado who have been sentenced to life without parole. The interviews examine the individual crimes and punishments for each subject, the laws that sanctioned their convictions and the prospect of never being free again. The episode also features the Pendulum Foundation, an NJJN membership organization in Colorado.
PBS will air the program from 9 to 10:30 p.m. EST on May 8. Check local listings. For more information, visit www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/whenkidsgetlife/.
2006 Report Addresses LGBT Youth, Homelessness and Juvenile Justice System
The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Policy Institute and the National Coalition for the Homeless have released “Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Youth: An Epidemic of Homelessness.” The report offers a comprehensive review of academic research and professional literature and addresses the reasons why so many LGBT youth become and remain homeless. The report includes detailed sections on model programs that improve service delivery to LGBT youth, as well as profiles of LGBT homeless youth and policy recommendations on the state, federal and practitioner levels.
Regarding LGBT homeless youth and the juvenile and criminal justice systems, the report’s executive summary states:
While there is a paucity of academic research about the experiences of LGBT youth who end up in the juvenile and criminal justice systems, preliminary evidence suggests that they are disproportionately the victims of harassment and violence, including rape. For example, respondents in one small study reported that lesbians and bisexual girls are overrepresented in the juvenile justice system and that they are forced to live among a population of inmates who are violently homophobic. Gay male youth in the system are also emotionally, physically and sexually assaulted by staff and inmates. One respondent in a study of the legal rights of young people in state custody reported that staff members think that “[if] a youth is gay, they want to have sex with all the other boys, so they did not protect me from unwanted sexual advances.”
Download the executive summary and the report at www.thetaskforce.org/reports_and_research/homeless_youth.
Testimony Given on Reclaiming Futures in Anchorage, AK
A recent joint meeting of the Alaska House and Senate Health, Education and Social Services (HESS) Committees featured positive testimony on Reclaiming Futures, an initiative of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Tom Begich, an Alaska SAG member and National Chair of CJJ in 1997, is the director of the Anchorage Reclaiming Futures site and will be one of the presenters at “JJDPA Today,” CJJ’s June Summit/Conference.
Reclaiming Futures combines system reform, treatment improvement and community engagement to help youth in the justice system address drug and alcohol problems. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation recently announced a national expansion of the initiative with a commitment of $6.5 million in the next four years.
At the HESS meeting, testimony was given by Andre Rosay of the University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA) Justice Center, who conducted a local evaluation of the program. Rosay’s research found that the Reclaiming Futures approach increased the likelihood that a young person would complete drug and alcohol treatment.
A summary of the UAA evaluation is available online at: http://justice.uaa.alaska.edu/research/2000
/0713reclaimingfutures/0713.evaluation.pdf. Also available online is an evaluation of the initiative performed by researchers from the Chapin Hall Center for Children at the University of Chicago: http://www.chapinhall.org
/article_abstract.aspx?ar=1446&L2=61&L3=129.
Chapin Hall Publication on Runaway Foster Youth and School Engagement
The Chapin Hall Center for Children at the University of Chicago has published “School Engagement and Youth Who Run Away from Care: The Need for Cross-System Collaboration,” an effort to better understand individual and system factors that may impact the educational experiences and choices of youth in care.
The paper presents the voices of a group of youth who ran away from their foster placements and the perspectives of adults who care for or work with these youth. Qualitative data from two earlier studies were re-analyzed in an effort to better understand the complex set of factors or systems that influence school engagement for youth in care, particularly youth who run away from their placements. Findings revealed missed opportunities in helping support the educational aspirations of a vulnerable group of youth—missed opportunities for foster parents and professionals, for the child welfare and education systems, and most importantly for the youth themselves.
Download the full report at www.chapinhall.org/article_abstract.aspx?ar=1454.
National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges Hosts Conference
The National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges (NCJFCJ), with the sponsorship of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), will host “Graduated Sanctions in Juvenile Justice: A National Training,” May 8-11, 2007 in Brooklyn, NY. The conference will examine how the graduated sanctions philosophy is changing the way courts do business and offer opportunities to share ideas on how best to capitalize on the strengths of delinquent youth and their families.
A discounted registration fee of $275 has been extended until May 8, 2007. For more information and to register, visit www.ncjfcj.org/content/view/954/315/.
National Institute of Justice Hosts Annual Conference
The Office of Justice Programs’ National Institute of Justice (NIJ) will host its annual conference July 23-25, 2007 in Arlington, VA. The conference will include panels organized by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), including “Origins of Delinquency: Findings from the OJJDP Girls Study Group” and “Disproportionate Minority Contact: Competing Causal Arguments and Remedies.”
Other conference panels addressing youth issues include “Juvenile Transfer to Adult Court: The State of Knowledge and the State of Affairs” and “In Search of Evidenced-Based Practices in Juvenile Corrections: Florida’s Experiment Promoting Street Smart Youth.”
Registration is free and early registration is recommended. Learn more at www.ojp.usdoj.gov/nij/events/nij_conference/welcome.html.
The CJJ e-Monitor is brought to you by staff and volunteer leaders of CJJ, and supported by membership fees paid by CJJ’s State Advisory Group members, Members at Large and Allies. We are grateful to all for their ongoing support.
The CJJ e-Monitor is distributed in the first week of every month. To submit items for publication, e-mail Kitty McCarthy at mccarthy@juvjustice.org. Items must be submitted two weeks prior to the first of the month for consideration. Inclusion and editing of submissions are subject to CJJ editorial guidelines.
To electronically subscribe or unsubscribe to the CJJ e-Monitor, please send a request with your name and contact information to info@juvjustice.org.
— Robin Jenkins, 2007 CJJ National Chair
— Kitty McCarthy, Editor
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