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CJJ | Newsletter: April 2007


CJJ Conference News
- JJDPA Today: CJJ Summit on Reauthorization of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act
- CJJ Call for Summit Presentations – Deadline Extended
- CJJ Northeast Region Conference

CJJ Leadership News
- Message from Robin Jenkins, CJJ 2007 National Chair
- New Deputy Executive Director for CJJ

CJJ Government Relations Alert
- Keep the drum beat going: Appropriations! Appropriations!! Appropriations!!!
- Message from Linda Hayes, Government Relations Committee Chair (NC)
- Act 4 Juvenile Justice—Sign-on to Principles for JJDPA Reauthorization

CJJ Awards – Nominations Now Accepted
- A. L. Carlisle Child Advocacy Award, Spirit of Youth Award and Tony Gobar Outstanding National Juvenile Justice Specialist Award

State Advisory Group News – From the Field
- Reaching for the Mark: Reducing Tennessee’s DSO Violations

Juvenile Justice Specialist and DMC News
- JJ Specialists’ Business Meeting, DMC Coordinators’ Meeting, Tony Gobar Award for Outstanding National Juvenile Justice Specialist

Models for Change News
- MacArthur Foundation President Discusses Models for Change with Philanthropy News Digest

National Juvenile Justice Network (NJJN) News
- NJJN Holds Teleconference on the Convention of the Rights of the Child
- NJJN Hosts 5th Annual Forum
- New York’s Juvenile Justice Coalition Wins Improvements in Conditions of Confinement

Resources and Information of Note
- Federal Spending on Children: Three New Publications
- Public Comment Needed by April 30 re: Adam Walsh Act
- Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Expands Reclaiming Futures
- 2006 PART Review of OJJDP Formula and Block Grants Completed
- “What Wave?” - National Crime Rise in Question
- Center for Juvenile Justice Reform and Systems Integration Opens at Georgetown
- NADCP Hosts Conference




CJJ Conference News

JJDPA Today: CJJ Summit on Reauthorization of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act

Register now for JJDPA Today, CJJ’s Summit on Reauthorization, June 9-12, 2007!

The CJJ Summit will bring together SAG members and other key leaders from across the nation to learn, discuss and strategize about the pending reauthorization of the JJDPA, as well as to conduct Hill visits with their congressional delegates. The Summit will include:
The Summit will also feature award presentations of the A. L. Carlisle Child Advocacy Award, the Spirit of Youth Award and the Tony Gobar Outstanding National Juvenile Justice Specialist Award (see Awards News below).

Included as well in the agenda will be CJJ Regional Coalition Business Meetings, the Juvenile Justice Specialists’ Business Meeting, the DMC Coordinators’ Meeting, CJJ Leadership Committee Meetings and CJJ’s Hill Training & Hill Day.
Location:
Washington Plaza Hotel
10 Thomas Circle, NW, Washington, DC
Phone: 202-842-1300, Web: [1] www.washingtonplazahotel.com
CJJ Room Block Rate: $159 per night for a single/double (subject to change)
Room reservations are open now through May 9, 2007

To register go to:
[2] 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”
Questions? Please contact Idit Knaan at CJJ: 202-467-0864, ext. 122, and [3] knaan@juvjustice.org.

CJJ Call for Summit Presentations – Deadline Extended

CJJ has extended its deadline for presentation proposals for JJDPA Today, CJJ’s Summit on Reauthorization of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDPA).

Presentation proposals are due by 5:00 p.m. EDT, April 16, 2007.

The Summit is designed to enhance the efforts of state and local juvenile justice practitioners in their work to advance the goals and principles of the JJDPA, and to increase understanding of what it takes to achieve, support and sustain compliance with the core requirements/protections of the JJDPA.

As such, presentations will be selected based on:
  1. Overall relevance to the conference theme and focus.
  2. How the presentation adds value to the conference as a whole, so that a range of ideas and strategies are presented.
  3. Evidence that the program, practice, policy or system innovation presented has the potential to inspire similar state and/or local efforts.
  4. The degree to which the presentation provides interaction among attendees and resources for attendees to take home.
For the full “Call for Presentations,” visit [4] www.juvjustice.org/conference_4.html. You may also contact Idit Knaan: [5] knaan@juvjustice.org and 202-467-0864, ext. 122.

CJJ Northeast Region Conference

The Northeast Region Coalition of the Coalition for Juvenile Justice will host a regional conference April 20, 2007, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The conference will be held at the Flushing Community Library of the Queens Public Library, Queens, New York.

Sessions include:
The conference opens with a light breakfast and lunch will be provided. Attendance is available on a first come, first served basis and is limited to Northeast region members (Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virgin Islands and Washington, D.C.).

Hotel accommodations may be made at the Sheraton LaGuardia East Hotel in Flushing, New York. For hotel reservations, contact Silvia Ponce at 718-670-7420 or [6] sponce@sheratonlaguardia.com.

Please inform your state Juvenile Justice Specialist of your interest in attending. We ask that Specialists in each state then provide attendees’ names to the New York State Specialist, Anne Cadwallader: 518-457-3670 or [7] anne.cadwallader@dcjs.state.ny.us.

CJJ Leadership News

Message from Robin Jenkins, CJJ 2007 National Chair

Spring. Wisteria festoons the vine; cottonwoods, plums, saucer magnolias, Bradford pears, wild honeysuckle and, now, the dogwoods and azaleas are exploding with color in my neck of the woods. It’s great to be alive, isn’t it?!

Each year, spring reminds us of the power and passion of renewal – how new growth and branching can help move on from the past. How appropriate it is that CJJ is in its current transition – growing, flowering, and further solidifying its position as the voice for youth and their families involved in the juvenile justice system.

What a strong and positive weekend your Board of Directors (BOD) had in its Special Session called for March 24-25 in Minneapolis, MN. Many thanks again to Carrie Wasley, Sarah Dixon, Judge Michael Mayer and the rest of the Minnesota SAG for helping with the logistics of the meeting and for their warm hospitality during our stay.

Very important decisions were made in the Special Session that confirmed the CJJ Board’s commitments to strengthening our national, independent organization of states. We went to Minnesota with three objectives in mind: (1) to clarify and strengthen CJJ’s governance and membership model; (2) to share the goals and enhance CJJ’s Government Relations program by collecting ideas and suggestions from individual states as to how to most positively impact governmental relations; and (3) to recommit ourselves to a national organization, independent of a sole funding source or any other constraints, serving as the policy and system improvement voice for vulnerable children and youth. From my perspective, we made measurable progress toward each of our objectives.

A renewed governance model/membership platform was recommended by the Board for presentation at the June 10, 2007 Board of Directors’ Meeting. The proposal seeks to solve several problems that have vexed CJJ in the past, while maintaining core oversight and executive control of the organization by SAG members. In addition, the governance/membership proposal provides room for an expanded membership and places more fiduciary and legal responsibility with a smaller, more expeditious and stable elected body—all while maintaining the values SAGs sought when they founded CJJ more than two decades ago.

Thanks go to each and every attendee of the Special Session Board Meeting who worked through the nuances of it all, compromised, debated and ultimately found a solid solution. Sue Kamp (VT), CJJ Membership and Governance Committee Chair, and her committee worked very hard to prepare for the meeting. Now, they will refine the details and move the Board’s recommendation forward for a bylaws decision in June.

Ken Schatz (VT), Vice Chair of the CJJ Government Relations Committee (GRC), presented the work of the GRC. By now, you may know that the GRC is asking for a GRC SAG liaison in each state to work assiduously with each SAG and to serve as a communications point of contact with the GRC. (See the Government Relations Alert below).

Throughout the year, the GRC and CJJ staff keep pace with the actions of Congress and craft positions and statements from CJJ on behalf of the members. The GRC also evaluates positions, statements, sign-on letters, etc., from other organizations, especially those critical this year as we look toward uniting with other national organizations working on reauthorization of the JJDPA. The GRC will continue to convene regional conference calls and other means of gathering your ideas as CJJ prepares for its Hill Day and Training on June 12, 2007—as part of our national meeting in Washington, DC—and we look forward to potential reauthorization legislation later this year.

Another area that the Board began discussing in Minnesota and would like to further explore is the issue of CJJ “business products.” Everyone agrees that what attracts and retains members in a national organization is the mix of products that are offered compared to the value of membership fees. Board members committed to working on these business products in partnership with CJJ staff to market effective, existing products and to develop others for the future.

And perhaps most importantly, our third objective was to “take the temperature” of the organization vis-à-vis SAG chairs’ commitment and thoughts concerning CJJ’s future. With a resounding and clear message of support, we heard SAG chairs in attendance commit themselves to CJJ as the organization that imparts their collective national voice.

How do we measure such commitment?
  1. Statements made by each state clearly wanting an independent, SAG-governed organization to flourish on behalf of the states in the future;
  2. Declarations of intent to continue supporting CJJ via membership dues, attendance at meetings and conferences, and strong willingness to participate on leadership committees and work groups;
  3. An overwhelmingly positive sentiment from attendees that CJJ has a useful and growing purpose as a SAG-founded/focused organization.
How much clearer can it get?

We accomplished significant, measurable objectives in Minnesota. Our fiscal health is strong (with many thanks to Cindy Durham (TN), Chair of the Finance Committee, and the Finance Committee for their work on financial stewardship) and CJJ’s future is very bright.

While CJJ still has major tasks to complete in terms of our infrastructure reorganization, it is an amazingly exciting organization, built on the talent and expertise of SAG Chairs, SAG members, and Juvenile Justice Specialists, as well as our allies in NJJN and members at large. And, all are supported by the very strong management of the CJJ staff.

It is truly a time of renewed growth, recommitment and positive ideas. What a great membership you are. I am very humbled that you allow me to help to lead you.

Please schedule yourselves for our JJDPA Reauthorization Summit, June 9-12, in Washington, D.C., so that we can continue to grow this great organization. And, as always, feel free to contact me at my office at 910-222-6089 or via e-mail at [8] rjenkins@cccommunicare.org.

Till next time,

Robin Jenkins, Ph.D.

P.S.: For information about the Summit in June, CJJ’s Government Relations program and/or Membership, please see our Web site, [9] www.juvjustice.org, or contact CJJ Executive Director Nancy Gannon Hornberger at 202-467-0864, ext. 111, and [10] nancy@juvjustice.org.

New Deputy Executive Director for CJJ

Please welcome Tara Andrews, CJJ's new Deputy Executive Director, Policy and Programs. Tara will start at CJJ on April 16!

Tara has served in the areas of juvenile and criminal justice since graduating from the University of Maryland-School of Law in 1998. She has held professional positions as a public interest lawyer and policy advocate. In her home state of Maryland, she helped to found the Maryland Juvenile Justice Coalition (an NJJN member organization) and also founded and operated a successful nonprofit addressing racial justice and alternative sentencing issues, known as Justice Maryland. Most recently, Tara has been crafting and seeking passage of legislation for the American Lung Association. She also recently ran a campaign as a candidate for state delegate from Baltimore.

Tara brings a range of experiences and skills of tremendous value to CJJ—as we move forward to amplify government relations as well as to strengthen member/field engagement in representing our “voice” on federal policy matters such as appropriations, JJDPA, responses to gangs, etc. She also has considerable program development, fund raising and management experience to offer.

CJJ Government Relations Alert

Keep the drum beat going: Appropriations! Appropriations!! Appropriations!!!

VISIT MEMBERS OF CONGRESS WHILE THEY’RE AT HOME

From now through April 13, members of Congress are at home in their districts. Please make every effort to meet with your representatives while they are at home to voice your support for federal juvenile justice appropriations that support the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDPA) and the work of SAGs.

As mentioned in the March e-Monitor, the Senate and the House appropriations committees and subcommittees (see [11] www.juvjustice.org/government_relations_appropriations.html) are right now making recommendations for fiscal year 2008 (FY2008) Science, State, Justice and Commerce appropriations bills—and allocations of juvenile justice funds to the states.

ASAP, IT IS CRITICAL FOR YOU TO WORK WITH YOUR SAG AND ALLIES TO:

1) Reject the “new” juvenile justice funding mechanism proposed by the President’s budget under the Office of Justice Programs—which takes the form of a discretionary, competitive grant program for states and local jurisdictions, the “Child Safety and Juvenile Justice Program,” scheduled at $254 million (down 25% from $338.7 million under the continuing resolution for FY07). This fund fails to ensure funding for Title II, Title V and other juvenile justice pots of money much needed to ensure effective implementation of the JJDPA and other critical delinquency prevention efforts. In fact, if accepted, such a funding mechanism may steer federal allocations entirely away from core support for the JJJDPA, federal core requirements, State Advisory Groups and State Plans.

2) Urge congressional appropriators to restore specific funding (see “CJJ Request” below) for all critical juvenile justice and delinquency prevention funding streams that support the work of the JJDPA in the states: Title II State Formula Funds, Title V Local Delinquency Prevention Grants, Juvenile Accountability Block Grants (JABG) and Delinquency Prevention Block Grants (DPBG).

Key streams of federal JJ funding as appropriated (in millions):

FY02 FY03 FY04 FY05 FY06 FY07
CR		 Pres.
FY08
Proposal		 CJJ
REQUEST
for FY08
Title II
State
Formula
Funds		 $88.8 $83.3 $83.2 $83.3 $79.2 $79.2 --0-- $88.8
Title V
Local
Delinq.
Prevention		 $94.3 $46.1 $79.2 $79.4 $64.4 $64.4 --0-- $95

JABG
    
$249.5 $188.8 $59.4 $54.6 $49.5 $49.5 --0-- $250
DPBG N/A $126.4
via
diff.
vehicles		 --0-- --0-- --0-- --0-- --0-- $126.4

TAKE ACTION:

In addition to your district visits, let’s produce a flood of visits, calls and letters from the states going to the Appropriators in Congress and carrying forward our messages!
  1. See the Coalition for Juvenile Justice (CJJ) Web site for lists of Senate and House Appropriations Committees charged with reshaping juvenile justice funding support: [12] www.juvjustice.org, click on Government Relations and scroll down to “Appropriations.”
  2. On your State Advisory Group (SAG) letterhead, write to the Chairs of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees, as well as the Subcommittees, charged with creating recommendations for juvenile justice appropriations. Template letters are available in the “Announcements” section of the CJJ Web site: [13] www.juvjustice.org/announcement_109.html.
  3. If you are IN a State/District of a Senator and/or Members on the Appropriations Committees, contact them to voice your concerns and to seek budget restorations (see above); see if you can organize a visit for the April 3-13 recess; demonstrate with clear examples how the cuts will jeopardize the delinquency prevention programs and services in the member’s district.
  4. If you are NOT IN a State/District of a Congressional Appropriator, contact your Senators and Representatives and ask them to communicate your concerns and requests to their colleagues on the Appropriations Committees.
Questions? Please feel free to contact:
Nancy Gannon Hornberger, CJJ Executive Director: 202-467-0864, ext. 111 and [14] nancy@juvjustice.org
Linda Hayes, Chair, CJJ Government Relations Committee: 910-892-4469 and [15] lhayes@harnettlaw.com
Message from Linda Hayes, Government Relations Committee Chair (NC)

Please consider serving as the liaison to your SAG/State for CJJ’s Government Relations Committee:

This is an extremely busy time for our CJJ Government Relations Committee (GRC), and also a very exciting time. There is much to be done this year and in the future to ensure that we continue—through CJJ—to build safe communities, one child at a time. As we move through the year, we hope that each of you will join us in our mission to broadly educate and inform congressional leaders of the needs of the states, the SAGs and, most importantly, vulnerable children and families. The GRC—representing all states and regions—looks forward to working with you.

One of the ways in which the GRC will be enhancing its efforts this year is to establish a liaison to the committee from each and every SAG. Please consider serving, or designate another SAG member to serve, as a liaison to the CJJ Government Relations Committee.

What does this mean? Your SAG’s liaison to the GRC will receive email and other forms of communication from the Government Relations Committee and staff to share with the entire SAG, including:
Timely information about activities on Capitol Hill with respect to appropriations, federal legislation that affects juvenile justice and delinquency prevention activities and, most notably, information related to the JJDPA reauthorization.

Sample letters and other template documents that your SAG may wish to use to communicate with your designated state and federal elected officials.

Occasional polling or inquiries from CJJ concerning the perspectives of your SAG and its members regarding positions on federal legislation and other activities.
We would like to know of your GRC Liaison by May 1, 2007. We will work closely with all liaisons to prepare for CJJ’s Hill Day on June 12.

To communicate the name and contact information of your SAG’s liaison person to the CJJ Government Relations Committee, please contact Nancy Gannon Hornberger, CJJ Executive Director: 202-467-0864, ext. 111, and [16] nancy@juvjustice.org.

If you have questions, or ideas to share, please feel free to contact me, Linda Hayes, Chair, CJJ Government Relations Committee: 910-892-4469 and [17] lhayes@harnettlaw.com.

Act 4 Juvenile Justice—Sign-on to Principles for JJDPA Reauthorization

“Act 4 Juvenile Justice” is a campaign of the National Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Coalition—a collective effort of more than 80 national organizations working together toward common goals. Right now, this collective is developing broad-based consensus related to the reauthorization of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDPA). CJJ is pleased to serve—through staff and CJJ Government Relations Committee (GRC) involvement—as a leader in the Act 4 Juvenile Justice effort.

This past winter, the Act 4 Juvenile Justice working group conducted a field survey designed to seek input from a range of juvenile justice practitioners and advocates, including SAG members, youth, parents, juvenile justice professionals, representatives of local, state and national organizations, and anyone that has been affected by the juvenile justice system. The largest share of respondents cited CJJ as their affiliate organization.

The Act 4 Juvenile Justice campaign has also held educational forums and meetings with a broad range of national partners in Washington, D.C., and begun the process of reaching out to members of Congress who sit on the committees of jurisdiction for JJDPA reauthorization (see: [18] www.juvjustice.org/government_relations_reauthorization.html for the House and Senate committee lists).

Most recently, using survey input and many months of discussion among national organizations, the Act 4 Juvenile Justice working group completed a consensus document that embodies a “Statement of Principles” for JJDPA reauthorization that we wish to communicate to members of Congress. Now, the Act 4 Juvenile Justice campaign is circulating the “Statement” for sign-ons from national, state and local organizations.

Both the CJJ GRC and the Board of Directors, while meeting in Minneapolis (March 24-25), have reviewed and given consideration to whether CJJ endorses the
“Statement of Principles” in its entirety. The Principles follow:

###
ACT 4 JUVENILE JUSTICE
A CAMPAIGN OF THE JUVENILE JUSTICE &
DELINQUENCY PREVENTION COALITION
—the collective voice of more than 80 national organizations—
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.

###

By a majority vote, the CJJ Board accepted the recommendation of the GRC and agreed to endorse these four principles. Yet, there were requests to provide feedback to the Act 4 Juvenile Justice working group related to a couple of concerns voiced by Board members and to request changes to examples given in the “Statement” regarding adherence to the principles. Such changes will be explored before CJJ will sign-on in whole.

To view a PDF of the entire “Statement of Principles,” visit [19] www.juvjustice.org/government_relations_reauthorization.html.

CJJ Awards – Nominations Now Accepted

A. L. Carlisle Child Advocacy Award, Spirit of Youth Award and Tony Gobar Outstanding National Juvenile Justice Specialist Award

CJJ is now accepting nominations for its 2007 awards to be presented at the JJDPA Today Summit in June. Three awards will be presented at an awards luncheon on Monday, June 11:
All nominations are due on May 1, 2007.

The A. L. Carlisle Child Advocacy Award is named in honor of A. L. Carlisle, the founding force of CJJ. Ms. Carlisle was a volunteer activist and SAG member from Maine who strove to ensure that the nation’s most troubled and vulnerable children would have their futures secured. This annual award recognizes a CJJ member who has made outstanding contributions to youth, to the organization, and to the juvenile court system, as well as the broader arena of juvenile justice. For more information on the A. L. Carlisle Child Advocacy Award, contact Linda Hayes at [20] lhayes@harnettlaw.com or Sue Kamp at [21] skamp@sover.net.

The Spirit of Youth Award recognizes and celebrates a young adult who has made great strides through positive, rehabilitative involvement with the juvenile justice system, overcome personal obstacles, and is today making significant contributions to society. Nominees must be under the age of 28 years; not a member of CJJ; adjudicated delinquent/involved in the juvenile justice system at some point; and currently involved, directly or indirectly, in bettering the lives of youth. For more information on the Spirit of Youth Award, contact Vicki Blankenship at [22] blank@acsalaska.net or Seth Church at [23] seth_church@hotmail.com.

The Tony Gobar Outstanding National Juvenile Justice Specialist Award is named in honor of the late Tony Gobar, a long-time Juvenile Justice Specialist from Mississippi. With this award, CJJ 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 advocates. To be eligible, the nominee, at the time of nomination, must be a current Juvenile Justice Specialist or have been out of the position of Juvenile Justice Specialist no more than 5 years. For more information on the Tony Gobar Outstanding National Juvenile Justice Specialist Award, contact Mark Ferrante at [24] mark.ferrante@njjjc.org or Alfred Martin at [25] alsyukon2@aol.com.

Download nomination forms at [26] www.juvjustice.org/conference_4.html.

State Advisory Group News – From the Field

Reaching for the Mark: Reducing Tennessee’s DSO Violations

Contributed by Debrah Stafford, Tennessee Juvenile Justice Specialist.

In 1999, Tennessee experienced its first year out of compliance with the deinstitutionalization of status offenders (DSO) core requirement of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDPA) with 784 violations. Immediate action was needed to bring the state back into compliance. Through cooperation of the State Advisory Group (SAG) and Tennessee Commission on Children and Youth (TCCY) staff, as well as implementation of a revised Enforcement Mechanism and by instituting monthly facility visits, Tennessee reduced its DSO violations to less than 370 in 2000 and less than 200 violations for four of the last six years. It is anticipated that Tennessee’s DSO violations will be less than 100 for the entire year of 2007.

What brought about such progress in such a short period of time? Persistence! Insistence! Resistance! Maintenance!

Persistence!
The SAG was committed to making sure children were treated fairly in the juvenile justice system by working to reduce and potentially eliminate DSO violations in Tennessee. Their persistence took the form of personal outreach and contact with judges, juvenile court staff and facilities staff in order to significantly address the problem. SAG members from areas with double-digit violations volunteered to meet regularly with juvenile court personnel to discuss the violation problem.

Insistence!
The SAG, along with TCCY staff, revised an outdated Enforcement Mechanism which spelled out the following:
Resistance!
TCCY resisted the urge to continue “business as usual” in addressing the increase in DSO violations. Newly elected judges brought new philosophies on how to handle juveniles. Seasoned judges sought to continue practices that at times were harmful to children. TCCY had to alter its approach to handling non-compliance with the JJDPA by: instituting more frequent contacts with the courts, initiating more training opportunities with juvenile justice staff, and informing judges about violations before their county would experience being out of compliance.

Maintenance!
Once compliance was achieved in 2000, TCCY maintained the intense level of contact with courts and focus on mission that resulted in substantial reductions in DSO violations. It also continued reporting to the SAG the monthly progress of compliance monitoring that helped Tennessee come back into compliance. This enabled SAG members to observe and address any issues in their areas in a timely manner. Regular monthly monitoring visits by staff helped to develop better rapport with courts and to establish an avenue for ongoing technical assistance when problems or questions concerning compliance arose.

Tennessee has done well in addressing DSO violations. We reached for the mark of no violations and succeeded in reducing DSO to better serve children and youth.

For more information, please contact Debrah Stafford, Tennessee Juvenile Justice Specialist, at [27] debrah.stafford@state.tn.us.

Juvenile Justice Specialist and DMC News

JJ Specialists’ Business Meeting, DMC Coordinators’ Meeting, Tony Gobar Award for Outstanding National Juvenile Justice Specialist

Contributed by Mark Ferrante, New Jersey Juvenile Justice Specialist and CJJ National Juvenile Justice Specialist.

Juvenile Justice Specialists and DMC Coordinators should be aware that the upcoming CJJ Summit on Reauthorization of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDPA) will feature a Juvenile Justice Specialists’ Business Meeting on Saturday morning, June 9, 2007, from 10 a.m. to 12 noon, and a DMC Coordinators’ Meeting that same day from 1 to 3 p.m. If you would like to have an agenda item placed at either meeting or need additional information, please contact me (Mark Ferrante) at 609-341-5019 or [28] mark.ferrante@njjjc.org.

Please also note that the 4th annual Tony Gobar Award for Outstanding National Juvenile Justice Specialist will be given during an awards luncheon at the CJJ Summit on Monday, June 11, 2007. Nomination forms will be sent to each of you and your SAG Chairperson under separate cover and are also available online at [29] www.juvjustice.org/conference_4.html.

Please note that all nominations must be returned to CJJ no later than Tuesday, May 1, 2007.

Additional questions concerning the award or the selection process can be addressed to me at [30] mark.ferrante@njjjc.org or 609-341-5019.

Thank you,

Mark Ferrante

Models for Change News

MacArthur Foundation President Discusses Models for Change with Philanthropy News Digest

In a March 6 interview with Philanthropy News Digest, John Fanton, president of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, discussed the Models for Change initiative and the Foundation’s $100 million commitment to juvenile justice reform. In the interview, Fanton notes:
There is an important insight that emerges from this work: When you do the right thing for an individual in trouble or in need, you're also pursuing sensible policy in the interest of the larger society. This is something of a paradigm shift from older views that saw the interests of those in trouble or need in opposition to the interests of the larger society. A juvenile justice system that offers redemptive options and supportive services to young offenders not only is more likely to help that young person get his or her life back on track and become a productive, contributing citizen, it will also lower crime rates and save taxpayers money.
In discussing the four Models for Change states piloting the initiative – Illinois, Louisiana, Pennsylvania and Washington – Fanton notes that juvenile justice reform is state specific, saying:
Let me just add that the letter s in the initiative's title is important. It's Models for Change for a reason; we are not trying to impose a single model. It's really about a set of principles we believe all four states have bought into, and we understand that each will go about reforming its system in its own way. Our initiative is designed to help each state pursue its own course, and to that end we've chosen to work with a lead organization in each state.
Read the complete interview at [31] http://foundationcenter.org/pnd/newsmakers/nwsmkr.jhtml?id=172200082.

National Juvenile Justice Network (NJJN) News

NJJN Holds Teleconference on the Convention of the Rights of the Child

The National Juvenile Justice Network (NJJN) will host a teleconference at 3 p.m. EST, April 19, 2007, on the Convention on the Rights of the Child. The teleconference will feature Jaap Doek, Law Professor at Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam and Chairperson of the United Nation’s Committee on the Rights of the Child from 2001-2006.

The Convention on the Rights of the Child was undertaken as part of the celebration of the 1979 United Nations International Year of the Child. Over a 10-year drafting period, the CRC developed into a comprehensive human rights treaty for children. The Convention on the Rights of the Child is the first legally binding international instrument to incorporate the full range of human rights – civil and political rights as well as economic, social and cultural rights. In 2002, United States ratified the optional protocols to the Convention, but the United States remains one of only two countries –Somalia is the other – that has not ratified the Convention.

For more information on the teleconference, e-mail [32] info@njjn.org.

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—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 [33] info@njjn.org.

New York’s Juvenile Justice Coalition Wins Improvements in Conditions of Confinement

Last November, a 15-year-old boy died at the Tryon facility operated by the New York State Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS). In response, the New York Juvenile Justice Coalition, an NJJN member, advocated for immediate reforms at OCFS – particularly a reduction in the use of physical restraints on children in custody and improved oversight of facilities. At a December 18 public New York State Assembly hearing, OCFS announced that it will revise its policy to limit the situations in which staff may apply restraints. In addition, OCFS announced that it plans to increase staffing of the ombudsman’s office from one full-time attorney to three full-time attorneys and to re-convene the Independent Review Board comprised of individuals from outside the agency. The New York Juvenile Justice Coalition is also promoting legislation to create an Independent Child Advocate Office in New York and will hold an Advocacy Day in Albany on March 27 to build support for this bill.

In addition, as a result of advocacy by the New York Juvenile Justice Coalition, the New York City Council Juvenile Justice Committee held a public hearing on the experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) youth in the juvenile justice system. The hearing motivated the New York City Department of Juvenile Justice to release an anti-discrimination policy for LGBT youth. Members of the Coalition have also worked closely with Family Court officials to conduct a series of trainings for Family Court personnel on working with LGBT youth involved in delinquency cases. More than 250 people – including law guardians, prosecutors, probation officers, judges and other court personnel – attended the first of three trainings.

The OCFS has also issued guidelines for working with LGBT youth in OCFS custody. The New York Juvenile Justice Coalition regards these as an important first step, although they are asking for some changes in content. They are also advocating for passage of the SAFETY Act, legislation that would require OCFS to adopt an anti-discrimination policy and implement training for staff on working with LGBT youth and addressing homophobia in OCFS facilities.

Resources and Information of Note

Federal Spending on Children: Three New Publications

The Urban Institute has released “Kids’ Share 2007: How Children Fare in the Federal Budget,” a study of trends in federal spending on children from 1960 to 2017. The study addresses more than 100 major federal programs and shows that children's spending has increasingly shifted from broad-based programs to programs targeting low-income or special needs children over the 1960 to 2006 period. It also shows that over the next ten years, children's programs are scheduled to decline both as a share of GDP and domestic spending, because they do not compete on a level playing field with rapidly growing entitlement programs such as Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. Federal spending on children, adjusted for inflation, grew from $53 billion in 1960 to $333 billion in 2006. However, as a share of the economy, spending on children rose from just 1.9 to 2.6 percent of GDP. For the complete report, as well as the executive summary and PowerPoint presentation, visit [34] www.urban.org/publications/411432.html.

Independent of the Urban Institute study, the Every Child Matters Education Fund has produced “Homeland Insecurity … American Children at Risk,” a testimony to the need for new federal investments in children and families. The book details family challenges in raising healthy children and dismisses the notion that government-supported programs are ineffectual. Rather, it proposes a new ten-year $500 billion “invest-in-kids initiative” to improve life chances of all children. Learn more and download the entire book at [35] www.everychildmatters.org.

Examining federal funding on a program-specific level, the Chapin Hall Center for Children at the University of Chicago has released an issue brief titled “Getting What We Pay For - Do Expenditures Align with Outcomes in the Child Welfare System?” The brief examines the methods used by the Department of Health and Human Services to link federal Title IV-E funding and child outcomes at the state level. View the brief at [36] www.chapinhall.org/article_abstract.aspx?ar=1425.

Also, hear an audio recording of a joint Urban Institute and Chapin Hall forum titled “Government Spending on Children: Aligning Priorities and Resources” at [37] www.about.chapinhall.org/conferences/urban/mar2007/presentations.html.

Public Comment Needed by April 30 re: Adam Walsh Act

The U.S. Attorney General has made an interim ruling that the “Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act” or “SORNA” portion of the 2006 Adam Walsh Act will be applied retroactively, which means that sex offenders whose convictions predate the enactment of SORNA will also be subject to registration and notification under the provisions.

The Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act ([38] Pub.L. 109-248) was signed into law in July 2006. The legislation organizes sex offenders into three tiers, and mandates that Tier 3 offenders update their whereabouts every three months. It makes failure to register and update one’s information a felony. Each state and territory is required to apply identical criteria for posting offender data on the Internet (i.e., offender’s name, address, date of birth, place of employment, photograph, etc.).

The law also expands registry requirements to persons as young as age 14 in certain offense categories. For juveniles, the Walsh Act defines “conviction” for purposes of registration and public notification to include juvenile adjudications if the juvenile offender is at least 14 years of age at the time of the offense and the offense is comparable to or more severe than the federal offense of aggravated sexual abuse.

You can view an electronic version of this interim rule on line at [39] www.regulations.gov. Because this is an interim rule it is open to public comment until April 30.

Search for the “keyword or ID” DOJ-2007-0032-0001. SORNA information begins at the end of the first page of the PDF document.

Comment by mail to:
David J. Karp, Senior Counsel, U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Legal Policy, Room 4509, Main Justice Building, 950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20530. To ensure proper handling, please reference OAG Docket No. 117 on your correspondence.
Comment via Internet:
Email to U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Legal Policy (OLP) at [40] olpregs@usdoj.gov.
Or go to [41] www.regulations.gov and complete the electronic comment form for this regulation. Please remember when submitting comments electronically that you must also include OAG Docket No. 117 in the subject box.
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Expands Reclaiming Futures

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has announced a national expansion of its Reclaiming Futures initiative. Housed at Portland State University, the initiative combines system reform, treatment improvement and community engagement to help youth in the justice system address drug and alcohol problems. The Foundation will dedicate $6.5 million to support its 10 pilot sites, as well as to help additional new sites implement Reclaiming Futures in the next four years. The expanded effort will also create a national resource center to provide data, case studies and other information to other communities seeking to improve drug and alcohol services for justice-involved youth. Learn more about Reclaiming Futures at [42] www.reclaimingfutures.org.

2006 PART Review of OJJDP Formula and Block Grants Completed

The federal Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has released the 2006 Program Assessment Rating Tool (PART) review of OJJDP's Formula and Block Grants Programs. The review is available on the OMB web site at [43] www.whitehouse.gov/omb/expectmore/summary/10003813.2006.html.

“What Wave?” - National Crime Rise in Question

American Prospect Online currently features an article by Marc Mauer, executive director of The Sentencing Project. In the article “What Wave?” Mauer contends that evidence for a national crime wave, particularly as reported by the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF), is inconclusive. Mauer suggests that calls for increased “get-tough remedies” are misguided, writing:
All told, the picture is still murky as to the size and nature of the recent uptick in crime and violence. Without minimizing the problem, we need to recognize that a one- or two-year rise in crime in some cities does not necessarily represent a trend. In the past, such short-term changes have resulted in drastic policy initiatives, such as mandatory sentencing laws that are easy to pass in a heated political climate but virtually impervious to change once their deficiencies are identified.

Rather than succumb to such quick-fix punitive measures, we should be building on what works to reduce crime. Demonstrated interventions that have been shown to do so include family-based therapy programs for juveniles, expansion of preschool programs for at-risk families, and quality drug treatment as an alternative to incarceration.
Read the entire article at [44] www.prospect.org/web/page.ww?section=root&name=ViewWeb&articleId=12601.

Center for Juvenile Justice Reform and Systems Integration Opens at Georgetown

The Georgetown Public Policy Institute (GPPI) has announced the creation of a new Center for Juvenile Justice Reform and Systems Integration, to support scholarship and discourse on issues relating to juvenile justice reform.

The Center will sponsor academic programs and symposia for government leaders involved in juvenile justice policy and practice and will partner with the GPPI Center for Public and Nonprofit Leadership to offer a professional certificate for elected and appointed public agency leaders at the state and local level. The curriculum for the program will explore principles, practices, and policies that are essential components of a strong juvenile justice reform agenda and will have a particular focus on leading systems change and reform efforts.

Research Professor Shay Bilchik, former U.S. Justice Department Administrator of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention under President Clinton, will direct the center.

For additional information, a press release is available at [45] http://explore.georgetown.edu/news/?ID=24081. To learn more about GPPI, visit [46] http://gppi.georgetown.edu/.

NADCP Hosts Conference

The National Association of Drug Court Professionals (NADCP) will host its 13th Annual Drug Court Training Conference, June 13-16, 2007, in Washington, D.C. The conference will provide training on current practices and trends in the treatment of addiction, foster connections with policy makers around funding and relevant legislation, and provide time to network with fellow practitioners and providers of products and services for the field. Trainings offered will include “The ABC’s of Drug Courts,” “Understanding Specific Drugs and Their Impact,” “Caring for the Care Givers,” and “Working with the Latino Community: Meeting the Challenge.” Register by May 18, 2007. For more information, visit [47] www.nadcp.org/annual.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 [48] 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[49] info@juvjustice.org.

— Robin Jenkins, 2007 CJJ National Chair
— Kitty McCarthy, Editor

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[2]: http://www.Cvent.com
[3]: mailto:knaan@juvjustice.org
[4]: http://www.juvjustice.org/conference_4.html
[5]: mailto:knaan@juvjustice.org
[6]: mailto:sponce@sheratonlaguardia.com
[7]: mailto:anne.cadwallader@dcjs.state.ny.us
[8]: mailto:rjenkins@cccommunicare.org
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[10]: mailto:nancy@juvjustice.org
[11]: http://www.juvjustice.org/government_relations_appropriations.html
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[13]: http://www.juvjustice.org/announcement_109.html
[14]: mailto:nancy@juvjustice.org
[15]: mailto:lhayes@harnettlaw.com
[16]: mailto:nancy@juvjustice.org
[17]: mailto:lhayes@harnettlaw.com
[18]: http://www.juvjustice.org/government_relations_reauthorization.html
[19]: http://www.juvjustice.org/government_relations_reauthorization.html
[20]: mailto:lhayes@harnettlaw.com
[21]: mailto:skamp@sover.net
[22]: mailto:blank@acsalaska.net
[23]: mailto:seth_church@hotmail.com
[24]: mailto:mark.ferrante@njjjc.org
[25]: mailto:alsyukon2@aol.com
[26]: http://www.juvjustice.org/conference_4.html
[27]: mailto:debrah.stafford@state.tn.us
[28]: mailto:mark.ferrante@njjjc.org
[29]: http://www.juvjustice.org/conference_4.html
[30]: mailto:mark.ferrante@njjjc.org
[31]: http://foundationcenter.org/pnd/newsmakers/nwsmkr.jhtml?id=172200082
[32]: mailto:info@njjn.org
[33]: mailto:info@njjn.org
[34]: http://www.urban.org/publications/411432.html
[35]: http://www.everychildmatters.org
[36]: http://www.chapinhall.org/article_abstract.aspx?ar=1425
[37]: http://www.about.chapinhall.org/conferences/urban/mar2007/presentations.html
[38]: http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=109_cong_public_laws&docid=f:publ248.109
[39]: http://www.regulations.gov
[40]: mailto:olpregs@usdoj.gov
[41]: http://www.regulations.gov
[42]: http://www.reclaimingfutures.org
[43]: http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/expectmore/summary/10003813.2006.html
[44]: http://www.prospect.org/web/page.ww?section=root&name=ViewWeb&articleId=12601
[45]: http://explore.georgetown.edu/news/?ID=24081
[46]: http://gppi.georgetown.edu/
[47]: http://www.nadcp.org/annual.html
[48]: mailto:mccarthy@juvjustice.org
[49]: mailto:info@juvjustice.org

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