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- Introduction
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- What People Are Saying about the National Standards
- Key Principles
- Section 1. Principles for Responding to Status Offenses
- Section 2. Efforts to Avoid Court Involvement
- Section 3. Efforts to Limit Court Involvement
- Section 4. Recommendations for Policy and Legislative Implementation
- Section 5. Definitions
- Improving Responses to Youth Charged with Status Offenses: A Training Curriculum
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Training Curriculum and Webinars
Improving Responses to Youth Charged with Status Offenses: A Training Curriculum
CJJ has created a training curriculum on "Improving Responses to Youth Charged with Status Offenses." Upon completion of the training, and with the aid of reference materials, participants will understand and be able to effectively advocate for and identify how to implement the principles outlined in the National Standards for the Care of Youth Charged with Status Offenses in their jurisdiction. The training curriculum is divided into four parts: an introduction; modules on the first, second, and third sections of the National Standards; and a fact sheet with definitions of common terms used when discussing status offenses.
Each module in this curriculum includes an instructor’s guide, PowerPoint slides, and handout materials that will allow trainers with basic subject matter expertise to deliver this training to a wide range of audiences. Each section of this curriculum will require the instructor to prepare in advance of the training, tailoring the materials to the jurisdiction and to the audience. Sample “scripts” are provided throughout, to help guide the discussion and highlight important points.
Click here to access the training curriculum.
Better Responses to Youth Who Commit Status Offenses Webinar
CJJ and the National Juvenile Justice Network hosted a webinar on Better Responses to Youth Who Commit Status Offenses on November 12. Marie Williams, Executive Director at CJJ, Annie Salsich, Director of the Center on Youth Justice at the Vera Institute of Justice, and Tara Grieshop-Goodwin, Chief Policy Officer at Kentucky Youth Advocates (KYA) presented on:
- The National Standards for the Care of Youth Charged with Status Offenses
- Helpful legislative initiatives and advocacy tools;
- State and local initiatives that have been effective in diverting these youth from court;
- The new online Status Offense Reform Center from the Vera Institute of Justice, funded by Models for Change; and
- The work that Kentucky Youth Advocates, an NJJN member, is doing to end the incarceration of youth who commit status offenses in their state.
You can access the PowerPoint Presentation here. You can watch the recording of the webinar here.
LGBTQ Youth and Status Offenses: Improving System Responses and Reducing Disproportionality
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) youth are twice as likely as other youth to be sent to a juvenile detention facility for committing “status offenses” such as truancy or running away from home. LGBTQ youth are also overrepresented in the juvenile justice system generally, and once in the system are more likely to be the target of abuse and violence, including at the hands of other youth. LGBTQ youth may also receive overly harsh punishments due to biased decision-making or misguided attempts to keep them “safe” through the use of unnecessary isolated housing. How can systems more appropriately serve youth who commit status offenses and are LGBTQ?
The Coalition for Juvenile Justice, Human Rights Campaign and the Equity Project held a webinar on LGBTQ Youth and Status Offenses: Improving System Responses and Reducing Disproportionality on April 2.
Participants learned more about status offenses and LGBTQ youth in the juvenile justice system. Current initiatives and resources to better serve this population will be discussed, including recommendations for how professionals can help ensure LGBTQ youth receive fair treatment, equal access to services, and respect and sensitivity from all professionals and other youth in the juvenile justice and related systems.
Presenters included:
- Lisa Pilnik, Deputy Director, Coalition for Juvenile Justice
- Robin Maril, Legislative Counsel, Human Rights Campaign
- Christina J. Gilbert, Director, The Equity Project
Click here for the PowerPoint presentation. Click here to watch the recording of the webinar.