CJJ Leadership News
- Message from Robin Jenkins, CJJ 2008 National Chair
CJJ Annual Conference – Register before April 4, 2008!
- CJJ Annual Conference and Hill Day – April 25-29 – Register Now!
- Last Call! CJJ Invites Award Nominations
CJJ Government Relations Alert
- CJJ Launches Conference Call Series to Explore Possible Amendments to the JJDPA
- CJJ Seeks Research Proposals to Further New Compliance Project
- CJJ Launches Topical Training Program: First Training on the Federal Appropriations Process
- CJJ Taking Hill Day 2008 to the Next Level
National Juvenile Justice Network (NJJN) News
- NJJN News from the Field
Resources and Information of Note
- Ready by 21!
- Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Seeks Proposals for Reclaiming Futures
- National Teen Job Market Substantially Declines
- In the News
CJJ Leadership News
Message from Robin Jenkins, CJJ 2008 National Chair
The unrestrained cackle and laughter of what looked to be 2- and 4-year-old siblings greeted me the other day while in a shopping center – they were darting under and around a rack of clothing and the sounds of their happiness were absolutely contagious. Everyone around them stopped and looked at their playful pursuit of each other, laughing nearly uncontrollably as they just missed tagging each other, rolling on the floor, daring each other to try and “get me” again. The area around us was infected with their laughter, and each patron in the vicinity smiled and giggled as these children touched us with their innocence, their absolute disregard for any social convention and sheer self-indulgence in play. Ah, the innocence and safety that those children must have had and felt …
Later the same day, reality struck me – with a call from a staff member reporting one of our youth had run away – nasty family argument, property destruction, gang involvement and soon-to-be-in detention. What happens between then and now? Where do/did the giggles go? What conditions in our world can we, as CJJ members, affect to somehow bring some happiness, safety, sense of future and positive hope back to youth at risk and involved in the juvenile justice system?
In my opinion, no professionally funded system of services can replace the lost innocence of childhood, nor can we truly substitute for parents who provide the nurturing and support that shield children from delinquency, substance abuse, gang affiliation, etc. But we can and should do what science and practice prove to us works.
We can develop and fund programs that are developmentally appropriate to youth needs; we can bring families and support systems to the table in Child and Family Teams and implement competent systems of care; we can reach deep into neighborhoods and communities to solicit natural supports; and we can resource those supports in creative, accountable ways to help repair the damage caused by direct or indirect family or community peril.
We can hire, train, compensate and maintain caring and relationship-focused professionals who understand that it really is relationships and caring that children seek when they join gangs or hang with their peers skipping school, smoking marijuana, or breaking into homes.
As you and I and CJJ work together toward a stronger and hopefully-soon reauthorized Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDPA), I personally hope that lawmakers include core protections and key criteria that not only hold youth accountable for their misbehavior, but give them access to systems of care (e.g., programs and funding) that emphasize competency development and skill building. This triad – (1) consistently loving/effective adult relationships, (2) competency development, and (3) skills necessary to become competent – contains the very building blocks of successful development in each child. When CJJ advocates for these things as a national leadership organization, perhaps we can move social policy forward in ways that encourage federal, state and local governments to work more effectively to balance law and funding that maximizes these three elements.
There are, of course, multiple ways to get at each of these three elements. Our CJJ Ethnic and Cultural Diversity Committee’s work is one example. Moving states and systems toward more culturally sensitive, competent interventions to reduce racial and ethnic disparities makes sense. Our CJJ Youth Committee is another example – using principles of positive youth development and youth leadership, CJJ’s Youth Committee could make a real impact on how State Advisory Groups do their work and ultimately benefit the communities served by SAGs. We still need states/territories to help us round out this Youth Committee with your nominations and support for their travel and involvement.
In addition, CJJ’s conferences and trainings advance the field. CJJ’s national and regional conferences seem to get better and better each year (evaluations tell us so!). This spring, CJJ’s April 25-29 Annual Conference and Hill Day in D.C. (see details below) will highlight initiatives and programs that truly have reformed juvenile justice systems, policies and practices. Jurisdictions will present their transformational work and their data will be on hand to show how and why. I encourage you to come. You’ll have access to excellent training and networking, and access to an important opportunity to visit your Senators and Representatives to educate them about the value of the JJDPA for your state or territory. And if your SAG is among the membership of CJJ, this may be our only CJJ Council of the SAGs’ Meeting, for SAG Chairs or Chair-designees, during this calendar year. Please attend – the conference and Council meeting will be ideal settings to be heard.
So, help us bring some hope and positive futures (e.g., giggles) back to youth – many through limited or no choice of their own, have lost their safety, freedom of spirit and trust, and sometimes their freedom of choice. Be a leader for youth by getting involved and sharing your experiences and skills, if not with CJJ, then with the programs, faith institutions, schools and initiatives in your home town. And, as always, CJJ welcomes your comments and membership ([1] rjenkins@cccommunicare.org).
Robin Jenkins, Ph.D.
CJJ 2008 National Chair
CJJ Annual Conference – Register before April 4, 2008!
CJJ Annual Conference and Hill Day – April 25-29 – Register Now!
An exciting, information-packed agenda for CJJ’s Annual Conference and Council of SAGs’ Meeting is nearing completion. The conference will be held April 25-29, 2008, at the Renaissance M Street Hotel in Washington, D.C. Please also look for a special email with a full conference agenda the week of March 10. This year’s theme, “Investing in Our Children: Emerging Reforms in Juvenile Justice,” will highlight significant juvenile justice and delinquency prevention reform efforts at the local, state and federal government levels, as well as models of public-private partnerships to enhance systems of care.
Please plan to arrive early to participate in pre-conference workshops focusing on special topics in juvenile justice scheduled for the afternoon of Friday, April 25. Immediately following the pre-conference workshops, a forum regarding the reauthorization of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDPA) will be hosted by the CJJ Government Relations Committee. Following a full day of business, committee and regional meetings on Saturday, April 26, on Sunday, April 27, the CJJ Council of SAGs will meet in the morning and the conference will officially open mid-day with a panel featuring impressive results of longer-term reform efforts in three states. The conference will also provide networking opportunities on Saturday night via a trip to the brand new baseball stadium to see the Washington Nationals play the Chicago Cubs and Sunday evening during an Executive Board-sponsored reception. On Monday, CJJ will conclude with a Congressional Policy Forum including dialogue with key Hill staff. What better way to send you off to Hill visits on Tuesday, April 29!
Here’s how to register:
To register and receive more information, including an updated agenda, visit [2] www.cvent.com, click on the “RSVP for Event” tab, and enter event code 4VNUJ9Y8DQH. Please remember to check the appropriate box if you plan to attend the Nationals game.
You may also contact CJJ at [3] info@juvjustice.org or 202-467-0864, ext. 122, for off-line registration.
When making hotel reservations, please be sure to ask for the “Coalition for Juvenile Justice” room block rate of $195 per night for a single/double. This special rate is available through April 4, 2008. Hotel information is listed below:
Renaissance M Street Hotel
1143 New Hampshire Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20037
202-775-0800 or 1-888-803-1298
[4] www.renaissancemstreethotel.com
For more information, visit [5] www.juvjustice.org/conference_5.html or contact Mark Ferrante at [6] ferrante@juvjustice.org or 202-467-0864, ext. 102.
Last Call! CJJ Invites Award Nominations
The Coalition for Juvenile Justice (CJJ) has opened the nomination process for the following three awards to be given at the CJJ Annual Conference in Washington, D.C., April 25-29, 2008:
A. L. Carlisle Child Advocacy Award
Named in honor of CJJ Founder A. L. Carlisle, this honor is presented to an individual who has made outstanding contributions to youth, to the juvenile justice community or in the broader area of juvenile justice reforms.
Spirit of Youth Award
Awarded to an exceptional young person under the age of 28, this honor recognizes a young adult who has made great strides following involvement with the juvenile justice system, has overcome personal obstacles, and is today making significant contributions to society.
Tony Gobar Outstanding Juvenile Justice Specialist Award
Named in honor of Tony Gobar, the late, longtime Juvenile Justice Specialist in Mississippi, this award recognizes a state Juvenile Justice Specialist who has exemplified excellence in service to others, has been dedicated and committed to improving the juvenile justice system, and has demonstrated compassion and concern for juveniles and their advocates.
Consider nominating someone in your state! Inspiring and innovative work is happening across the country, and CJJ is privileged to recognize those individuals engaged in personal and system-wide change.
Nomination forms must be submitted by March 14, 2008, and can be found at [7] www.juvjustice.org/announcement_119.html.
For additional information, contact Mark Ferrante at [8] ferrante@juvjustice.org or 202-467-0864, ext. 102.
CJJ Government Relations Alert
CJJ Launches Conference Call Series to Explore Possible Amendments to the JJDPA
The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee and the U.S. House Education and Labor Committee are actively working to craft legislation to reauthorize the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDPA). CJJ anticipates that a bill draft will soon be introduced. The bill draft will be based on recommendations made by CJJ members, national, state and local juvenile justice organizations, agencies and advocates, policy-makers, congressional staff and many others. There is an ongoing emphasis for CJJ in ensuring that SAG members and state staff charged with advancing the purposes and spirit of the JJDPA have been heard throughout the process. We are pleased to report that the discussions are also grounded in recent research conducted by the U.S. Department of Justice, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and other national and state research organizations.
In anticipation of the introduction of a JJDPA Reauthorization bill, the CJJ Government Relations Committee (GRC) held a series of information-sharing conference calls between February 27 and March 5 to inform and engage CJJ members about key strengthening amendments that CJJ staff anticipate may be written into legislation. Many thanks to Ken Schatz of the Vermont SAG who serves as the Chair of the Government Relations Committee, and Committee Vice Chair Ward Loyd, of the Kansas SAG, who hosted and facilitated these important conference calls. CJJ members from more than 30 states and jurisdictions participated on the calls, asked challenging questions and provided critical feedback for CJJ staff, who continue to work in collaboration with other juvenile justice advocates and concerned members of Congress to inform a bill draft that is responsive to the needs of the states, communities, families and youth.
As the JJDPA Reauthorization process moves forward, CJJ invites members to continue to voice their support, concerns and recommendations by contacting CJJ GRC Chair Ken Schatz ([9] kschatz@ci.burlington.vt.us), or CJJ Deputy Executive Director Tara Andrews ([10] andrews@juvjustice.org and 202-467-0864, ext. 109).
CJJ Seeks Research Proposals to Further New Compliance Project
As announced last month, in response to CJJ member interests regarding effective implementation of the JJDPA, CJJ has launched a new policy and practice project: “JJDPA Compliance Successes and Challenges.” The purpose of the Project is to clearly identify state compliance challenges, analyze those challenges and craft recommendations designed to help all relevant stakeholders work together to improve state compliance and the compliance monitoring process.
In support of the Compliance Project, CJJ is currently seeking proposals from independent research consultants for the purpose of developing and conducting a survey among the nation’s 56 state juvenile justice advisory groups and providing a written analysis and report of the survey results. The solicited survey and written report will assist CJJ in advancing best practices at the state and federal level to secure the safety and well-being of children in state juvenile justice systems vis-à-vis the JJDPA.
To view the RFP, visit [11] www.juvjustice.org/media/announcements/announcement_link_121.pdf. CJJ welcomes all able candidates for this important project. Proposals are due March 21, 2008 by 4:00 p.m. EDST.
For more information, please contact CJJ Deputy Executive Director Tara Andrews ([12] andrews@juvjustice.org and 202-467-0864, ext. 109).
CJJ Launches Topical Training Program: First Training on the Federal Appropriations Process
In direct response to member requests, CJJ is launching a new topical training series for 2008 designed to tap into the interests and expertise of CJJ members and to advance professional development.
The first training, “The Federal Appropriations Process,” is designed to help CJJ members and other juvenile justice professionals better understand and have impact on federal juvenile justice funding. The trainings will be held via conference call utilizing a PowerPoint presentation that will be accessible to training participants who register for the call.
Two training calls covering the same material will be held on Tuesday, March 18, 2008 at 4:00 pm EDST and Thursday, March 20, 2008 at 1:00 pm EDST. To register for the training time slot of your choice, please send your name and contact information to [13] info@juvjustice.org.
For more information about this training or the CJJ Topical Trainings Program (TTP), please contact CJJ Director of Leadership and Training Mark Ferrante ([14] ferrante@juvjustice.org or 202-467-0864, ext. 102) or CJJ Deputy Executive Director Tara Andrews ([15] andrews@juvjustice.org or 202-467-0864, ext. 109).
CJJ Taking Hill Day 2008 to the Next Level
CJJ’s Annual Conference, “Investing in Our Children: Emerging Reforms in Juvenile Justice,” is fast approaching, and we are putting the final touches on what promises to be an informative and invigorating program.
As in past years, the CJJ Government Relations Committee (GRC) is encouraging all conference attendees to take advantage of CJJ Hill Day 2008, scheduled for Tuesday, April 29, to meet with your congressional delegations and share information about your state’s juvenile justice needs and accomplishments.
In advance of the conference, we have prepared a Hill Day Member Visit Packet to assist conference attendees in scheduling appointments with your state’s Congressional Delegation. For your convenience, the entire Member Visit packet has been posted on CJJ’s website at [16] www.juvjustice.org/conference_5.html. A second packet, focusing on how to have a successful Member Visit, will be published by March 17.
To optimize the conference attendees’ presence in Washington, D.C., the GRC is organizing several events designed to further engage and educate conference attendees and provide inspiration for Hill Day visits.
To help kick-off the conference, on Friday, April 25, from 3:45 to 5:15 p.m., the GRC will host a Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Forum where conference attendees can openly focus on and discuss the details and opportunities of the JJDPA reauthorization bill, which will hopefully have been introduced.
Then, on Saturday, April 26, from 2:00 to 3:15 p.m., conference attendees are invited to join members of the GRC for our annual Hill Day Training, which this year will feature staffers from Congressional members’ offices as guest trainers.
Finally, on Monday, April 28, from 3:45 p.m. to 5:15 p.m., the GRC will host a Congressional Policy Forum where conference attendees will have the opportunity to dialogue with staffers from key Congressional offices about juvenile justice-related issues currently under consideration, including reauthorization of the JJDPA, federal juvenile justice funding and prevention/intervention strategies for youth at risk of gang involvement.
The CJJ GRC is taking Hill Day to the next level, and we invite you to come along!
Should you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact us. Thank you and we look forward to seeing you very soon in Washington, D.C.!
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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).
National Juvenile Justice Network (NJJN) News
NJJN News from the Field
Illinois: On February 13, 2008, the Illinois Coalition for Fair Sentencing released “Categorically Less Culpable: Juveniles Serving Life Without the Possibility of Parole in Illinois.” The 40-page report offers an extensive and unprecedented look at the lives of 103 Illinois residents serving life sentences for crimes they committed as children. For the report, the Coalition took the unusual measure of interviewing nearly all 103 prisoners sentenced to life without the possibility of parole (LWOP) for crimes committed between the ages of 14 and 17. To capture the impact of this type of punishment, the report draws upon the findings of these interviews, along with an extensive statistical review of all the cases, to present the first study on the impact of life without the possibility of parole sentencing practices on children in Illinois. The full report can be found at [19] www.law.northwestern.edu/cfjc/jlwop/.
Mississippi: Thanks in large part to the hard work of the Mississippi Youth Justice Project, the Mississippi Department of Human Services has closed down the Columbia Training School for Girls. Girls at the Training School, 65% of which were there for nonviolent offenses, had been subjected to horrific conditions of confinement. Girls were shackled for 12 hours a day for weeks at a time. Staff choked the girls, sprayed pepper spray in open wounds, and sexually assaulted the girls. The closing of the Columbia Training School represents a big step forward for girls who are under the care and custody of the State of Mississippi.
Wisconsin: The Wisconsin Council on Children and Families, with generous support from the Wisconsin State Advisory Group/Governor’s Juvenile Justice Commission, is hosting a conference titled “Moving Forward: a justice system that works for juveniles and the community” on April 15-16, 2008, in Madison, Wisconsin. “Moving Forward” is a multidisciplinary two-day conference focused on transforming each stage of the juvenile justice system to align best practices. Join local and national experts in both large-group discussions and small workshops to explore state-of-the-art treatments, the latest research, models and programs that can help them move closer to the system wanted for youth and their communities. This conference is intended for all professionals who work with juveniles, including social workers, juvenile court workers, attorneys, psychologists, teachers, court and corrections personnel, judges and anyone else who wants to work for positive change in the system. For more information and to register, visit [20] www.wccf.org/event_movingforward_2008.php.
Resources and Information of Note
Ready by 21!
On February 27, Nancy Gannon Hornberger, CJJ’s executive director, and Mark Ferrante, CJJ’s director of leadership and training programs, participated in the national launch of the Ready by 21 Challenge, led by the Forum for Youth Investment (Forum) and co-chairs, former Congressman Dick Gephardt and former Governor Tom Ridge. The national partners include United Way of America, American Association of School Administrators, America’s Promise Alliance, Corporate Voices for Working Families, National Conference of State Legislatures and National Collaboration for Youth, in which CJJ participates. Local initiatives are underway in Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, New York, Tennessee and Texas, with many more on the “drawing board”—all aimed at unifying government, the business sector, the nonprofit sector, families, educators, youth-serving professionals and all others with concern about youth to implement a framework of supports aimed at preparing youth for college, work and adult life by age 21. In the words of Karen Pittman, Executive Director of the Forum, “the American Dream is for all youth to be ready by age 21 for college, work and life, but the American reality is that only 4 of 10 are truly ready by 21—we can change that!” For more information, contact Andrea Felix at 202-207-3328 or [21] andrea@forumfyi.org.
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Seeks Proposals for Reclaiming Futures
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation is accepting proposals for up to six additional sites to implement its Reclaiming Futures initiative, through a learning collaborative that shares resources, improves data collection and utilization, and promotes new standards of practice. The Reclaiming Futures program works to integrate comprehensive services into the juvenile justice system and promote the creation of community-based systems of care for substance-abusing youthful offenders. Juvenile courts, public and nonprofit treatment agencies, and state, local and tribal juvenile justice, and alcohol and drug abuse treatment authorities are eligible to apply. Up to six communities will be selected as Reclaiming Futures sites in 2008 and each site will receive a package of technical assistance, including participation in fellowships that exchange information and ideas and coaching via conference calls and national meetings. The application deadline is April 1, 2008. Learn more at [22] www.rwjf.org/applications/solicited/cfp.jsp?ID=19852.
National Teen Job Market Substantially Declines
In February 2008, the Center for Labor Market Studies at Northeastern University released “The Collapse of the National Teen Job Market and the Case for An Immediate Youth Jobs Creation Program.” The report details a weakening job market that has affected teenagers ages 16-19. Noting that the 2007 teen employment rate was only 34.8 percent, the lowest annual average employment rate recorded since the end of World War II, the report calls for the federal government to reinstitute the Summer Youth Employment Program, which would create at least 1 million summer jobs for 16-21 year-olds. Read the full report at [23] www.nyec.org/content/documents/February_Report_on_a_Job_Creation_
[24] Program_for_Teens.pdf.
In the News
March 2 – The Associated Press published [25] “13,000 Abuse Claims in Juvie Centers,” reporting on the results of AP inquiries into physical and sexual abuse in juvenile detention facilities across the country.
Feb. 20 – [26] “A Home Remedy for Juvenile Offenders” in the New York Times profiles the Juvenile Justice Initiative, a new alternative sentencing program in New York City that allows medium-risk offenders to return home while undergoing intensive therapy.
Feb. 17 – [27] "The Great Escape," an article in the Washington Post, profiles Washington Wizards player Caron Butler and his struggle to overcome a troubled childhood that included multiple encounters with the juvenile justice system.
Feb. 13 – [28] “Give the Kids a Break,” a USA Today editorial by Annette Fuentes, charges that decreasing crime rates and new information regarding young people’s brains justifies a change in juvenile justice legislation and a move away from unduly harsh sentencing practices.
Brought to you by:
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 [29] 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[30] info@juvjustice.org.
— Robin Jenkins, 2008 CJJ National Chair
— Kitty McCarthy, Editor
[1]: mailto:rjenkins@cccommunicare.org
[2]: http://www.cvent.com
[3]: mailto:info@juvjustice.org
[4]: http://www.renaissancemstreethotel.com
[5]: http://www.juvjustice.org/conference_5.html
[6]: mailto:ferrante@juvjustice.org
[7]: http://www.juvjustice.org/announcement_119.html
[8]: mailto:ferrante@juvjustice.org
[9]: mailto:kschatz@ci.burlington.vt.us
[10]: mailto:andrews@juvjustice.org
[11]: http://www.juvjustice.org/media/announcements/announcement_link_121.pdf
[12]: mailto:andrews@juvjustice.org
[13]: mailto:info@juvjustice.org
[14]: mailto:ferrante@juvjustice.org
[15]: mailto:andrews@juvjustice.org
[16]: http://www.juvjustice.org/conference_5.html
[17]: mailto:kschatz@ci.burlington.vt.us
[18]: mailto:andrews@juvjustice.org
[19]: http://www.law.northwestern.edu/cfjc/jlwop/
[20]: http://www.wccf.org/event_movingforward_2008.php
[21]: mailto:andrea@forumfyi.org
[22]: http://www.rwjf.org/applications/solicited/cfp.jsp?ID=19852
[23]: http://www.nyec.org/content/documents/February_Report_on_a_Job_Creation_Program_for_Teens.pdf
[24]: http://www.nyec.org/content/documents/February_Report_on_a_Job_Creation_Program_for_Teens.pdf
[25]: http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2008-03-02-juveniledetention_N.htm
[26]: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/20/nyregion/20juvenile.html?ex=1204174800&en=6632a18753bb3d70&ei=5070&emc=eta1
[27]: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/16/AR2008021600752.html
[28]: http://blogs.usatoday.com/oped/2008/02/give-the-kids-a.html
[29]: mailto:mccarthy@juvjustice.org
[30]: http://info@juvjustice.org