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February 2008
CJJ Leadership News
- Message from Robin Jenkins, CJJ 2007 National Chair
CJJ Conference - Registration Now Open!
- CJJ Annual National Conference and Hill Day – April 25-29
- CJJ Invites Award Nominations
CJJ Government Relations Alert
- President's FY 2009 Budget Proposal Jeopardizes Federal Support for State & Local Delinquency Prevention
- CJJ Develops Compliance Project to Assist States
- New Initiative Aims to Improve State Responses to Immigrant Youth
- CJJ Deputy Executive Director Named Co-Chair of National JJDP Coalition
CJJ Council of SAGs News
- Cert petition asks U.S. Supreme Court to review decision to sentence a South Carolina 12-year-old to 30 years in prison without parole, CJJ Executive Board responds
- CJJ Council of SAGs’ Annual Meeting, April 27
CJJ Committee and Region News
- CJJ Leadership Committees
- CJJ Ethnic & Cultural Diversity Committee Update
- CJJ Southern Region Update
National Juvenile Justice Network (NJJN) News
- NJJN Releases Policy Brief on Polling
- NJJN and CJJ Host Juvenile Sex Offender Teleconference
Resources and Information of Note
- CWLA Publishes Promising Progress Report on Systems Integration
- Newest JDAI Newsletter Online Now
- NAFJ Launches Ongoing Youth Involvement Project “PEN OR PENCIL National B.U.S. Boycott”
- Evaluation of Reclaiming Futures Finds Strengthened Social Networks Help Troubled Teenagers
- Congressional Research Service Releases Report on Juvenile Justice
- New York Times Editorial Addresses Juvenile LWOP
- OJJDP Publishes Fact Sheets
- Job Opening for Director, National Center for Juvenile Justice
- Health and Human Services Grant Opportunity
- Additional Conferences of Note
CJJ Leadership News
Message from Robin Jenkins, CJJ 2007 National Chair
“Unity of purpose” — This is the phrase with which I charged the CJJ Executive Board during our annual planning retreat held in mid-January. An organization that has unity of purpose overcomes some of the basic challenges that tend to fragment groups. To illustrate, I told them that, “even wild ducks have the good sense to fly in flock formation,” meaning that no matter how independent the members, when working toward a common goal it makes sense to have a unity of purpose, a plan for getting there and the leadership and resources to travel safely there.
When I think of CJJ as an organization, I know it as a deeply talented, skilled, diverse membership that has so much to offer children, youth and families involved with juvenile justice systems across our nation. Yet all that talent and diversity can either strengthen us – if we strategically agree on the ends (goals) of our efforts – or can be divisive – if we are splintered by disparate goals, strategies and methods for achieving what we hope will be success. I challenged CJJ’s newly-seated Executive Board to think strategically about how CJJ can work in a variety of ways to achieve unity of purpose. How can we maximize our state, regional and national networks to achieve it? What can we do with our Council of SAGs, Executive Board, committee structure and organization to ensure that JJDPA Reauthorization occurs, that SAGs feel empowered and strengthened by our efforts, and that our new membership structure flourishes as we widen our circle of members and affiliated organizations?
The CJJ Executive Board worked extremely hard on these items and more. They wrangled with work plans, goals and strategies. They tussled with organizational development. And, they grappled with how to achieve the highest standards for your organization using all available resources. I am very grateful to each of the members of our Executive Board for working so productively, over a weekend, on your behalf. We came away with an ambitious set of tasks that we believe will achieve policy, legislative, financial and advocacy outcomes consistent with CJJ member values and interests.
Nonprofit organizations exist in challenging circumstances. They must meet the needs of their paying members and “customers” in highly efficient, effective ways while relying on heavy doses of volunteerism. They must navigate external threats and opportunities while also encouraging internal investment of time, money and talent from within. In this regard, we need your energy as volunteers more than ever. We have a wish list for you to consider: CJJ needs strong fund raising and membership committee members (are you willing to volunteer?); we seek new relationships with foundations or other groups that could partner with CJJ financially to enhance our programming and work; we need more communications between states and across regions; we hope to generate more training opportunities closer to our members at home, as well as on a national scale; and we seek stronger partnerships with law enforcement, the judiciary, probation/parole, youth development and similar organizations.
Please contact the CJJ national office (202-467-0864 or info@juvjustice.org) to let us know of your interests and skills. The staff will be happy to answer any questions you have, to connect you to other states or members who may be of assistance, and to serve as your partner and your voice for progressive juvenile justice where needed. And as always, I humbly appreciate the opportunity to serve you and am available to listen to you if needed.
On behalf of our Executive Board and staff, thank you for your investments in CJJ. We will continue to work very hard with you, and for you, as we seek juvenile justice reform throughout the states and territories.
And, remember this: “If you don't look after the little things in life, they will look after you.” – Brian Fierling
Let’s (CJJ members) look after each other. For if we don’t, who will?
Warmest regards,
Robin Jenkins, Ph.D., Chair
CJJ Conference - Registration Now Open!
CJJ Annual National Conference and Hill Day – April 25-29
CJJ is pleased to announce that registration is now open for its Annual National Conference and CJJ Council of SAGs’ Meeting, to be held April 25-29, 2008, in Washington, D.C. This year’s theme, “Investing in Our Children: Emerging Reform Efforts in Juvenile Justice,” will highlight significant juvenile justice and delinquency prevention reform efforts at the local, state and federal government level, as well as models of public/private partnerships to enhance systems of care.
A Call for Presentations has been widely disseminated and is available at www.juvjustice.org/conference_5.html. The deadline for submissions is February 15, 2008.
The CJJ conference will open with a panel discussion featuring the results of longer-term reforms efforts in three states. The conference also will provide a forum for youth development and leadership and numerous networking opportunities for Juvenile Justice Specialists, DMC Coordinators and SAG members. Pre-conference sessions will re-visit recent conference topics such as adolescent brain science or law enforcement solutions to reducing racial and ethnic disparities in juvenile justice to track progress and learn more about state efforts in these areas.
A very special emphasis of the conference will be the annual Hill Day Training and Congressional Policy Forum with Hill staff invited to participate in both of these events.
Please also plan to join CJJ friends and colleagues for a “Night at Nationals Park,” the brand new home of the Washington Nationals baseball team, on Saturday, April 26, 2008 at 6 p.m. To be included in this event, please check the appropriate box on your registration form.
How to register:
To register for the conference and for more information, including a draft agenda, visit www.cvent.com, click on the “RSVP for Event” tab, and enter event code 4VNUJ9Y8DQH.
You may also contact CJJ at info@juvjustice.org or 202-467-0864, ext. 122, for off-line registration.
The conference will take place at the Renaissance M Street Hotel in Washington, D.C. When making your hotel reservations, please ask for the Coalition for Juvenile Justice Room Block rate of $195 per night for a single/double. Reservations are open now through April 4, 2008. Details below:
Renaissance M Street Hotel
1143 New Hampshire Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20037
202-775-0800 or 1-888-803-1298
www.renaissancemstreethotel.com
For more information, visit www.juvjustice.org/conference_5.html or contact Mark Ferrante at ferrante@juvjustice.org or 202-467-0864, ext. 102.
CJJ Invites Award Nominations
The Coalition for Juvenile Justice (CJJ) is pleased to open the nomination process for the following three awards to be given at the CJJ Annual Conference in Washington, D.C., April 25-29, 2008:
A. L. Carlisle Child Advocacy Award
Named in honor of CJJ Founder A. L. Carlisle, this honor is presented to an individual who has made outstanding contributions to youth, to the juvenile justice community or in the broader area of juvenile justice reforms.
Spirit of Youth Award
Awarded to an exceptional young person under the age of 28, this honor recognizes a young adult who has made great strides following involvement with the juvenile justice system, has overcome personal obstacles, and is today making significant contributions to society.
Tony Gobar Outstanding Juvenile Justice Specialist Award
Named in honor of Tony Gobar, the late, longtime Juvenile Justice Specialist in Mississippi, this award recognizes a state Juvenile Justice Specialist who has exemplified excellence in service to others, has been dedicated and committed to improving the juvenile justice system, and has demonstrated compassion and concern for juveniles and their advocates.
Consider nominating someone in your state! Inspiring and innovative work is happening across the country, and CJJ is privileged to recognize those individuals engaged in personal and system-wide change.
Nomination forms must be submitted by March 14, 2008, and can be found at www.juvjustice.org/announcement_119.html.
For additional information, contact Mark Ferrante at ferrante@juvjustice.org or 202-467-0864, ext. 102.
CJJ Government Relations Alert
President's FY 2009 Budget Proposal Jeopardizes Federal Support for State & Local Delinquency Prevention
Despite clear and consistent communication from the states that additional federal resources are needed to fulfill the letter and the spirit of the JJDPA, for the eighth year in a row the President's Fiscal Year 2009 (FY09) budget, released February 4, 2008, zeroes out all existing juvenile justice programs and replaces them with one large competitive grant program schedule at $164 million—down 57% in total funding from $383.6 million under the FY08 Omnibus budget.
Under the President’s FY09 budget proposal, JJDPA Title II (Formula Funds) and other federal grant streams designed to support State Plans, SAGs, Compliance with Core Requirements and Purposes, and other critical delinquency prevention and intervention efforts are no longer be guaranteed. Instead, a new grant program, titled the “Child Safety and Juvenile Justice Program," would consolidate existing juvenile justice and exploited children programs such as the Internet Crimes Against Children into a single, flexible grant program to be distributed through a competitive discretionary grant process. Sound familiar? This is the same message the President conveyed last year.
State and local entities would have to bid for grants and would face uncertainty as to whether they would receive federal funds at all, as well as for how much and for how long. Instead of providing JJDPA funding—the monies could be used for entirely different matters and there’s no assurance of equitable distribution among and within states. Such a discretionary, competitive grant program would mean there would no longer be a relatively consistent, coordinated nationwide effort to reduce juvenile delinquency and improve juvenile justice systems.
FEDERAL JJ FUNDING AS APPROPRIATED (in millions):
| |
FY03 |
FY04 |
FY05 |
FY06 |
FYO7 CR |
FY08 |
President's
FY 09 |
Title II
|
$83.3 |
$83.2 |
$83.3 |
$79.2 |
$79.2 |
$74.3 |
--0-- |
| Title V |
$46.1 |
$79.2 |
$79.4 |
$64.4 |
$64.4 |
$61.1 |
--0-- |
| JABG |
$188.8 |
$59.4 |
$54.6 |
$49.5 |
$49.5 |
$51.7 |
--0-- |
| DPBG |
$126.4 |
--0-- |
--0-- |
--0-- |
--0-- |
--0-- |
--0-- |
| OJJDP |
$6.8 |
$3.6 |
$3.0 |
$0.7 |
$0.7 |
$0.7 |
--0-- |
Demonstration
Projects |
--0-- |
$78.8 |
$101.4 |
$105 |
$105 |
$93.8 |
--0-- |
| Mentoring |
$15.9 |
--0-- |
$14.9 |
$9.9 |
$9.9 |
$70 |
--0-- |
| Child Safety |
--0-- |
--0-- |
--0-- |
$30 |
$30 |
$32 |
--0-- |
SUGGESTED ACTIONS:
We urge State Advisory Groups (SAGs) and all CJJ allies to draw attention to the dire consequences that this proposal would have for your state if it goes unchallenged. Because the President’s budget proposal has the potential to do away with programs under the JJDPA, as reauthorized in 2002, as well as the Juvenile Accountability Block Grant, as reauthorized in 2005, it would mean a loss of significant funds as well as training and technical assistance to:
- Keep status offenders out of locked detention;
- Guard against children being placed in adult jails and other setbacks in conditions of confinement for children and youth;
- Improve mental health, substance abuse, educational screening and services for at-risk and adjudicated youth;
- Support law enforcement and delinquency prevention initiatives;
- Advance other important juvenile justice programs and system improvements that are supported (at least in part) with federal monies.
Please share your urgent concerns about the President’s zero budget for juvenile justice under the JJDPA with the following:
- Your Governor’s office;
- Heads of your State Planning Agency and Juvenile Justice Agency;
- Your Congressional representatives.
Voice your concerns about:
- Proposed elimination of predictable and effective support for state and local juvenile justice programs and the JJDPA, by channeling all juvenile justice funding into a single competitive, discretionary grant-making program;
- Overall reduction of juvenile justice funding (another 57%);
- Apparent abandonment of the federal role in juvenile justice.
Where can you get the budget?
http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/budget/fy2009/pdf/appendix/jus.pdf
CJJ Develops Compliance Project to Assist States
In response to CJJ member interests regarding effective implementation of the JJDPA, CJJ has launched a new policy and practice project: “JJDPA Compliance Successes and Challenges.” The purpose of which is to clearly identify state challenges, analyze those challenges and craft recommendations designed to help all relevant stakeholders work together to improve state compliance and the compliance monitoring process.
The elements will include:
I. Language for reauthorization supported by a CJJ position paper;
II. A national survey of best practices and challenges;
III. A practice brief with key examples of ways for SAG members to support compliance, etc.
For the first phase of the project, CJJ is working closely with states to address the challenges presented by OJJDP’s interpretation of “adult inmate” for purposes of the separation core requirement. Specifically, CJJ has solicited input and counsel from states to craft and propose a revised definition of “adult inmate” for the JJDPA reauthorization bill. We aim to create an amendment that will reinforce state laws and policies for extended juvenile jurisdiction that protect youthful offenders and provide them with the age-appropriate services in keeping with the spirit and intent of the JJDPA.
Many thanks to those states that have contributed to the process, thus far. If you would like to weigh in, please contact Tara Andrews, Deputy Executive Director of Policy and Programs, at 202-467-0864, ext. 109, or andrews@juvjustice.org.
New Initiative Aims to Improve State Responses to Immigrant Youth
With a small seed grant from the Ford Foundation, immigration advocates from across the country are joining forces with juvenile justice advocates to form the Immigrant Youth Justice Initiative to begin developing strategies that can more effectively integrate the unique needs, issues and concerns of immigrant youth into the various sectors of the juvenile justice system.
Jurisdictions across the nation are experiencing a dramatic increase in the presence of immigrant youth in both the juvenile justice and immigration systems. Immigrant youth who encounter the juvenile justice system are often confronted with life-altering immigration consequences. One of the most difficult of these consequences is that they end up in the immigration system, frequently facing deportation and the inability to obtain lawful status in the United States. Both systems are uniquely complex, and the confluence of the two systems in daily reality has complicated and far-reaching consequences for immigrant youth. One reflection of this complexity is the complexity of the immigrant youth population itself, which includes juveniles who have no lawful immigration status, juveniles who have lawful immigration status, but are not yet U.S. citizens, and juveniles who are U.S. citizens but have parents who have no lawful immigration status.
CJJ recently participated in the first convening of the Initiative and will continue to do so in order to inform the Initiative from the perspective of our members, as well as obtain and disseminate to our members valuable information related to research, training, strategies and best practices.
CJJ Deputy Executive Director Named Co-Chair of National JJDP Coalition
CJJ is pleased to announce that our own Tara Andrews, CJJ Deputy Executive Director for Policy and Programs, has been named Co-Chair of the National Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Coalition (“JJDP Coalition”). With Tara, the JJDP Coalition is co-chaired by Tim Briceland-Betts, Co-Director of Government Affairs at the Child Welfare League of America.
The JJDP Coalition is a network of more than 80 national child- and youth-serving organizations in Washington, D.C., dedicated to informing and advocating for strong federal policies and programs that support delinquent and at-risk youth in age-appropriate, culturally-appropriate and proven-effective ways. Recent initiatives of the JJDP Coalition include the ACT 4 Juvenile Justice Campaign involving more than 280 organizations in reauthorization of the JJDPA (www.act4jj.org), and the Gangs Task Force, which is spearheading the fight against overly punitive gang legislation and in favor of effective, youth- and community-centered approaches, such as the Youth PROMISE Act. If your national organization is interested in joining, please contact us at info@juvjustice.org.
CJJ has been an active member of the JJDP Coalition since its inception, and looks forward to continuing to provide strategic and instrumental leadership as the JJDP Coalition pursues policies and practices on behalf of our nation’s most vulnerable youth.
###
If you have any questions or suggestions regarding the CJJ Government Relations Committee or Government Relations Program, please contact committee chair Ken Schatz (kschatz@ci.burlington.vt.us), or CJJ deputy executive director Tara Andrews (andrews@juvjustice.org and 202-467-0864, ext. 109).
CJJ Council of SAGs News
Cert petition asks U.S. Supreme Court to review decision to sentence a South Carolina 12-year-old to 30 years in prison without parole, CJJ Executive Board responds
The CJJ Executive Board, acting on behalf of all CJJ members, recently reviewed a most noteworthy opportunity to join an amicus brief in support of a petition for writ of certiorari (“cert petition”), filed with the U.S. Supreme Court, February 1, 2008, by the Juvenile Law Center. The opportunity was brought to the attention of the Board by Judge Paul Lawrence, CJJ Immediate Past National Chair and Member of the New Hampshire SAG, and Nancy Gannon Hornberger, CJJ Executive Director.
Cert petitions request that the Supreme Court review the decision of a lower court. In this case, the cert petition asks the high court to review the sentence of a South Carolina youth, Chris Pittman, who is serving a 30-year term without parole for a murder offense committed when he was 12 years old. Amici on the Juvenile Law Center petition represent fifteen organizations, including the National Juvenile Justice Network, Center for Children’s Law and Policy, Child Welfare League of America, National Council on Crime and Delinquency, National Juvenile Defender Center and W. Haywood Burns Institute, among others. In addition, individual judges, scientific experts and the Council of Juvenile Correctional Administrators filed separate cert petitions.
A cert petition is a first step. The U.S. Supreme Court can agree or refuse to take the case. In fact, the high court receives thousands of cert petitions each year and accepts only about 100. If the Court accepts the case, it grants a Writ of Certiorari.
“Review on writ of certiorari is not a matter of right, but a judicial discretion. A petition for writ of certiorari will be granted only for compelling reasons.”
Rule 10, Rules of the U.S. Supreme Court.
The reasons are indeed compelling. No other inmate in the country is serving so severe a sentence for an offense committed at such a young age. What happened to Pittman could not have happened in 41 states, or, for that matter, in most other nations. More than half of U.S. states prohibit transfer of 12-year-olds to adult criminal court and most of the rest either allow for some consideration of the diminished culpability of young children or would not impose such a long, mandatory minimum sentence. The cert petition asks the Court to address for the first time whether its reasoning in the 2005 Roper v. Simmons decision, which prohibited the death penalty for minors, also protects 12-year-old children who receive lengthy mandatory sentences without possibility of parole.
To quote the petition:
“… [the] Amici believe that imposing adult mandatory minimum sentences on children without considering whether their age justifies less severe forms or terms of punishment violates the Eighth Amendment’s ban against cruel and unusual punishment.”
In 2005, Pittman was convicted of murdering his paternal grandparents, with whom he lived. He had no prior juvenile record, although he had a sad history that included abandonment. Shortly before his offense, Pittman was prescribed and began taking an adult dose of anti-depressants to which he had a bad reaction. Such medications have been tied to violent outbursts. Despite these factors, the juvenile judge transferred Pittman to adult criminal court where he faced the tough mandatory sentences intended for adults. He received the shortest sentence possible in South Carolina for murder: 30 years without the possibility of parole.
So given this, what did the Executive Board do about the request to sign onto the cert petition? Because there was not sufficient time to generate discussion, dialogue and a vote with the larger Council of SAGs, the Board did not sign onto the Juvenile Law Center, et al. cert petition. However, given more time, the Board would have liked to proceed to have such discussion and a vote.
The Executive Board, nevertheless, recognized that this important case illuminates principles of tremendous importance and consistent with CJJ positions held for many years. In addition, the basis for the cert petition is supported by the work that CJJ (joining with many others) has put forward to apply the science of adolescent brain development to juvenile justice policy and practice.
To move forward in a supportive posture, the Executive Board also unanimously decided to develop a new position for CJJ that shall be supported by the appropriate position paper and brought before the Council of SAGs for its consideration and a vote at the Council’s upcoming April 27 meeting. The position reads as follows:
“CJJ opposes statutory schemes that preclude a sentencing judge from considering youth as a mitigating factor justifying lesser punishment.”
For background information, please read the Juvenile Law Center Amicus Brief at www.utexas.edu/news/attach/2007/2586/Juvenile_Law_amicus_brief.pdf. For more information about CJJ activities related to the Pittman case, please feel free to contact Nancy Gannon Hornberger at 202-467-0864, ext. 111, and nancy@juvjustice.org.
CJJ Council of SAGs’ Annual Meeting, April 27
Dear SAG Chairs and Chair-Designees Serving on the CJJ Council of SAGs:
Please save the date and plan to attend the CJJ Council of SAGs’ meeting on April 27, 2008, in Washington, D.C. This annual meeting of the Council of SAGs will be held in the morning before the opening of the CJJ Annual Conference (see details above).
All SAG Chairs and Chair-Designees among states in good standing as members of CJJ are eligible to vote. Several issues of great importance shall come before you for consideration and votes, including position papers on emerging topics and federal legislative matters.
CJJ urges states that wish to participate in the Council of SAGs’ decision-making process and voting to secure your 2008 SAG Membership by April 15. We are presently mailing reminders to all SAGs for which we have not yet received 2008 membership. Many SAGs have already rejoined for 2008. Many thanks to the following SAGs, SAG Chairs, members and state Juvenile Justice Specialists, for taking the lead in renewing your memberships in CJJ in the first month of the new year! As has been the case over the past few years, we expect that you will be joined by a broad majority of the nation’s SAGs as participating members and leaders in the important work of CJJ.
| Alabama |
Maryland |
| Alaska |
Nebraska |
| Colorado |
New Mexico |
| Connecticut |
North Dakota |
| District of Columbia |
South Carolina |
| Idaho |
South Dakota |
| Illinois |
Tennessee |
| Indiana |
Virginia |
| Louisiana |
Washington |
Should you have any questions about SAG Membership and/or the 2008 Annual Council of SAGs’ Meeting on April 27, please feel free to contact Nancy Gannon Hornberger, CJJ’s Executive Director: 202-467-0864, ext. 111, and nancy@juvjustice.org.
CJJ Committee and Region News
CJJ Leadership Committees
These days, CJJ is brimming with activity. We have begun charting the course for committee and regional leadership in 2008. Involvement in committees is open to any and all members of CJJ—SAGs, Specialists, DMC Coordinators, Compliance Monitors, Individual Members at Large and Organizational Affiliate Members.
Please get involved! Each committee and region identified below is followed with the name of the voluntary CJJ member chairperson/leader, as well as the name of the CJJ staff liaison. If you should have interest in any of these committees or regions, please feel free to contact the staff listed.
2008 CJJ Leadership Committees (assembled to date):
Conference Planning Committee, Chaired by David Schmidt of the New Mexico SAG; Mark Ferrante (ferrante@juvjustice.org) serves as Staff Liaison.
Ethnic & Cultural Diversity Committee, Chaired by Gina Wood of the Virginia SAG; Nancy Gannon Hornberger (nancy@juvjustice.org) and Mark Ferrante (ferrante@juvjustice.org) serve as Staff Liaisons.
Finance Committee, Chaired by Cindy Durham of the Tennessee SAG; Nancy Gannon Hornberger (nancy@juvjustice.org) serves as Staff Liaison.
Fund Raising Committee, Chaired by Rev. Jim Kirk of the Maryland SAG; Nancy Gannon Hornberger (nancy@juvjustice.org) serves as Staff Liaison.
Government Relations Committee and Government Relations State Liaisons Program, Chaired by Ken Schatz of the Vermont SAG with Ward Loyd of the Kansas SAG as Vice Chair; Tara Andrews (andrews@juvjustice.org) serves as Staff Liaison.
Nominating Committee, Chaired by Judge Paul Lawrence of the New Hampshire SAG; Kitty McCarthy (mccarthy@juvjustice.org) serves as Staff Liaison.
Training & Technical Assistance Committee, Chaired by Sue Kamp, Member at Large, Vermont; Mark Ferrante (ferrante@juvjustice.org) serves as Staff Liaison.
2008 CJJ Regional Leaders:
Northeast Region:
Rev. Jim Kirk (Maryland SAG), Regional Chair
Sue Kamp (Member at Large, Vermont), Regional Representative
Kathryn McGloin (Maine SAG), Regional Juvenile Justice Specialist
Mark Ferrante (ferrante@juvjustice.org), Staff Liaison
Southern Region:
Linda Hayes (North Carolina SAG), Regional Chair
Eric Williams (Mississippi SAG), Regional Representative
Kathleen Rasmussen (Alabama SAG), Regional Juvenile Justice Specialist
Tara Andrews (andrews@juvjustice.org), Staff Liaison
Western Region:
Rodney Cook (Oregon SAG), Regional Chair
Katie Wells (Colorado SAG), Regional Representative
Richard Lindahl (New Mexico SAG) Regional Juvenile Justice Specialist
Kitty McCarthy (mccarthy@juvjustice.org), Staff Liaison
Midwest Region:
Mike Mayer (Minnesota SAG), Regional Chair
Keith Wood (Missouri SAG), Regional Representative
Terry Traynor (North Dakota SAG), Regional Juvenile Justice Specialist
Nancy Gannon Hornberger (nancy@juvjustice.org), Staff Liaison
Additional Important Leadership Posts:
- CJJ National Chair, Robin Jenkins of the North Carolina SAG
- National Juvenile Justice Specialist Representative (Interim), Richard Lindahl of the New Mexico SAG
- National DMC Coordinator Representative, Thomas Harig of the New York SAG
- National Juvenile Justice Network Representative, Abby Anderson, Connecticut Juvenile Justice Alliance.
CJJ Ethnic & Cultural Diversity Committee Update
Contributed by Gina Wood, Chair, CJJ Ethnic and Cultural Diversity Committee, Member of the CJJ Executive Board and Virginia SAG Member
The Ethnic and Cultural Diversity (ECD) Committee will be off to a running start this year and I am excited about some of the recent discussions during the CJJ Executive Board Annual Retreat. As the new chair of the ECD Committee, I am committed to building on the previous work of the committee and plan to coordinate closely with all interested parties, including Thomas Harig, the new National DMC Coordinator Representative and DMC Coordinator for New York state, and DMC Coordinators nationwide. The overarching goals of this year’s committee work include building relationships with law enforcement organizations and others, supporting and engaging State Advisory Groups and state DMC Coordinators, and being a key resource to further efforts in addressing disproportionate minority contact (DMC).
There are some exciting specifics to our work plan. For example, we plan to develop a web-based DMC best practices resource on the CJJ Web site. Also, we will establish a work group to assist staff in developing proposals for a multi-year DMC and law enforcement initiative. Specifically, we will convene law enforcement leaders at the CJJ Annual Conference and Council of SAGs’ Meeting in April to begin our outreach efforts and a dialogue to develop and launch a new CJJ initiative. If resources are available, we also wish to host a DMC conference in partnership with others that includes acknowledging the 20-year anniversary of the JJDPA core requirement for reduction of DMC (disproportionate minority confinement provision) and the need to re-double our focus to eliminate racial and ethnic disparities in juvenile justice.
In the coming weeks I will be contacting a number of individuals who have expressed interest (via survey, conversations with staff, etc.) in the CJJ ECD Committee and will schedule our first ECD Committee conference call in February. In the meantime, please let me know if you would like to join the committee or have questions and/or suggestions. I can be reached at gwood@jointcenter.org or by phone at 202-789-3517.
I anticipate a productive year for the ECD Committee and working with you all!
Gina E. Wood
CJJ Southern Region Update
Contributed by Linda Hayes, CJJ Southern Region Chair, Member of the CJJ Executive Board and North Carolina SAG Member
Happy New Year! Together with Eric Williams, Southern Regional Representative hailing from Mississippi, I look forward to working with everyone this year in a very new and exciting role. With recent changes in bylaws and governance structure, this will be a very busy and challenging year.
The Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDPA) is up for reauthorization and we will have a lot of work to do. Eric and I will try to keep the Southern Region as informed as possible regarding both regional and national issues. Please plan to join us in the work we have ahead and keep us informed about your state.
Linda W. Hayes
lhayes@harnettlaw.com
National Juvenile Justice Network (NJJN) News
NJJN Releases Policy Brief on Polling
The National Juvenile Justice Network (NJJN) has just released its latest policy brief, “Polling on Public Attitudes Toward Youthful Offenders.” The policy brief summarizes the amazing findings of the four polls on public attitudes towards youthful offenders that came out within the last year. These polls show that the public generally favors a separate juvenile justice system, supports a rehabilitative approach even for violent crimes, thinks that rehabilitation reduces crime and is willing to pay more for it, opposes sending youth to the criminal court without an individual determination, and agrees that non-white youth are more likely to be prosecuted as adults.
The brief also reviews some of the great polling conducted in the 1990s, and gives a quick guide on how best to use this polling information so that a listener/reader will be persuaded and motivated.
This brief is available on the NJJN Web site at http://njjn.org/issue_191.html.
NJJN and CJJ Host Juvenile Sex Offender Teleconference
On January 17, NJJN and CJJ held a teleconference with Sarah Tofte, author of the Human Rights Watch report, “No Easy Answers: Sex Offender Laws in the United States.” Tofte described the collateral consequences of placing youth on sex offender registries for public safety, the youth’s families and the youth themselves. Tofte’s PowerPoint presentation and an audio recording of the teleconference are available on NJJN’s website at http://njjn.org/issue_204.html.
Resources and Information of Note
CWLA Publishes Promising Progress Report on Systems Integration
The Child Welfare League of America (CWLA) published “Child Welfare & Juvenile Justice Systems Integration Initiative: A Promising Progress Report” in January 2008. The report details the organization’s progress in facilitating connections between the child welfare and juvenile justice systems with the goal of developing an integrated, multi-system approach to program development and service delivery. Funded by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, the CWLA initiative has partnered with state and local jurisdictions throughout the country to develop statutes, guiding principles, protocols, procedures, legal analyses, new multi-system collaborations, and other reform measures to effectively intervene and interrupt the costly trajectory of maltreated youth deeper into the delinquency and criminal justice systems. Read the full report at www.cwla.org/programs/juvenilejustice/jjprogressreport.pdf.
Newest JDAI Newsletter Online Now
The January 2008 edition of “JDAI News” is now available online. It features a report on the September 2007 conference in Dallas, a letter from Bart Lubow, Director of Programs for High-Risk Youth at the Annie E. Casey Foundation, JDAI site updates and more. View the entire publication, as well as past newsletters, at www.jdaihelpdesk.org/Pages/JDAINews.aspx.
Learn more about CJJ’s detention reform work with the Annie E. Casey Foundation at www.juvjustice.org/initiative_detention_reform.html.
NAFJ Launches Ongoing Youth Involvement Project “PEN OR PENCIL National B.U.S. Boycott”
The National Alliance for Faith and Justice (NAFJ) has launched an ongoing social action and education movement designed for youth at risk of academic failure and potential incarceration. The program engages children grades 5 and higher in a series of service projects that address current issues of delinquency prevention and violence reduction within the context of the civil rights movement. The project involves a series of 40-day cycles, the first of which, “40 Days of No Violence,” runs through February 28 and has so far included a number of community volunteer projects.
Among the program’s platforms, which include boycotting gun violence, reducing dropout rates, intensifying community engagement and others, is reduction of disproportionate minority confinement (DMC).
Learn more about the program and its results thus far at www.penorpencilmovement.org./index.html.
Evaluation of Reclaiming Futures Finds Strengthened Social Networks Help Troubled Teenagers
The Urban Institute and the Chapin Hall Center for Children at the University of Chicago have performed an independent evaluation of Reclaiming Futures, an initiative of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation that helps teenagers involved with drugs, alcohol and delinquency. The initiative has three broad goals – reduce drug and alcohol abuse by teenagers in the juvenile justice system; improve public safety, reduce corrections costs, and increase accountability among young people; and, engage communities and inform the public dialogue – and is founded on the assumption that positive youth outcomes are best achieved when interagency service delivery efforts are well-managed and closely coordinated.
Evaluating eight of the initiative’s ten sites, the evaluation found that communities piloting the Reclaiming Futures model have improved the social networks juvenile justice and substance abuse agencies use to communicate and cooperate with one another. According to the final report, “Relying on measures such as density, cohesion, and power equity, the study found many positive indicators of network performance in the communities participating in Reclaiming Futures, and these indicators improved over time across the communities as a whole.
Read more at www.reclaimingfutures.org/?q=evaluation_finalresults.
Congressional Research Service Releases Report on Juvenile Justice
The Congressional Research Service (CRS), an agency within the Library of Congress providing nonpartisan public policy research to Members of Congress, recently released “Juvenile Justice: Legislative History and Current Legislative Issues.” The report traces the history of juvenile justice in the United States, including early local/state initiatives as well as national legislation and the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDPA). The report addresses recent reauthorizations of the JJDPA and current policy issues in the juvenile justice field. Read the full report at http://assets.opencrs.com/rpts/RL33947_20070402.pdf.
New York Times Editorial Addresses Juvenile LWOP
On Feb. 6, an editorial in the New York Times decried the ongoing U.S. practice of sentencing juveniles to life without the possibility of parole (LWOP). The editorial, titled “A Shameless Record,” cites a report from Human Rights Watch that identified 2,380 young people incarcerated for crimes committed while under the age of 18. Citing stalled efforts in California to allow those committed to LWOP as minors the right to appear before a parole board after serving 25 years in prison, the editorial says:
“There are now more than 2 million people behind bars in the United States. Locking up juveniles for life without parole is unfair and a poor use of criminal justice resources.”
Read the editorial at www.nytimes.com/2008/02/06/opinion/06wed5.html.
OJJDP Publishes Fact Sheets
The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) has published new fact sheets on several topics:
- "Delinquency Cases in Juvenile Courts, 2004" provides statistics on delinquency cases in U.S. juvenile courts between 1995 and 2004.
- "Petitioned Status Offense Cases in Juvenile Courts, 2004" reports on status offense cases processed in juvenile courts between 1995 and 2004.
- "Drug Offense Cases in Juvenile Courts, 1985–2004" offers data on drug offense cases handled in juvenile courts between 1985 and 2004.
View the fact sheets and other publications at http://ojjdp.ncjrs.gov/publications/PubResults.asp.
Job Opening for Director, National Center for Juvenile Justice
The National Center for Juvenile Justice (NCJJ), located in Pittsburgh, PA, is seeking a Director. NCJJ is the research division of the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges, a 501(c)(3), affirmative action, corporation. See www.ncjfcj.org for a complete job description and application details. For more information about NCJJ, visit www.ncjj.org.
Health and Human Services Grant Opportunity
The Family and Youth Services Bureau at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is accepting applications for the Basic Center Program (BCP), which is authorized by the Runaway and Homeless Act to address runaway and homeless youth problems. BCPs provide an alternative for runaway and homeless youth who might otherwise end up with law enforcement or in the child welfare, mental health, or juvenile justice systems. Each BCP must provide runaway and homeless youth with a safe and appropriate shelter, individual, family, and group counseling as appropriate, and aftercare. For more information, visit www.acf.hhs.gov/grants/open/HHS-2008-ACF-ACYF-CY-0063.html.
Additional Conferences of Note
March 9-12 – The National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges, in conjunction with the National District Attorneys Association, will host their 35th Annual Conference on Juvenile Justice in St. Louis, MO. Learn more at www.ncjfcj.org/content/view/1054/315/.
March 19-20 (PA) & April 1-2 (CA) – The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) will host “Accessing and Sustaining Resources for Community & Faith-Based Organizations” March 19-20 in Philadelphia, PA, and April 1-2 in Los Angeles, CA. Learn more at www.sei2003.com/ojjdp/.
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.
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— Robin Jenkins, 2008 CJJ National Chair
— Kitty McCarthy, Editor
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