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Smart on Juvenile Justice Initiative: Implementation Update
Photo og two young boys

As part of the Office’s Smart on Juvenile Justice Initiative, OJJDP has partnered with The Pew Charitable Trusts' Public Safety Performance Project to support the implementation of statewide reforms in Georgia, Hawaii, and Kentucky. A site visit to Hawaii and Kentucky in 2015 by the OJJDP grant awardee, Crime and Justice Institute (CJI), highlighted the progress being made in the area of juvenile justice reform.

These reforms include diversion alternatives, community-based options, and other changes to reduce recidivism, decrease correctional spending, and improve public safety. CJI is providing training and technical assistance to help the states implement the policy changes.

Training and technical assistance was launched in Hawaii with OJJDP-CJI presentations to probation officers on implementation science related to the risk and needs assessment tool in Hawaii’s reformed juvenile justice legislation. Next steps for Hawaii include promoting the research on sanctions and incentives and addressing the overall juvenile justice training needs in the state. The next visit will include trainings of judiciary staff on evidence-based practices with a focus on juvenile justice research and what works best for juveniles.

In Kentucky, CJI met with key juvenile justice stakeholders about their continued implementation of the state’s juvenile justice reform legislation. They presented on the performance measurement component of the new law, the state’s Juvenile Justice Oversight Council, and held a cross-agency meeting to discuss collaboration and upcoming training efforts.

Several key successes have already been achieved in Kentucky, including the creation and startup of the enhanced Court Designated Worker program and the Family, Accountability, Intervention and Response Team process within the Administrative Office of the Courts. Kentucky has also expanded behavioral health community-based services and increased trainings within the Cabinet for Health and Family Services. Other areas of progress include developing juvenile court rules, drafting and training on agency-specific policy, and piloting new risk and needs assessments within Kentucky's Department of Juvenile Justice.

OJJDP and The Pew Charitable Trusts are assisting Georgia as the state implements reforms passed in 2013. As of June 2014, Georgia reduced the number of youth in confinement by 62 percent, youth held in secure facilities declined by 14 percent, and the number of youth in detention fell from 269 in October 2013 to 157.

OJJDP initiated Smart on Juvenile Justice near the end of fiscal year 2014 to—

The initiative supports juvenile justice reform nationwide based on evidence-based programs and developmentally appropriate and trauma-informed policies. OJJDP's goal is to enhance public safety, hold youth appropriately accountable, reduce reoffending, eliminate disparities, maximize cost savings, and support strategic reinvestment of cost savings while supporting statewide system change.

The Smart on Juvenile Justice Initiative emphasizes reducing preadjudicatory detention and out-of-home placements to reduce overall costs while improving outcomes for youth.

The initiative aligns with the goals of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Smart on Crime initiative, the Bureau of Justice Assistance’s Justice Reinvestment Initiative, and the White House initiative My Brother’s Keeper.

Resources:

Attorney General Eric Holder’s announcement of the Smart on Juvenile Justice Initiative may be read on the Justice Department's website.


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Building the Evidence Base: OJJDP Evaluates Delinquency Prevention Models

A tutor and student in Match Education's high-intensity math tutoring program, currently being evaluated in Chicago by the University of Chicago Crime Lab. Photo by Robert Kozloff/The University of Chicago.
A tutor and student in Match Education's high-intensity math tutoring program, currently being evaluated in Chicago by the University of Chicago Crime Lab. Photo by Robert Kozloff/The University of Chicago.
Through the funding of rigorous evaluation efforts, OJJDP is growing the body of evidence regarding effective delinquency prevention programs for youth. Between March 23 and 26, 2015, Barbara Tatem Kelley and Keith Towery of OJJDP’s Innovation and Research Division conducted a site-monitoring visit to the University of Chicago Crime Lab. The purpose of the visit was to learn more about two promising OJJDP-supported evaluation efforts—the One Summer Jobs Plus (OSP) and Becoming a Man (BAM)/Match Math Tutoring evaluations.

Youth growing up in Chicago face many challenges, particularly those who reside in neighborhoods characterized by high rates of unemployment, school failure, school dropout, and crime and delinquency. The city serves as a real-life testing ground for program approaches that target the risk factors adolescents face.

A key evaluation question is whether these youth-focused prevention models will be cost effective enough to be replicated and implemented on a large scale in other localities. Although the evidence is still being collected and analyzed under the OJJDP-supported evaluations, the initial findings seem promising.

One Summer Jobs Plus

Along with daily mentor support, OSP offers students 8 weeks of part-time summer employment at Illinois minimum wage ($8.25). Each job mentor works with approximately 10 youth to guide them on how to be successful employees and navigate the challenges to employment. Half of the treatment group also participates in cognitive-behavioral training, which focuses on social-emotional learning to help students better understand and manage their emotional and behavioral responses and increase success in employment.

Unlike most evaluated employment programs that are high cost and focused on adult subjects already grappling with employment difficulties, the evaluation of OSP focuses on a short-term (8 weeks), relatively low-cost intervention on a population not often subjected to rigorous evaluation efforts—adolescents still enrolled in school. One of the evaluation goals is to determine whether OSP will prevent violence and contribute to social-emotional learning during and after summer employment. The test of this program was run during the summer of 2012.

The results were encouraging. According to the co-principal investigator, Sara B. Heller, the program significantly decreased violent arrests by 43 percent over 16 months, with 3.95 fewer violent crime arrests per 100 youth. This violent crime arrest decline occurred largely after the 8-week intervention ended. The effects appeared to be fairly similar between the jobs only and jobs plus social-emotional learning treatment conditions. The evaluation is ongoing.

Youth Guidance's Becoming A Man program, currently being evaluated in Chicago by the University of Chicago Crime Lab. Photo by Robert Kozloff/The University of Chicago.
Youth Guidance's Becoming A Man program, currently being evaluated in Chicago by the University of Chicago Crime Lab. Photo by Robert Kozloff/The University of Chicago.

Becoming a Man/Match Math Tutoring

The BAM curriculum was developed by Youth Guidance as an in-school, dropout- and violence-prevention program for at-risk male students in secondary school. It addresses six core values: integrity, accountability, self-determination, positive anger expression, visionary goal setting, and respect for womanhood. Students are guided by a group facilitator to learn and practice impulse control, emotional self-regulation, recognition of social cues and interpreting the intentions of others, raising aspirations for the future, and developing a sense of personal responsibility and integrity. The BAM approach has been recognized by the White House as an example of innovation in advancing the goals of the My Brother’s Keeper initiative for minority males.

The Match Math tutoring approach was initially developed by Match Education of Boston as a low-cost and high-dosage tutoring approach. In contrast to the typical math classroom where one teacher is instructing a large group, Match Math pairs one tutor with two students during a daily tutoring session. Tutors assess and address each student’s math foundational development and current math class learning objectives, and communicate weekly with students’ parents and math class teachers to further align tutoring with class content. A site director is responsible for handling behavior issues in the tutoring room, communicating with school staff, and providing daily feedback and professional guidance to the tutors. OJJDP research staff visited 3 of the participating 12 Chicago public high schools to observe BAM/Match Math in action.

The evaluation team’s preliminary findings show positive outcomes for boys participating in Match Math only as well as for those in Match Math with BAM, including significant increases in math achievement scores, a 50-percent reduction in math course failures, and a reduction in failures in non-math courses. The evaluation is ongoing. Future analysis will include assessment of academic gains; behavioral/disciplinary reports from schools; official arrest records, with an emphasis on whether program youth display reductions in violence; and comparison of the impact of BAM only, Match Math only, BAM with Match, and the control condition.

Resources:

For more on the OSP evaluation findings, read the Science article “Summer Jobs Reduce Youth Violence among Disadvantage Youth.”

For additional details about BAM/Match Math, read “Not Too Late: Improving Academic Outcomes for Disadvantaged Youth.”

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OJJDP Launches TTA360—A User-Friendly Training and Technical Assistance Request System
TTA360

Now live! OJJDP is excited to announce the launch of TTA360, the new OJJDP training and technical assistance (TTA) request system.

Streamlined and easy-to-use, the system allows OJJDP to centralize the intake of TTA requests through a single interface—resulting in an improved customer experience.

Because TTA360 is web-based, providers can access requests as soon as they are submitted. A request can be assigned to multiple providers, facilitating collaboration and a quick and efficient response.


Ten OJJDP-funded TTA projects conducted user testing and/or piloted TTA360 prior to the site launch. The system was also demonstrated at the October 2014 TTA provider meeting.

“TTA360 is user friendly,” said Vani Tangella of the OJJDP-sponsored National Family Drug Court TTA Program. “In our current capacity, we usually receive TTA requests primarily through email or phone, etc. With the launch of TTA360, all requesters can potentially send requests from a centralized location. TTA360 provides the opportunity to respond to TTA requests in a faster and more efficient manner and helps to standardize the information collected across all requests.”

Using the system, requesters can choose a specific provider or select multiple providers from an easily accessible online directory, which includes program and contact information, related training and resources, and eligibility requirements. Users can also interact with providers, enquire about the status of their requests, and update requests at any time, simply by logging in to their TTA360 accounts.

With the launch of this new database, OJJDP is equipped with greater reporting capabilities. The Office can now report real-time data on TTA activities, evaluate the time it takes a request to move from acceptance to successful completion, and monitor the training and technical assistance delivered by its providers.

All OJJDP TTA providers will be required to use TTA360 by mid-July 2015.

Resources:

To learn more about TTA360, read the TTA360 FAQs and user guide.

Training and technical assistance is available from OJJDP’s provider network through various means including online, onsite technical assistance, and resource identification.

A Help Desk is available to assist users complete the TTA request.

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What Works In Child Abuse Response and Prevention: The Children's Advocacy Center Model
The Children's Advocty Center model
The Children's Advocacy Center model (c) the National Children's Alliance.

Children’s Advocacy Centers (CACs) help coordinate the investigation, treatment, and prosecution of child abuse cases. Recognizing that child abuse is a multifaceted problem, the centers involve multidisciplinary teams of professionals—child protective and victim advocacy services, medical and mental health agencies, and law enforcement and prosecution—to provide a continuum of services to victims and nonoffending family members.

Research has found the CAC model to be the most effective method for streamlining the child abuse investigation process, and a cost-benefit analysis has found the CAC model reduces the total cost of intervention by 36 percent by eliminating duplication of services.

OJJDP has long recognized the efficacy of the CAC model and provides funding to expand access to CACs. The Office’s funding, through the Victims of Child Abuse Act (VOCA), helps support established regional CACs; improve the quality of services provided to abused children; expand service in underserved geographic areas, including American Indian and Alaska Native communities; and leverage strategic partnerships to expand access to quality training programs.

Training and technical assistance (TTA) is a critical component of VOCA; approximately 35 percent of fiscal year 2014 funding was dedicated to training and technical assistance. The TTA includes broad training and resources for professionals who are involved in the prevention, intervention, and response to child abuse, and TTA for prosecutors and allied professionals to improve their ability to effectively prosecute child abuse cases.

The OJJDP-funded National Children’s Alliance (NCA) serves as the national accrediting and membership body for CACs. OJJDP works, in collaboration with NCA, the National Children’s Advocacy Center, and four regional CACs—in the NortheastSouth, Midwest, and West—to encourage communities to establish local CACs and to provide existing centers with training, technical assistance, and other services.


There are currently 777 member CACs throughout the country—additional centers are undergoing accreditation. In 2014, CACs served nearly 322,000 children and provided more than 1.6 million people with prevention training and information. Children’s Advocacy Centers are operational in 24 foreign countries; another 20 countries are interested in, and working toward, implementing the model.

Resources:

The Annotated Bibliography of the Empirical and Scholarly Literature Supporting the Ten Standards for Accreditation provides citations and annotations to the relevant and seminal research literature providing the evidence base supporting NCA’s standards for accreditation of CACs in the United States. Access the bibliography on the NCA website.

The Child Abuse Library Online (CALiO™) is one of the largest professional resource collections available today, providing access to published knowledge, educational materials, and resources related to child maltreatment. Access CALiO online.

Watch NCA's Step Up, Step Forward video on the alliance's website.

Read about OJJDP’s Children's Advocacy Centers Funding Opportunity and other funding opportunities on the OJJDP website.

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Upcoming Events

Bringing Our Missing Children Home SafelyNational Missing Children’s Day Ceremony: May 25, 2015

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) will hold its annual National Missing Children’s Day ceremony in DOJ’s Great Hall. The ceremony honors the heroic and exemplary efforts of agencies, organizations, and individuals to protect children. National Missing Children’s Day has been commemorated in the United States since 1984, when it was first proclaimed by President Ronald Reagan. For more information about the ceremony, contact OJJDP.

National Court Appointed Special Advocates Conference: May 30–June 2, 2015

Court Appointed Special Advocates for Children logoAt this event, sponsored by the National Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) Association, more than 1,200 CASA and guardian ad litem staff, board members, volunteers, judges, attorneys, and other child welfare professionals will gather to connect with peers and learn from leaders in the field. The conference will offer workshops and institutes, general sessions, and an exhibit hall featuring information and resources for the field. The conference will take place in New Orleans, LA. More information about the conference is available online.

Forensic Interviewing of Children Training: June 8–12, 2015

Sponsored by the National Children's Advocacy Center (NCAC), this comprehensive training teaches NCAC’s Child Forensic Interview Structure, which is designed to gather the greatest amount of reliable information in a child-sensitive, developmentally appropriate, and legally defensible manner. Training methods include lecture and audience discussion, child interview practicum, review of recorded forensic interviews, experiential skill-building exercises, and participation in mock court. The training will take place in Huntsville, AL. Registration information is available online. See other training opportunities on the NCAC website.

Coalition for Juvenile Justice 2015 Annual Conference: June 10–13, 2015

This summit, cohosted by OJJDP and the Coalition for Juvenile Justice, will focus on the latest research, developments, and challenges facing the juvenile justice field. Sessions will provide attendees a hands-on opportunity to explore the newest methods for preventing delinquency, ensuring fairness through all stages of involvement with the justice system, and establishing the best possible outcomes for children and families who do become involved with the juvenile justice system. The summit will take place in Washington, DC. Registration information is available online.

11th Global Youth Justice Training Institute: June 16–18, 2015

This training institute, hosted by Global Youth Justice, is primarily designed for adults who are enhancing, expanding, or establishing youth justice diversion programs, often referred to as teen court, peer court, youth court, student court, and youth peer jury. The event, to be held in Cape Cod, MA, includes more than 20 peer-to-peer training sessions and a half-day grant-writing session. Registration information is available online.

National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges 78th Annual Conference: July 26–29, 2015

National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges logoTo be held in Austin, TX, this conference will feature a range of juvenile and family law topics, including child abuse and neglect, trauma, custody and visitation, judicial leadership, juvenile justice, sex trafficking of minors, family violence, drug courts, psychotropic medications, children testifying in court, detention alternatives, substance abuse, and the adolescent brain. The event is hosted by the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges. Registration information is available online.

10th Annual National School Safety Conference: July 27–31, 2015

To be held in Las Vegas, NV, this conference will offer sessions led by recognized authorities in the fields of school safety, bullying, crisis management, mental health, and more. Individuals who work in school administration, school counseling, school-based policing, and college campus security should plan to attend this event. The conference is sponsored by the School Safety Advocacy Council. Registration information is available online.

18th Annual International Gang Specialist Training Conference: August 10–12, 2015

Sponsored by the National Gang Crime Research Center, this conference provides more than 100 courses in many areas of expertise designed to "train the trainer" in law enforcement, corrections, prosecution, K–12 schools, prevention, and intervention. The conference will be held in Chicago, IL. Registration information is available online.

27th Annual Crimes Against Children Conference: August 10–13, 2015

This event provides practical instruction using current information, new ideas, and successful intervention strategies to those professionals responsible for combating the many and varied forms of crimes against children. The event, sponsored by the Dallas Children’s Advocacy Center, is designed for law enforcement officers, child protection caseworkers, probation/parole officers, children's advocacy center staff, victim advocates, prosecutors, medical professionals, and therapists. Registration information is available online.

20th International Conference and Summit on Violence, Abuse, and Trauma: August 23–26, 2015

To be held in San Diego, CA, this conference will feature tracks on at-risk youth, child maltreatment, children exposed to violence, intimate partner violence, legal and criminal justice issues, sexual assault/victimization, trauma, and more. The event is hosted by the Institute on Violence, Abuse and Trauma at Alliant International University. Registration information is available online.

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News in Brief

OJJDP Updates Statistical Briefing Book

Statistical Briefing Book

OJJDP has updated its Statistical Briefing Book (SBB).

Developed by the National Center for Juvenile Justice, SBB offers easy online access to statistics on a variety of juvenile justice topics. Keep up with the OJJDP Statistical Briefing Book on Twitter and Facebook.

Urban Institute Releases Report on LGBTQ Youth Engaged in the Commercial Sex Market

Surviving the Streets of New York

How LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer or questioning) youth, YMSM (young men who have sex with men), and young women who have sex with women (YWSW) become involved in the commercial sex trade for food, shelter, money, or meeting other basic survival needs, is examined in this OJJDP-funded study conducted by the Urban Institute.

Surviving the Streets of New York: Experiences of LGBTQ Youth, YMSM, and YWSW Engaged in Survival Sex is based on interviews with 283 New York City youth, mostly African American, Latino, or multiracial. Many of the interviewed youth faced the challenge of homelessness with 48 percent identifying themselves as staying in a shelter and 10 percent living on the street (often after being kicked out of their homes and too old for foster care).

The report offers several practice and policy recommendations for enhancing services for this population, including—

The Effects of  Adolescent Development on Policing

IACP Releases Brief on Adolescent Development and Policing

The International Association of Chiefs of Police, in collaboration with OJJDP, has released The Effects of Adolescent Development on Policing. This online brief is designed to help law enforcement who interact with youth to better understand normal adolescent development and behavior. The brief provides an overview of adolescent behavioral development, recommendations for developmentally appropriate responses, strategies to improve interaction with youth, and examples of programs fostering positive youth development.


Guide to Trauma Consultation in Juvenile and Family Courts Available
Preparing for a Trauma Consultation in Your Juvenile and Family Court

The National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges has released Preparing for a Trauma Consultation in Your Juvenile and Family Court. This OJJDP-sponsored guide highlights trauma consultation and how it can help juvenile and family courts become more trauma-informed across environment, practice, and policy. The guide outlines a conceptual and basic operational framework for trauma-informed courts, including positioning them as stakeholders in the community. The guide will be updated with lessons learned and advances in the field as they develop.

National Partnership for Juvenile Services Launches Online Journal

The National Partnership for Juvenile Services (NPJS) has launched the Journal of Applied Juvenile Justice Services. The OJJDP-funded journal will include topics such as, effective strategies for working with at-risk youth, the operation of juvenile facilities, juvenile justice trends, legal issues affecting juvenile justice practice, ethical issues in juvenile treatment, and leadership and training in juvenile justice. Browse the journal archives and view submission guidelines on the NPJS website.

Online Video Series Addresses Child Maltreatment Connections logos

The Children’s Bureau of the Department of Health and Human Services and the National Child Abuse Prevention Partners released a series of brief videos in April, in observance of National Child Abuse Prevention Month. The “Connections” series highlights strategies and programs to prevent child maltreatment.

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New Publications

All OJJDP publications may be viewed and downloaded on the publications section of the OJJDP website. Print publications may be ordered online at the National Criminal Justice Reference Service website.

Juvenile Residential Facility Census, 2012: Selected Findings (Bulletin)
NCJ 247207
National Report Series

Cover of Juvenile Residential Facility Census, 2012: Selected  Findings

Conducted biennially by OJJDP, the Juvenile Residential Facility Census collects information about facilities in which juvenile offenders are held and reports the number of youth who were injured or died in custody during the past 12 months. Findings from the 2012 census show that the juvenile offender population dropped 14 percent from 2010 to 2012 to 57,190 offenders younger than 21 on the census date, the lowest number since 1975. For the first time since 2000, more offenders were in local facilities on the census day in 2012 than were in state-operated facilities. The data also describe security features that are used in facilities. Overall, 43 percent of facilities lock youth in their sleeping rooms at least some of the time. Fourteen deaths were reported; five were suicides. Most of those deaths were white and African American non-Hispanic males. Most of the suicides occurred weeks after the youth’s detainment.

View and download this publication.

Coming Soon—

Juvenile Drug Courts: A Process, Outcome, and Impact Evaluation (Bulletin)

This bulletin provides an overview of an OJJDP-sponsored evaluation of drug court intervention programs, their processes, and key outcome features. The authors evaluated nine juvenile drug courts from three regions, assessing the relative effect of each court and the courts’ combined effectiveness in reducing recidivism and improving youth’s social functioning. Among the findings: Juvenile drug courts in general were not adhering to evidence-based practices. Only two of the nine courts performed well in the process evaluation that measured adherence to evidence-based correctional treatment practices, and only one court’s referral agencies performed well in the process evaluation.

Perceived Barriers to Mental Health Services Among Detained Youth (Bulletin)

Beyond Detention Bulletin Series

This bulletin presents findings from the OJJDP-sponsored Northwestern Juvenile Project—a longitudinal study of youth detained at the Cook County Juvenile Temporary Detention Center in Chicago, IL. The authors examined youth’s perceptions of barriers to mental health services, focusing on youth with alcohol, drug, and mental health disorders. Among their findings: Most frequently, youth did not receive services because they believed their problems would go away without outside help (56.5 percent); nearly one-third of youth (31.7 percent) were not sure whom to contact or where to get help; and nearly one-fifth of the sample (19.1 percent) reported difficulty in obtaining help.



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News From the Federal Advisory Committee on Juvenile Justice

Federal Advisory Committee on Juvenile Justice logoOn April 20, 2015, the Federal Advisory Committee on Juvenile Justice (FACJJ) convened a webinar-facilitated meeting in Washington, DC. In his remarks, OJJDP Administrator Robert L. Listenbee noted that the current framework for OJJDP work incorporates three overarching areas—ensuring compliance with the four core protections of the JJDP Act, instituting Smart on Juvenile Justice programming, and reducing out-of-home placement.

Three FACJJ subcommittees on Expungement and Confidentiality of Records, Legislation, and Research and Publications provided an update on their activities and presented their recommendations to the full FACJJ.  The FACJJ approved a number of these recommendations.

The Expungement and Confidentiality of Records subcommittee explores issues pertinent to the confidentiality, sealing and expungement of juvenile records.  At the webinar meeting, Riva Saha Shah, staff attorney at the Juvenile Justice Law Center, shared findings from the center’s Failed Policies, Forfeited Futures: A Nationwide Scorecard on Juvenile Records. “Every state is failing,’ she said, “in providing enough privacy protection for juveniles with police or court records.”

FACJJ voted to approve the recommendations of the Expungement and Confidentiality of Records Subcommittee which included—

The Legislation subcommittee will examine how FACJJ can enhance its role in providing OJJDP with input on legislative proposals and strengthening opportunities for State Advisory Groups to communicate the impact of legislation on state juvenile justice initiatives and reforms.

FACJJ also listened to report-outs from the Research and Publications Subcommittee and voted to explore recommendations for increasing publicity of OJJDP evidence-based practice results and creating a database of state research and OJJDP-funded projects.

FACJJ meetings are open to the public; anyone may register to attend and observe. Additional information is available on the committee's website.

 

The Federal Advisory Committee on Juvenile Justice is a consultative body established by the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974, as amended (Section 223), and is supported by OJJDP. Composed of members of state advisory groups on juvenile justice, the committee advises the President and Congress on matters related to juvenile justice, evaluates the progress and accomplishments of juvenile justice activities and projects, and advises the OJJDP Administrator on the work of OJJDP.

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