CJJ | Newsletter: January 2008

CJJ Leadership News
- Message from Robin Jenkins, CJJ 2007 National Chair
- Message from Nancy Gannon Hornberger, CJJ Executive Director
- Sign up for CJJ Committees in 2008!

CJJ Conferences – Join Us! Save the Date!
- CJJ Annual National Conference and Hill Day – April 25-29
- CJJ Northeast Region Conference – June 20

CJJ Government Relations Alert
- GRC Committee Chairs: Thank You Linda, Welcome Ken
- Appropriations Report – Juvenile Justice Funding for FY 2008 Falls Well Short of Expectations
- CJJ Members and Allies Shine at Senate JJDPA Hearing
- New Reports Show Strong Public Willingness to Pay for the Rehabilitation of Juvenile Offenders

CJJ Training News
- CJJ Hosts Pre-Conference Session on DMC with MacArthur Foundation

Detention Reform News
- CJJ Prepares to Release a SAG Leadership Guide on Detention Reform
- KIDS COUNT Web Site Adds Data Center

National Juvenile Justice Network (NJJN) News
- NJJN Publishes “Advances in Juvenile Justice Reform”
- Program and Policy Associate Leaves NJJN
- NJJN Job Opening
- NJJN and CJJ Continue Work on Adam Walsh Act

Resources and Information of Note
- CDC Publishes Study on Prosecuting Youths as Adults
- Campaign for Youth Justice Releases Report on “Jailing Juveniles”
- Fight Crime: Invest in Kids Releases “Safer Streets” Report
- IssueLab Adds Juvenile Justice Focus to Online Publications Archive
- University of San Francisco School of Law Reports on Juvenile LWOP
- CJCJ Policy Journal Article Addresses Juvenile Sex Offenders
- Forum on Drug Treatment Within the Juvenile Justice System Available Online
- OJJDP Publishes Juvenile Court Statistics, FBI Publishes Study on Crime in Schools
- In the News
- Upcoming Conferences

CJJ Leadership News

Message from Robin Jenkins, CJJ 2007 National Chair

2008 already? Are you kidding me? How does time pass so quickly? For me, and I suspect you, the “flying time” sensation is partially due to the amazing set of activities, duties, and responsibilities we find ourselves committed to – getting everything organized and done takes so much of our energies, it is hard to appreciate time as a gift. This is, of course, a huge mistake in our lives and one that I’ve monitored personally over the past few years in order to do a better job of appreciating the moment. Life is so fragile and special – and I should not hesitate at this point to thank you all again for allowing me this window of leadership, and more importantly, friendship with you as we work together as the Coalition for Juvenile Justice.

Now…on to more “Chair-like” commentary. Typically, columns for the first month of the New Year in professional member organization publications focus on the leader’s agenda, vision and outlook for the term in office. And I will use this one to briefly lay out what my thoughts are for 2008.

“Growing” healthy families and youth – This umbrella philosophy is my own personal focus in all that I do professionally and as a volunteer. It encompasses strength-based work and fostering resiliency, as well as the prevention-intervention-suppression framework that we’ve become so familiar with as we program juvenile services. I hope and expect that CJJ’s mission, “Building safe communities one child at a time,” is directly related to helping our systems of care assist families and communities in nurturing strong, healthy children. With a national membership of SAGs, associate members, fellow organizations and allies, CJJ should be about forming and strengthening that network of organizations that, in the end, foster healthy communities in our diverse states and territories. In my mind, healthy communities balance social justice, equity, behavioral accountability, and foster the protective factors that encourage stronger children and families, among other things.
Reauthorization and strengthening of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDPA) – On a topical level, my personal belief is that the JJDPA is a realistic and functionally useful instrument from which we can focus our work in the juvenile justice system. In social science terms, it can be thought of as a theoretical framework that helps us launch an infrastructure (SAGs), rules or terms of work (four core protections), as well as the underpinnings of how to get it done (administrative rules). It’s not perfect, but the JJDPA has a 30+ year track record of moving the states forward in measurably positive ways. While complications face us (e.g., compliance concerns), the JJDPA can serve as a positive beacon for how we coordinate federal, state and local juvenile justice practices and policies. Like most everything else, how the JJDPA is implemented boils down to leadership, political will and unity of purpose. CJJ should be about growing effective juvenile justice leaders, successfully organizing them and then creating/encouraging the political will to achieve optimal juvenile justice systems – uniting persons and organizations around the country in ways that encourage the best balance of holding youth accountable and developing their competencies toward effective citizenship, while taking care of victims and communities as part of the process.
Capacity building and sustainability – As a nonprofit director, these issues strike a bulls-eye for me. CJJ has a great track record of moving with the market trends, adapting to change, and working with key allies to sustain its membership. Its core allies, the State Advisory Groups, remain the central stakeholders in CJJ. Yet through the membership and governance work accomplished in 2007, CJJ expects to find additional strengths through partnerships with other organizations, individual members and affiliations in the future. This vision requires a strong focus on strategic thinking to position CJJ properly in the market among federal, private and membership funding sources, and crafting a program of work that maintains our key mission/vision but also ensures long-term viability and growth.

With all of this in mind, our staff are helping me gear up for a Leadership Retreat this month with our Executive Board that will move us forward toward achieving tangible objectives in these areas. This Board will report back to the CJJ Council of SAGs and membership at large to continue on our very strong path together. Please know that our core values – reducing inequality of outcomes among racial/ethnic youth in the system, fostering youth involvement and governance in CJJ, leading effective practices in juvenile justice, strengthening SAGs – are still on the top of the “to do” list for us – and they are incorporated in the broader thinking I’ve just laid out.

Please join us in membership and attendance, via email or other communications, to help us achieve justice and equity for our juvenile justice youth. We cannot sit still. We must work with our congressional representatives, as well as with each other, to make it happen. So get involved! We need you.

With warmest regards to each of you and hopes of a healthy and successful 2008,

Robin Jenkins, Ph.D., Chair

Message from Nancy Gannon Hornberger, CJJ Executive Director

2007 in Review and Looking Ahead in 2008

Here in the CJJ national office, in greeting the New Year, we take stock of our accomplishments, reflect on work unfinished and formulate appropriately ambitious “to do” lists. In mid-December, the CJJ staff held a retreat to look at the scope of work before us in 2008 and beyond. This coming weekend, Jan 11-13, we have the good fortune of going into a leadership retreat with the newly elected CJJ Executive Board to refine our planning. Therefore, it seems fitting to briefly share an overview of CJJ’s fine accomplishments in 2007.

In doing so, I invite you to stay involved—as the national association of the JJDPA State Advisory Groups (SAGs) and allies—we have exciting and challenging work to do, together, to benefit children, families and communities. As always, please let me know what you think: [1] nancy@juvjustice.org and/or 202-467-0864, ext. 111.

2007 in review

It is well know that 2007 brought big changes and financial instability to CJJ. Staffing changed as I moved from acting executive director to executive director, following more than a decade of leadership by the former CJJ executive. And, characteristic of periods of change, CJJ also experienced changes in its core staff. I urge you to stay in close touch with everyone—the CJJ staff members are excellent, highly skillful, productive and working exceptionally well in a coordinated team. Everyone brings considerable juvenile justice expertise and fresh ideas, see: [2] www.juvjustice.org/about_staff.html.

In addition, 2007 marked the first time in nearly 20 years that CJJ did not receive any OJJDP support for its functions under the JJDPA (after a 55% cut in OJJDP funding in 2003). Amidst confusion and disappointment, this also created financial instability. It is still hard to fathom how CJJ—an effective organization devoted to broadly educating, supporting and advancing compliance and exemplary work by SAGs under the JJDPA—could be disavowed by the very federal agency charged as its partner. Yet, CJJ has rallied, nationwide. Through such changes, CJJ and its member SAGs, as well as many allies among state and national organizations, have stayed strong. It has been an amazing experience—and I wish to personally thank you for your dedicated interest and support.

2007 accomplishments, in summary

The budget was restored. Despite loss of federal monies, CJJ’s operating budget exceeded $1 million in 2007 for the first time in 5 years, based on a combination of SAG memberships, earned income and private foundation grants.

The mission was strengthened. SAGs, along with allied individuals and organizations, have made it abundantly clear how much they value CJJ and remained active members. We also welcomed back SAGs and individuals whose memberships had lapsed.

CJJ’s voluntary leadership is not only intact, it is thriving. CJJ saw greater voluntary involvement of member-leaders in 2007, via special in-person meetings, increased email/mail/telephone contact, use of list-serves and conference calls.

Board leadership and governance has been fortified. SAG leaders have effectively instituted a more responsive and accountable decision-making structure that has two tiers devoted to governance, including the CJJ Council of SAGs and the CJJ Executive Board. Importantly, in the process, we bolstered our support for state Juvenile Justice Specialists and DMC Coordinators.

CJJ’s focus on Government Relations was amplified. CJJ’s presence in informing federal policy is undeniable. SAG content expertise and recommendations are delivered to members of Congress in briefings, person-to-person meetings with Senators, Representatives and congressional staff, as well as when our SAG members came to Washington to serve as witnesses for the first JJDPA hearings held in more than 8 years.

CJJ continued fruitful partnerships aimed at juvenile justice system improvements. 2007 was our fifth year of a highly productive partnership with JDAI and the Annie E. Casey Foundation. In upcoming weeks, CJJ will unveil work that progressed over the past year, captured in a SAG leadership guide and peer-training program for the Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative (JDAI). 2007 is the third year of a vibrant partnership/fiscal sponsorship of the National Juvenile Justice Network (NJJN)–now spanning 32 member organizations in 30 states, see: [3] www.njjn.org. Moreover, 2007 marked a higher level of involvement for CJJ with the MacArthur Foundation’s Models for Change Initiative. CJJ was honored to host the Second Annual Models for Change Conference this past December in Washington, D.C., and to convene a specially-focused pre-conference session for CJJ and NJJN members.

CJJ’s communications reached thousands. Every month, CJJ has highlighted leadership materials and publications of value to the SAGs and allies in this on-line newsletter. We also hosted several list-serves for peer exchange and content/policy discussions, as well as two prominent Web sites: [4] www.juvjustice.org and [5] www.act4jj.org.

CJJ advanced the field. CJJ’s Summit on the JJDPA was held in June 2007 with nearly 300 attendees from 47 SAGs/states/territories, and received superlative evaluations. Workshops focused on core concerns related to JJDPA implementation. CJJ was also pleased to contribute to the Northeast Regional Coalition conference in April 2007 – a wonderful example of voluntary leaders stepping up to host and orchestrate a meeting. Also in 2007, CJJ published and broadly disseminated the second of two publications on the “Implications of Adolescent Brain Development for Juvenile Justice.”

Looking ahead in 2008, CJJ will confidently keep these productive programs, focus areas and partnerships going strong. As you read through this month’s newsletter you will find ample opportunities to get involved and to benefit from your association with CJJ. Please read on … sign up and stay in touch.

Sign up for CJJ Committees in 2008!

Each year, CJJ convenes member-based committees to advance leadership initiatives in areas that involve both internal and external priorities. Robin Jenkins, CJJ’s National Chair for 2008, and Nancy Gannon Hornberger, Executive Director, welcome your involvement.

Please click on the link below to express your interest in serving on a CJJ committee in 2008:

[6] www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=0KeGdwiEyP9ivTWMFmcrHA_3d_3d

CJJ Conferences – Join Us! Save the Date!

CJJ Annual National Conference and Hill Day – April 25-29

CJJ is pleased to announce its Annual Spring Conference and CJJ Council of SAGs’ Meeting to be held April 25-29, 2008, at the Renaissance M Street Hotel, 1143 New Hampshire Ave, NW, Washington, D.C. 20037 ([7] www.renaissancemstreethotel.com).

The conference theme, “Investing in Our Children: Emerging Reform Efforts in Juvenile Justice,” will showcase 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. Look for a “Call for Presentations” to be released nationally on or about January 16, 2008.

The CJJ conference will also feature the CJJ Council of SAGs’ Meeting, business meetings for Juvenile Justice Specialists, DMC Coordinators and CJJ committees, and the CJJ Awards Luncheon honoring this year’s recipients of the A. L. Carlisle Award, the Tony Gobar Award for Outstanding Juvenile Justice Specialist, and the Spirit of Youth Award. A SAG member training focusing on such topics as the three-year plan, compliance (with the core requirements of the JJDPA), and leadership development will be offered as well. And, no Spring conference in Washington, D.C., would be complete without the Annual CJJ Hill Day, which will be held on Tuesday, April 29, 2008.

Conference registration will open on or about February 1, 2008. For more details, check the CJJ Web site at [8] www.juvjustice.org or contact Mark Ferrante at [9] ferrante@juvjustice.org or 202-467-0864, ext. 102.

CJJ Northeast Region Conference – June 20

The CJJ Northeast Regional Coalition is planning an exciting full-day meeting on June 20, 2008, in Portland, ME for CJJ Members and Allies in Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, and the Virgin Islands.

The agenda is being finalized and will include a tour of the Long Creek Youth Development Center, a presentation on ethics for juvenile prosecutors and defense attorneys, a regional business meeting and more! The conference will close with a lobster bake hosted by Joan McDonald, a Maine SAG member.

A room block has been reserved at the Eastland Park Hotel ([10] www.eastlandparkhotel.com) in Portland with rates at $85/night, June 19-21. More details, including a draft agenda, will be sent via e-mail to SAG Chairs and JJ Specialists in Northeast Region member states.

For more information, contact Kathryn McGloin, Maine Juvenile Justice Specialist, at [11] kathryn.mcgloin@maine.gov or 207-287-1923.

CJJ Government Relations Alert

GRC Committee Chairs: Thank You Linda, Welcome Ken

In the last CJJ e-Monitor, we announced that Linda Hayes, 2007 Chair of the CJJ Government Relations Committee (GRC), was elected to serve as the new CJJ Southern Region Chair for 2008. We are pleased to announce that Ken Schatz, the 2007 GRC Vice-Chair, has been appointed as the GRC Chair for 2008. Working with Ken will be Ward Loyd of Kansas, who has agreed to serve as GRC Vice-Chair for 2008.

During her tenure, Linda provided tremendous leadership and insight into the internal and external workings of the Committee and its role in the larger organization and among our members, not the least of which was the institutionalization of GRC-SAG Liaisons, which currently number 46 members spanning 37 SAGs. We are very pleased that Linda has elected to continue her membership with the GRC Committee.

Looking ahead in 2008, we are excited about the skills and perspectives that will be brought to bear by Ken Schatz, the City Attorney for Burlington, Vermont, and Ward Loyd, a former state representative for Kansas’ 123rd District who served as a member of the House Judiciary Committee, Chairman of the House Corrections and Juvenile Justice Committee and Vice-Chairman of the Joint Committee on Corrections and Juvenile Justice Oversight.

Congratulations to Linda, Ken and Ward on their new appointments! We anticipate great things!

Appropriations Report – Juvenile Justice Funding for FY 2008 Falls Well Short of Expectations

Before adjourning for the 2007 calendar year, Congress completed its work on Appropriations, passing a $555 billion omnibus bill that included winners and lots of losers.

Sadly, juvenile justice funding streams took additional hits. Title II and Title V under the JJDPA are both down from last year. The chart below illustrates where we ended up versus where we were hoping to be.

FEDERAL APPROPRIATIONS (IN MILLIONS):

	FY02	House Proposal	Senate Proposal	Congress Omnibus	CJJ REQUEST for FY08
Title II State Formula Funds	$88.8	$81.175	$73	$74.26	$96
Title V Local Delinq. Prevention	$94.3	$70 $25 for EUDL $25 for GREAT $17.5 for Tribal Youth	$65 $25 for EUDL $10 for Tribal Youth	$61.1 $25 for EUDL $18.8 for GREAT $14.1 for Tribal Youth	$95
JABG	$249.5	$60	$80	$51.7	$250
DPBG	N/A	$0	$0	$0	$0

In addition, Congress appropriated $93.8 million for JJDPA Part E Challenge Grants and Projects. This money is fully earmarked and will not be available to the states through their SAGs. The earmarks—all 400+ of them—are listed in the CJS Report on Juvenile Justice Programs, available on the CJJ Web site at [12] www.juvjustice.org/government_relations_appropriations.html.

We encourage you to review the list and determine which programs are getting dollars in your state for purposes of partnering, leveraging and strategically distributing the dollars that your SAG administers.

CJJ Members and Allies Shine at Senate JJDPA Hearing

On December 5, 2007, the United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary held a hearing titled “Reauthorization of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act: Protecting Our Children and Our Communities.” This was the first Senate hearing held on the JJDPA in eight years. Testifying at the hearing were:

Deirdre Wilson Garton, a former prosecutor and current Chair of the Wisconsin Governor’s Juvenile Justice Commission (the Wisconsin SAG);
Anne Marie Ambrose, Director of Child Welfare and Juvenile Justice Services at the Office of Children, Youth and Families in the Department of Public Welfare for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and member of the Pennsylvania SAG;
Shay Bilchik, former Administrator for the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), former President and CEO of the Child Welfare League of America, and currently Founder and Director of the Center for Juvenile Justice Reform at Georgetown University’s Public Policy Institute;
Richard Miranda, Chief of Police for Tuscon, AZ and a member of Fight Crime: Invest in Kids; and
J. Robert Flores, Administrator, OJJDP.

Our friends were spectacular. Individually, they hit all the right notes, crediting the JJDPA and OJJDP for helping them achieve effective reforms in the past, and lamenting the faltering federal-state partnership that is key to sustaining those reforms and developing new ones in the future. As a chorus, they sent Congress a beautiful and unambiguous message—strengthen the Act and restore the federal-state partnership by restoring funding and the Office.

Special thanks and congratulations are in order. We are still beaming at the testimony delivered by our own Deirdre Wilson Garton, Chair of the Wisconsin SAG, who was received warmly by both Senators Kohl and Feingold and whose testimony on the importance of Title V funding was so compelling that it drew visible and audible responses from the audience. Deirdre also eloquently illustrated the unique value and influence SAGs have in addressing the reduction of disproportionate minority contact (DMC). We also wish to acknowledge the hard work and expertise of Wisconsin’s Office of Justice Assistance in assisting Deirdre in the preparation of her testimony as well as her responses to questions posed by members of the Senate Judiciary Committee following the hearing.

We commend Anne Marie Ambrose for the great work she’s doing in Pennsylvania and for delivering one of the best lines of the hearing: “Communities can’t replicate best practices without the training and technical assistance, so we are creating the Center for Evidenced-Based Practices to do what OJJDP used to do.” Similarly, we thank Shay Bilchik for making the best case for OJJDP refocusing and rebuilding we’ve heard in a long time, calling on Congress to “strengthen the Act and elevate the capacity of OJJDP to support the field and the workers who work in the juvenile justice system, everyday.”

Many thanks to Chief Richard Miranda from Tuscon, Arizona, a new friend who spoke beautifully about the role law enforcement can and should play in reducing DMC. In response, OJJDP Administrator Flores stated that he considers DMC reduction a priority and supports alternatives to detention and the development and work of the state DMC coordinators.

Finally, we extend appreciation to Ken Schatz and Dick Smith as well as the larger body of members with the Vermont SAG, who were not present at the hearing, but whose work and contributions to advancing the JJDPA goals and its reauthorization were publicly acknowledged by Chairman Leahy in his opening remarks. Their leadership is clearly making a difference.

To read each witness’ testimony, and their responses to follow-up questions asked by members of the Committee, go to [13] www.act4jj.org/announcement_117.html.

New Reports Show Strong Public Willingness to Pay for the Rehabilitation of Juvenile Offenders

Two new reports released at the Second Annual Models for Change Conference in December show strong public backing for the rehabilitation of youthful offenders and a greater willingness of taxpayers to pay for rehabilitative programs than for the incarceration of offenders in jail.

Polling data collected for the Center for Children’s Law and Policy (CCLP) show that more than 70 percent of the public agree that incarcerating youthful offenders without rehabilitation is the same as giving up on them. CCLP reported that 9 out of 10 people surveyed believe that “almost all youth who commit crimes have the potential to change.”

Separate research conducted by the MacArthur Foundation Research Network on Adolescent Development and Juvenile Justice (ADJJ) found that when given the choice, the public is more willing to pay for juvenile rehabilitation than incarceration.

Both reports indicate strong public support for rolling back the punitive juvenile measures adopted over the past 15 years. The full reports are available for download at [14] www.modelsforchange.net.

Also announced at the conference were the new sites selected to participate in the Action Network on Mental Health (see [15] www.modelsforchange.net/partners/justice/), and the new sites selected to participate in the Action Network on Disproportionate Minority Contact (see [16] www.modelsforchange.net/partners/dmc/). A new Action Network on Juvenile Indigent Defense will be formed in 2008.

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If you have any questions or suggestions regarding the CJJ Government Relations Committee or Government Relations Program, please contact committee chair Ken Schatz ([17] kschatz@ci.burlington.vt.us), or CJJ deputy executive director Tara Andrews ([18] andrews@juvjustice.org and 202-467-0864, ext. 109).

CJJ Training News

CJJ Hosts Pre-Conference Session on DMC with MacArthur Foundation

In early December, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and CJJ hosted the Second Annual Models for Change Conference in Washington, D.C. The conference was attended by more than 200 change agents from across twelve jurisdictions – the four “core” Models for Change states of Pennsylvania, Illinois, Louisiana and Washington along with newly selected (and announced) DMC Action Network sites from Union County, NC; Rock County, WI; Sedgwick County, KS; and Baltimore City, MD, along with Mental Health Action Network sites from the states of Colorado, Connecticut, Ohio and Texas. (A related article on Sedgwick County and the SAG’s leadership around DMC reduction can be found at [19] www.kansas.com/news/local/v-print/story/269301.html.)

Conference highlights included an opening plenary address by Foundation President Jonathan F. Fanton who articulated his vision for a broader juvenile justice reform movement; the release of two new reports, prepared and presented by members of the MacArthur Adolescent Research Network; and a closing keynote address by Congressman Robert “Bobby” Scott, VA, who spoke passionately about the need for increased prevention and early intervention services in juvenile justice. The aforementioned research reports focus on the public’s willingness to pay for rehabilitative services and public attitudes/policy preferences for juvenile justice systems reform. Both reports can be accessed at [20] www.modelsforchange.net.

As part of the conference, CJJ convened an intensive technical assistance session addressing alternatives to law enforcement processing and DMC. Six jurisdictions were chosen to participate in the half-day session: Virginia, Vermont, Delaware, Minnesota, New York (City) and North Carolina. Several content experts provided one-on-one guidance on how to assess and address the potential for reducing DMC by focusing on the decision to arrest or divert youth from entering the juvenile justice system. We are grateful for the contributions of all participants. A follow-up to the pre-conference session to measure progress in each of the six participating jurisdictions is planned during CJJ’s Spring 2008 Conference.

Evaluations from attendees completed thus far strongly indicate the success of both the pre-conference and the Models for Change conference as a whole.

For more information about Models for Change, the research reports or follow-up meetings, please contact Mark Ferrante at [21] ferrante@juvjustice.org or 202-467-0864, ext. 102.

Detention Reform News

CJJ Prepares to Release a SAG Leadership Guide on Detention Reform

In the upcoming weeks, CJJ will announce the release of it SAG Leadership Guide on Detention Reform in partnership with the Annie E. Casey Foundation. The Guide highlights the tremendous leadership efforts of SAG members and Specialists who have advanced the Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative (JDAI) and will serve as a vehicle to deepen SAG understanding of and commitment to the JDAI process. It will provide states with specific examples of how to get started, how to engage key leaders and how to re-deploy financial and human resources to strengthen their reform efforts. In addition, a CJJ led team of SAG Peer Trainers and Mentors will be convened during or just after CJJ’s Spring Conference to formally launch an associated training program.

For more information, please contact Mark Ferrante at [22] ferrante@juvjustice.org or 202-467-0864, ext. 102.

KIDS COUNT Web Site Adds Data Center

The Annie E. Casey Foundation's KIDS COUNT online database has added a new data center tracking child well-being measures for the 50 largest U.S. cities, including child poverty rates, infant mortality rates and the percent of teenagers who are high school dropouts. The new tool, which allows visitors to tailor maps, charts and graphs by topic or geographic area, also contains more than 100 indicators, including the most recent data available on education, employment and income, poverty, health, and youth risk factors for the United States as a whole, all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

KIDS COUNT, a project of the Annie E Casey Foundation, is a national and state-by-state effort to track the status of children and families in the United States. Visit the new data center at [23] www.kidscount.org/datacenter/.

National Juvenile Justice Network (NJJN) News

NJJN Publishes “Advances in Juvenile Justice Reform”

The National Juvenile Justice Network (NJJN) has released a new publication, “Advances in Juvenile Justice Reform 2006-2007,” which catalogues some of the many juvenile justice reforms that have taken place over the past year. The document, organized by topic, includes a brief synopsis of the change and is indexed by state. The text of all bills can be found on the NJJN website under the state information page. The document can be found at [24] www.njjn.org or can be requested at [25] info@njjn.org.

Program and Policy Associate Leaves NJJN

NJJN is very sad to announce that Program and Policy Associate Jenni Gainsborough will be moving on from NJJN. During the past year, Jenni was the driving force behind all of NJJN’s publications and contributed greatly to the effective growth and on-going policy work of the organization. Her dedication, hard work, and intelligence will be sorely missed by the membership and staff of NJJN.

NJJN Job Opening

NJJN is looking to hire a part-time Program and Policy Associate. The Associate will be responsible for the development of NJJN’s on-line and print publications and will assist the Director in general membership activities. Learn more about the position at [26] www.njjn.org. If interested in applying, please send a resume and cover letter to [27] info@njjn.org.

NJJN and CJJ Continue Work on Adam Walsh Act

NJJN, in collaboration with CJJ, continues to educate the public on and coordinate activities around the implementation of the Adam Walsh Act. Individuals interested in receiving updates on how states are responding to this Federal law, can request placement on the Adam Walsh listserv by emailing [28] info@njjn.org. General information about the Act and juvenile sex offenders can be found on the NJJN website at [29] http://njjn.org/issue_136.html. Included on this page is a PowerPoint presentation made to the National Conference of State Legislatures that provides information on juvenile sex offenders, the Adam Walsh Act, and options for state responses to the Act.

Resources and Information of Note

CDC Publishes Study on Prosecuting Youths as Adults

In November 2007, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published a study, led by a non federal Task Force on Community Preventive Services, that recommends against laws or policies facilitating the transfer of juveniles to the adult criminal justice system for the purpose of reducing violence. Based upon a systematic review of published scientific evidence, the study found that transferring youth to the adult criminal justice system significantly increases crime and reduces public safety.

The study found that youth who have been previously tried as adults are, on average, 34% more likely to commit crimes than youth retained in the juvenile justice system. Violent outcomes associated with the transfer of youth to the adult system include: an increase in pretrial violence; victimization of juveniles in adult facilities; and elevated suicide rates for juveniles incarcerated in adult facilities.

View the report at [30] www.cdc.gov/mmwr/pdf/rr/rr5609.pdf.

View a Washington Post article on the report at [31] www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/29/AR2007112901936.html.

Campaign for Youth Justice Releases Report on “Jailing Juveniles”

In November 2007, the Campaign for Youth Justice released “Jailing Juveniles: The Dangers of Incarcerating Youth in Adult Jails in America.” The report finds that on an average day 7,500 young people are held in adult facilities in the United States, and that the yearly rate may be several times higher, resulting in the jailing of tens of thousands of young people. It also presents the latest research on the characteristics of youth incarcerated in U.S. jails and the risks they face, including sexual assault, suicide, and damage to communities and public safety.

The report finds that up to one half of all youth transferred to adult court who are held in jail are eventually sent back to the juvenile justice system or not convicted at all. Most youth who are detained in adult jails, but not convicted in adult court, will have spent at least one month in an adult jail and one in five of these youth will have spent over six months in an adult jail.

Read the full report at [32] www.campaignforyouthjustice.org/national_reports.html.

Fight Crime: Invest in Kids Releases “Safer Streets” Report

Fight Crime: Invest in Kids has released “Safer Streets: Cutting repeat crimes by juvenile offenders,” a report on reforms and interventions that can reduce repeat crime by young people. Noting that “punishment alone will not be enough to make our streets safer,” the report highlights a number of successful research-based strategies for crime reduction that include data collection, detention reform, community sanctions, intensive foster care and others.

Read more at [33] www.fightcrime.org/reports/NATJJreport.pdf.

IssueLab Adds Juvenile Justice Focus to Online Publications Archive

IssueLab, a searchable archive of critical nonprofit publications, has added a focus on juvenile justice to its broad array of nonprofit research online. The site includes publications from the Coalition for Juvenile Justice, the MacArthur Foundation’s Models for Change Initiative, the Justice Policy Institute, the Campaign for Youth Justice and others at [34] www.issuelab.org/juvenile_justice.php.

If you are a nonprofit organization interested in listing research on the IssueLab site, learn more at [35] www.issuelab.com/register/index.php.

University of San Francisco School of Law Reports on Juvenile LWOP

The Center for Law and Global Justice at the University of San Francisco School of Law has published “Sentencing Our Children to Die in Prison: Global Law and Practice,” addressing juvenile sentences of life without parole (LWOP) in the Unites States and globally. The report states that there are at least 2,381 U.S. prisoners now serving sentences of life without parole for crimes committed when they were under 18 and that those prisoners account for more than 99.9% of such sentences worldwide. Detailing the U.S. states that allow LWOP for children and the ages at which juveniles can be sentenced to life without parole, the report describes, on a state-by-state basis, the racial bias inherent to LWOP sentences where children of color are disproportionately sentenced to life without parole.

The report also discusses Israel, the only other country to currently allow juvenile LWOP sentences, and countries such as Australia, where such sentences may soon be imposed. The report also details the international customs, laws and treaties that prohibit the sentencing of child offenders to life without parole or release.

Read the full report at [36] www.usfca.edu/law/home/CenterforLawandGlobalJustice/Juvenile%20LWOP.html.

CJCJ Policy Journal Article Addresses Juvenile Sex Offenders

The Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice (CJCJ) published the fall 2007 issue of its Justice Policy Journal, which includes the article “Juvenile Sexual Offenders: An analytic view of effective programming.” Written by Lee Hyman of the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare’s Bureau of Juvenile Justice Services, the article discusses treatment programs that have demonstrated progress in preventing sexual offender recidivism.

Read the article at [37] www.cjcj.org/pdf/juvenile_sexual.pdf.

Forum on Drug Treatment Within the Juvenile Justice System Available Online

On December 6, 2007, the Urban Institute and the Chapin Hall Center for Children at the University of Chicago hosted “Is Juvenile Justice the Right Place to Manage Drug Treatment for Teens?” a forum examining the goals of the juvenile justice system and their compatibility with the goals of drug treatment. Listen to the debate and discussion at [38] www.urban.org/Pressroom/thursdayschild/december2007.cfm.

OJJDP Publishes Juvenile Court Statistics, FBI Publishes Study on Crime in Schools

The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) has published “Juvenile Court Statistics 2003-2004,” a 160-page report that draws on data from more than 2,000 courts with jurisdiction over 75 percent of the juvenile population in 2004 to describe more than 1.6 million delinquency cases. Prepared by the National Center for Juvenile Justice (NCJJ), the report reviews trends since 1985 and provides county and state data for 2003 and 2004. View the report online at [39] http://ojjdp.ncjrs.gov/publications/PubAbstract.asp?pubi=240291.

The FBI has released “Crime in Schools and Colleges: A Study of Offenders and Arrestees Reported via National Incident-Based Reporting System Data.” The study examines characteristics of participants in criminal incidents at schools and colleges from 2000 through 2004 as reported to the FBI by law enforcement agencies. View it online at [40] www.fbi.gov/ucr/schoolviolence/2007/index.html.

In the News

January 5, 2008 – The New York Times published [41] “Juvenile Detention Trap,” an editorial addressing New York City’s attempts to encourage community-based juvenile justice programs in the face of incentives to detain young people instead.

December/January 2008 – In [42] “For Juvenile Justice, A Panel of One,” Youth Today examined OJJDP’s recent competitive grantmaking and the funding of non-traditional organizations with lower scores than other applicants.

December 16, 2007 – The Washington Times published [43] “Wiser ways on youth crime,” an opinion piece by Shay Bilchik that addressed the recent CDC report on transferring youth to adult court (see above), the reauthorization of the JJDPA and other issues.

December 2, 2007 – In [44] “Scientists: Teen Brain Still Maturing,” the Associated Press reported on adolescent brain research by Laurence Steinberg and other scientists and its implications for juvenile justice and public policy.

November 30, 2007 – The Wall Street Journal published [45] “Teenage Brains Seem Set for Recklessness, Yet Tend to Avoid Risk,” a Science Journal article on U.S. teenagers and risky behavior.

November 10, 2007 – The New York Times published [46] “Raising Children Behind Bars,” an editorial advocating that Congress reshape the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act so that it provides the states with the money and the expertise they need to develop more enlightened juvenile justice policies, particularly in regards to prohibiting the confinement of children in adult jails.

Upcoming Conferences

March 17-18, 2008, Denver, CO – The Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence will host its annual Blueprints Conference on youth violence, delinquency, and evidence-based prevention and intervention programs. Learn more and register at [47] www.blueprintsconference.com.

March 26-29, 2008, Miami, FL – Youth Crime Watch of America (YCWA) will hosts its 19th National Youth Crime Prevention Conference & International Forum for youth ages 12-22 and the adults who work with them. The conference will include interactive workshops, educational field trips, roundtable discussions and professional development seminars. Learn more and register at [48] www.ycwa.org/youthcon/index.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 [49] 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 [50] info@juvjustice.org.

— Robin Jenkins, 2008 CJJ National Chair
— Kitty McCarthy, Editor

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[3]: http://www.njjn.org
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[6]: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=0KeGdwiEyP9ivTWMFmcrHA_3d_3d
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[13]: http://www.act4jj.org/announcement_117.html
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[17]: mailto:kschatz@ci.burlington.vt.us
[18]: mailto:andrews@juvjustice.org
[19]: http://www.kansas.com/news/local/v-print/story/269301.html
[20]: http://www.modelsforchange.net
[21]: mailto:ferrante@juvjustice.org
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[23]: http://www.kidscount.org/datacenter/
[24]: http://www.njjn.org
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[26]: http://www.njjn.org
[27]: mailto:info@njjn.org
[28]: mailto:info@njjn.org
[29]: http://njjn.org/issue_136.html
[30]: http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/pdf/rr/rr5609.pdf
[31]: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/29/AR2007112901936.html
[32]: http://www.campaignforyouthjustice.org/national_reports.html
[33]: http://www.fightcrime.org/reports/NATJJreport.pdf
[34]: http://www.issuelab.org/juvenile_justice.php
[35]: http://www.issuelab.com/register/index.php
[36]: http://www.usfca.edu/law/home/CenterforLawandGlobalJustice/Juvenile%20LWOP.html
[37]: http://www.cjcj.org/pdf/juvenile_sexual.pdf
[38]: http://www.urban.org/Pressroom/thursdayschild/december2007.cfm
[39]: http://ojjdp.ncjrs.gov/publications/PubAbstract.asp?pubi=240291
[40]: http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/schoolviolence/2007/index.html
[41]: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/05/opinion/05sat4.html?scp=1&sq=juvenile+detention+trap
[42]: http://www.youthtoday.org/youthtoday/Nov07/OJJDP.pdf
[43]: http://www.washingtontimes.com/article/20071216/COMMENTARY/252742884
[44]: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/12/02/AR2007120200809_3.html
[45]: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB119634880248807990.html
[46]: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/20/opinion/20tue3.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=raising+children+behind+bars&oref=slogin
[47]: http://www.blueprintsconference.com
[48]: http://www.ycwa.org/youthcon/index.html
[49]: mailto:mccarthy@juvjustice.org
[50]: mailto:info@juvjustice.org

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