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OJJDP Observes National Child Abuse Prevention Month

A photo of five happy children ©Shutterstock, Inc./Monkey Business Images Far too many children are exposed to physical, emotional, and sexual violence every day in their homes, schools, and communities. According to the 2011 National Survey of Children’s Exposure to Violence, sponsored by OJJDP and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 60 percent of the children surveyed had been exposed to violence in the past year; more than 1 in 10 reported 5 or more exposures. Such exposure can cause children significant physical, mental, and emotional harm with long-term effects that can last well into adulthood.

Every April, communities across our nation renew their commitment to ensuring the safety of children during National Child Abuse Prevention Month. OJJDP continues to raise public awareness about child abuse and provide resources to support practitioners, researchers, and communities as they seek solutions to address it.

The challenge of protecting children has been made significantly more complex by ready access to the Internet. Parents, child protection agencies, and law enforcement fight a daily battle to protect children from the threat of online victimization, which can include cyberbullying and cyberenticement. OJJDP took the lead early on in addressing this issue. In 1998, the Office established the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) task force program, which helps state and local law enforcement agencies prevent, interdict, and investigate technology-facilitated child sexual exploitation and Internet crimes against children. Since the program’s inception, ICAC task forces have reviewed more than 670,000 complaints of alleged child sexual victimization. These investigations have led to the arrest of more than 70,000 individuals suspected of sexually exploiting children.

left quoteThe effects of child abuse often ripple throughout that survivor’s life. OJJDP is reshaping the public’s understanding of the impact of violence on youth and finding solutions to protect our most vulnerable citizens.right quote

—Acting Administrator Eileen M. Garry


Each of the 61 task forces that comprise the program also conduct Internet safety outreach to increase public awareness of and prevent online child exploitation. Last year alone, the task forces made more than 14,000 presentations on Internet safety and educated approximately 1.5 million people about the potential dangers lurking on the Internet. 

In addition to ICAC, the Office supports a wide range of evidence-based programs to address child abuse, violence, and neglect. Following are a few examples of OJJDP’s work:

Resources:

Visit the National Criminal Justice Reference Service and the Department of Health and Human Services’ National Child Abuse Prevention Month website to find the latest resources and outreach materials on engaging communities in the prevention of child abuse.

OJJDP’s Model Programs Guide provides comprehensive information and resources on risk factors, protective factors, and evidence-based strategies for assisting children and youth exposed to violence and victimization.

The Office’s Child Forensic Interviewing: Best Practices highlights evidence-based approaches to interviewing children in cases of alleged abuse.


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OJJDP-Supported Resources Help Judicial Officials Respond to the Needs of Child Sex Trafficking Victims

National Judicial Institute on Domestic Child Sex Trafficking imageThe National Judicial Institute on Domestic Child Sex Trafficking is the result of a dynamic partnership between OJJDP, Rights4Girls, and the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges.

The interactive institute provides judges and court officers with the training and tools they need to identify children who are being trafficked or are at risk for victimization. It also provides effective intervention strategies for responding to the individualized needs of each victim. The 2-day institute is led by a team of experienced judges and other youth-serving professionals who have pioneered work on domestic child sex trafficking in the courtroom and beyond.

“Judicial officials are in a unique position to identify at-risk and exploited youth in the court system,” said OJJDP Acting Administrator Eileen M. Garry. “The institute seeks to increase the judiciary’s understanding of and response to child sex trafficking victims.”

Designed for new and experienced judges, the National Judicial Institute on Domestic Child Sex Trafficking covers a range of topics, including victim demographics, risk factors, sex trafficking recruitment and control tactics, and trafficking legislation. Other topics include intergenerational trauma, cultural considerations, engagement of victims in court, and standards of care and services. Judicial officers return to their courtrooms and communities with a greater sense of their roles in preventing and ending domestic child sex trafficking.

The institute has been offered in various locations throughout the country since its inception in 2014; the next training is scheduled for June 5–7, 2017, in San Diego, CA. Registration is free. Only judges and judicial officers, including commissioners and referees, are eligible to attend.

The National Judicial Institute on Domestic Child Sex Trafficking website also offers a comprehensive resources page, which includes sample court orders, model protocols, bench cards, evaluation tools, training curriculums, legal analysis, and audio and visual resources.

“We hope to help judges and court officials work effectively with their partners to eradicate child sex trafficking in the United States and to better support child sex trafficking survivors as they rebuild their lives,” said Acting Administrator Garry.

Resources:

For information on other OJJDP-funded efforts to combat the sexual exploitation of children, visit the Office’s website.


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OJJDP Prioritizes Strengthening Agency Relationships With the States

On March 13, 2017, OJJDP Acting Administrator Eileen M. Garry addressed a meeting of Maryland’s State Advisory Group (SAG), 1 of 56 advisory groups across the country that are responsible for monitoring and supporting their state's progress in addressing the core protections of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (JJDP) Act. The Act establishes federal standards for a minimal level of safety and equitable treatment for youth who come into contact with the juvenile justice system.

“Let me underscore that OJJDP is here to assist you,” said Ms. Garry. “From providing national leadership on juvenile justice issues to supporting vital programs through technical assistance to setting standards for protecting our youth. Our purpose is to support your efforts and to help you succeed.”

Acting Administrator Garry emphasized that OJJDP has recently begun a focused effort to establish and strengthen direct relationships between OJJDP and SAGs. Since 2016, OJJDP leadership and staff from the Office’s State and Community Development Division have visited or met with 10 SAGs. These meetings are the first wave in a multiyear plan to visit with each of the nation’s SAGs. This national outreach effort includes webinars and trainings for SAG members to increase collaboration and enhance compliance nationwide.

left quoteMy first priority is to provide outstanding customer service. To do this, we need to hear from you.right quote

—Eileen M. Garry, OJJDP Acting Administrator


Garry also discussed OJJDP’s proposed rule published in the Federal Register last August that aims to eliminate subjectivity in compliance determinations. The most significant change in the current regulation centers on the new compliance standards for deinstitutionalization of status offenders, separation, and jail removal requirements.

On January 17, the Office published the final partial rule, which had been informed by more than 300 comments from 71 stakeholders during the open comment period. Implementation was on hold as a result of a White House executive order issued on January 20, and the partial rule is now under internal review by the Department. Our Office anticipates that it will be approved for implementation soon. “OJJDP will issue notification to the field as soon as updated information becomes available,” Garry said.

In anticipation of enactment of the partial rule, OJJDP recently updated the document, Monitoring of State Compliance With the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act. This document outlines the information states and territories must submit to demonstrate compliance with the core protections. “Providing clarity through our compliance manual and regulation is one way we are working with states to improve their ability to comply with the core requirements,” Garry said.

“The U.S. Department of Justice continues to support reauthorization of the JJDP Act, which established OJJDP to administer funding to and support local and state efforts to prevent delinquency and improve the juvenile justice system,” Garry said. “Its reauthorization would help strengthen our ability to support state efforts.” The Act was last reauthorized in 2002.

Acting Administrator Garry also highlighted the Changing Minds national public awareness campaign—a joint effort of the Justice Department, OJJDP, and partners—that provides adults with easy and accessible strategies to help children recover from trauma caused by exposure to violence. SAG members had previewed the campaign’s website and voiced their appreciation for its resources, notably the two videos that tell the stories of youth who were exposed to violence and the adults that helped them heal.

Resources:

State Advisory Groups are welcome to contact OJJDP staff at the following e-mail addresses:

Robin Delany-Shabazz, Associate Administrator, State and Community Development Division:
[email protected].

Jennifer Yeh, Deputy Associate Administrator, State and Community Development Division:
[email protected].

Contact information for all states’ SAG chairs, compliance monitors, disproportionate minority contact coordinators, and other officials responsible for compliance with the JJDP Act is available on the OJJDP website.

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OJJDP Convenes Tribal Youth Strategic Planning Meeting

In her welcome remarks at OJJDP’s Tribal Youth Strategic Planning Meeting in Norman, OK, OJJDP Acting Administrator Eileen M. Garry assured the 116 participants that the Office will continue to support tribes' efforts to find holistic and culturally based solutions for youth.

Titled “Uniting Minds, Impacting Youth,” the meeting took place on March 27–29, 2017, and brought together OJJDP’s fiscal year 2016 Coordinated Tribal Assistance Solicitation grantees to discuss the development of strategic plans to implement their tribal youth programs and Juvenile Healing to Wellness Court grants. OJJDP staff members participating in the discussion included Associate Administrator Jim Antal, who leads the Office’s Youth Development, Prevention, and Safety Division and Grant Program Specialists Kara McDonagh, Keisha Kersey, and Kerri Strug. The attendees also received intensive, hands-on training from OJJDP’s Tribal Youth Training and Technical Assistance Center (TYTTAC) representatives.

 

Three days of training followed an opening prayer offered by Miss Indian Oklahoma Sydney Morgan Prince and a Calling Song from TYTTAC staff members Cortney Yarholar and Nicholas Birdshead. The sessions focused on beginning the strategic planning process, establishing community advisory teams, composing mission and vision statements, developing logic models, collecting and evaluating data, building program sustainability, and engaging youth in program development efforts.

 

Participants also visited the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma, recepient of a 2016 OJJDP Healing to Wellness Court grant. During the site visit, representatives from various youth-serving programs discussed collaborating on the creation of the tribe's Healing to Wellness court.

“We designed this training to serve you and the needs of your programs,” Ms. Garry said. “Our hope is that you will leave here with a clear vision of where you want your program to go and the steps you will take to accomplish your goals.”

During the meeting, OJJDP debuted the virtual “Trauma-Informed Policing With Tribal Youth” training. The training teaches law enforcement personnel in tribal settings about the effects of historical and intergenerational trauma and how to lead positive police-youth interactions. The role-play simulation covers topics, such as becoming trauma informed, building rapport and modeling respect, and empowering positive decisions. The OJJDP-supported training was made available through a grant to the Indian Country Child Trauma Center at the University of Oklahoma Sciences Center and is free to all U.S. tribal law enforcement personnel, federally recognized tribes, and Bureau of Indian Education Schools.

Resources:

Visit OJJDP’s website for more information on the Office’s tribal youth programs and services.

For more information on the trauma-informed policing virtual training, e-mail [email protected] or call 405–271–8858.

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Acting Administrator Garry Pledges OJJDP’s Support at Washington’s Smart on Juvenile Justice Launch

“The fact that Washington competed for and won this planning grant is a testament to your ambitious commitment to tackling reform across multiple components of your state’s juvenile justice system,” said OJJDP Acting Administrator Eileen M. Garry during Washington State’s Smart on Juvenile Justice Reform Project Launch.

The state-organized meeting was held on March 29–31, 2017, in Olympia and Tacoma to discuss challenges and opportunities for addressing juvenile justice reform, the implementation of OJJDP’s fiscal year 2016 Statewide Juvenile Justice Reform Planning Grant, and the use of training and technical assistance that OJJDP provides through the Council of State Governments (CSG).

left quoteI am here to reiterate clearly our support for you. We are all in this together for our nation’s children.right quote

—Eileen M. Garry, OJJDP Acting Administrator


Approximately 100 people attended the meeting, including representatives from Washington Governor Jay Inslee’s office; State Senator Jeannie Darneille; Superior Court Judge James Orlando, Vice Chair of the Washington State Partnership Council on Juvenile Justice; and former OJJDP Administrator Shay Bilchik, founder and director of the Center for Juvenile Justice Reform at Georgetown University.

Ms. Garry applauded the state for bringing together key stakeholders to collaborate on reform and for prioritizing the elimination of racial and ethnic disparities in its juvenile justice system. Washington reports reductions in the number of youth in out-of-home residential placement and youth with low-level offenses committed to its state juvenile corrections agency.

 

“This meeting is our opportunity to listen to the challenges you’ve faced—as well as the solutions you’ve developed—to implement reform,” Ms. Garry said. “We’re here to help identify additional resources we can bring to bear and to offer support to you in any way we can.”

The meeting featured several focus groups and cross-sector discussions and offered debriefings for the Washington Smart on Juvenile Justice Strategic Task Force, OJJDP representatives, and CSG technical assistance staff. The meeting also included remarks and presentations from Senator Darneille, Washington State Department of Social and Health Services Assistant Secretary Marybeth Queral and colleagues, representatives from Washington’s State Partnership Council on Juvenile Justice, representatives from CSG, and youth who were previously or are currently involved in Washington’s juvenile justice system.

OJJDP launched the Smart on Juvenile Justice Initiative in 2014 to support programs that promote juvenile justice system reforms, provide training and technical assistance to juvenile prosecutors and defenders, and address racial and ethnic disparities in the juvenile justice system. The Smart on Juvenile Justice suite of initiatives promote reform through the adoption of evidence-based programs and policies, data-driven decisionmaking models, and developmentally appropriate, trauma-informed approaches to juvenile justice.

Resources:

To learn more about OJJDP's Smart on Juvenile Justice Initiative, visit the OJJDP website.

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Stakeholder Corner: Oakland Leverages OJJDP Funding To Extend Violence Prevention Efforts

By Mailee C. WangOakland Unite logo

Like many U.S. cities, my hometown—Oakland, CA—is characterized by affluent neighborhoods that starkly contrast with poorer, high-crime areas prone to drug trafficking, gun violence, and the violent victimization of youth. In 2004, the residents took an uncommon problem-solving approach to this issue and passed the Measure Y voter initiative. We taxed ourselves to support violence prevention programs, along with police and fire safety services, for 10 years. Oakland Unite, the organization I work for, came to be through a collaboration of violence prevention programs funded by Measure Y resources. Our programming focuses on our highest risk community members and neighborhoods and emphasizes interrupting violence now and preventing it in the future.

OJJDP supported Measure Y with a 3-year, $2.2 million Community-Based Violence Prevention (CBVP) progam grant. The CBVP program provides funding for localities to replicate proven strategies, such as the Boston Gun Project, the Richmond (CA) Comprehensive Homicide Initiative, and the Chicago CeaseFire model, to reduce violence in targeted communities. We used our grant to replicate components of the CeaseFire model, expand street outreach efforts, provide training and technical assistance for outreach workers, and initiate a public education campaign. OJJDP also awarded our city $1.8 million in Second Chance Act grants over the course of 4 years to help develop Oakland Unite's Juvenile Justice Center. One of the center's priorities is to reconnect formerly detained youth with schools immediately upon reentry.

External evaluation demonstrated Measure Y’s effectiveness, so community stakeholders pulled together again in 2014 and renewed the program as Measure Z, reauthorizing violence prevention and intervention funding for another 10 years. Although OJJDP’s CBVP funding to the city expires this year, Measure Z is providing approximately $8 million annually to extend many of our efforts launched under that grant into 2024.

Before OJJDP funding, the Oakland Human Services Department (OHSD) had one full-time street outreach coordinator and three part-time street outreach workers, paid for through Measure Y. Now, the city has 17 full-time outreach workers housed at community-based organizations, and 2 more positioned within OHSD—all paid for by Measure Z. At Oakland Unite, we’ve used CBVP funding to enhance outreach efforts already underway and engage the community in changing norms around violence through hosting community events and piloting an intensive life coaching strategy, all of which have proven to be integral parts of our violence prevention and intervention services. Now, every year, we provide 4,000 individuals with intensive services and touch more than 17,000 people through our community outreach efforts.


Our efforts have paid dividends. We’ve positively affected our community through intensive life coaching, community asset building, education, economic self-sufficiency, and violent incident and crisis response strategies and programming. Although nearly three-fourths of participants join our programs with one or more violent or serious arrests, only a little more than one-fourth are arrested within 2 years of starting the program. We are helping to make the community safer not only for youth, but all other residents as well.

Resources:

To learn more about Oakland Unite and its initiatives, visit the program’s website.



Mailee C. Wang is a program planner at Oakland Unite. She has been with the organization since 2014. Points of view or opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice.

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Upcoming Events

Institute for New Juvenile and Family Court Judges: April 24–28, 2017

The National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges (NCJFCJ) designed this institute, to be held in Reno, NV, to provide participants with a better understanding, practical tools, and best practices in cases coming before juvenile and family courts. Presenters will share insights on ethical issues, child and adolescent development, schools and courts, the Indian Child Welfare Act, trauma-informed justice, abuse and neglect, delinquency, interpersonal violence, custody, divorce, self-represented litigants, and judicial safety and security. The training also prepares judicial scholars for participation in other NCJFCJ institutes on family law, delinquency, dependency, and domestic violence. Registration information is available online.

National Conference on Children and the Law: April 27–28, 2017

The American Bar Association will conduct its 17th National Conference on Children and the Law, entitled “SOAR—Strengthening Our Advocacy for Results.” To be held in Tysons Corner, VA, the conference will focus on how advocates for children and families can improve outcomes and effect improvements in the law, the court system, social services, and other systems serving the needs of children and youth. Registration information is available online.

Child Abuse and Exploitation Investigations: May 8–12, 2017

This training, to be held in Reno, NV, is designed for new and experienced law enforcement, child protective services, forensic interviewers, and other child-serving professionals. Participants will learn about the importance of using a multidisciplinary team approach when investigating and prosecuting child abuse, child sexual abuse, and exploitation cases; the preferred methods for interviewing children and suspects; and current legal issues. The event is hosted by the OJJDP-sponsored National Criminal Justice Training Center of Fox Valley Technical College. Registration information is available online.

This training will also take place in Indianapolis, IN, September 11–15 and in Virginia Beach, VA, October 23–27, 2017.

Major Case Investigative Teams: May 9–11, 2017

The OJJDP-sponsored AMBER Alert Training and Technical Assistance Program will host this training in Topeka, KS. A major case investigative team allows for the concentration of investigative resources beyond the capabilities of any individual agency with the common goals of higher case resolution and increased public safety. Participants will learn about resource concentration, efficiency, secondary case clearance, and the importance of networking. Registration information is available online.

Missing Children Seminar for Chief Executive Officers: May 23–24, 2017National Center  for Missing & Exploited Children logo

The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children is offering this seminar in Alexandria, VA, to familiarize police chiefs, sheriffs, public safety directors, and clearinghouse managers with the issues related to missing child cases, including strategy development, community assessment, the media, effective policies and practices, technical assistance, training, and resources for survivorsof child abduction. Registration information is available online.

Forensic Interviewing of Children Training June 19–23, 2017National Children's Advocacy Center logo

The National Children's Advocacy Center will host this 5-day training in Huntsville, AL. The training includes audience discussion, a child interview practicum, a review of recorded forensic interviews, experiential skill-building exercises, and participation in a mock court simulation. To facilitate continued skill development, each participant will receive a training manual, recorded copy of his or her interview practicum, and access to additional online training materials. Registration information is available online.

Additional trainings are scheduled for July 24–28, September 25–29, October 23–27, and December 4–8, 2017.

Serving Those Most at Risk—Embracing the Challenge of Serving Trans Youth: June 22, 2017

Hosted by the Midwest Regional Children’s Advocacy Center, this webinar will explore trans and gender-diverse identities in youth; challenges, barriers, and risks trans youth face; and approaches to best practice in enhancing services to this population. Learning objectives are for participants to be able to describe three barriers transgender youth face, indicate two factors affecting the increased risk of victimization in transgender youth, and identify three steps agencies can take to improve services for this population. Registration information is available online.

Conducting Unexplained Child Death Investigations: July 31–August 3, 2017

This training, hosted by the OJJDP-sponsored National Criminal Justice Training Center of Fox Valley Technical College, will provide law enforcement personnel, child protective services staff, prosecutors, and other child-serving professionals with up-to-date practices and tips for the investigation of unexplained child deaths. Topics include possible causes of death and the investigative steps involved in evidence identification, collection, and documentation. The training will take place in New Orleans, LA. Registration information is available online.

20th Annual International Gang Specialist Training Conference: August 7–9, 2017

This event, hosted by the National Gang Crime Research Center, is intended for police, prosecutors, probation/parole officers, corrections staff, gang prevention program service personnel, school resource officers, and others who want to gain more skills in preventing gang violence and reducing gang problems. Topics include female gang involvement, street gang investigation, and the mental health needs of gang-involved youth. The conference will take place in Chicago, IL. Registration information is available online.

29th Annual International Crimes Against Children Conference: August 7–10, 2017Dallas Children’s Advocacy Center logo

This conference will provide training to individuals who are employed by government and nonprofit agencies in the fields of law enforcement, prosecution, child protective services, social work, children’s advocacy, therapy, probation, parole, and medicine. The event will be held in Dallas, TX, and is hosted by the Dallas Children’s Advocacy Center. Registration information is available online.

National Child Welfare, Juvenile, and Family Law Conference: August 10–12, 2017

This conference, hosted by the National Association of Counsel for Children, will bring together leaders in child welfare, juvenile justice, and family law. Participants will learn about child law and receive practical tools to help them protect the rights of the children, youth, and families they serve. The conference will be held in New Orleans, LA. Registration information is available online.

Multidisciplinary Team Response to Child Sex Trafficking: August 28–31, 2017

This team-based training, offered in Charleston, SC, by the OJJDP-sponsored National Criminal Justice Training Center, will improve multidisciplinary team (MDT) responses to child sex trafficking cases and assist those wanting to establish a formal MDT in their community to effectively respond to child sex trafficking. Subject matter experts will work with teams to identify gaps and develop short- and long-term response plans. The training will help attendees differentiate between child abuse and child sexual abuse cases and help them recognize and locate youth at risk. Registration information is available online.

This training will also take place in Honolulu, HI, on September 11–14, 2017.

The Neurochemistry of Trauma and Evidence-Based Models of Rec Midwest Regional Children's Advocacy Center logoovery: September 14, 2017

Hosted by the Midwest Regional Children’s Advocacy Center, this webinar will provide insight related to the maladaptive effects of trauma on the central nervous system, explore evidence-based therapeutic modalities to facilitate the recovery of the at-risk child, and explore data-driven interventions used to restore healthy functioning and regulation of the at-risk child’s neurochemistry. Registration information is available online.

National Missing and Unidentified Persons Conference: September 19–21, 2017

This conference, hosted by the OJJDP-sponsored National Criminal Justice Training Center of Fox Valley Technical College, will focus on the circumstances behind many missing persons reports, whether due to mass incidents or criminal events. Participants will learn effective strategies for responding to mass incidents, search and rescue, death and forensic investigations, recovery of unidentified remains, and missing persons’ cases. The conference will take place in Atlanta, GA. Registration information is available online.

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly—Assessing CAC Partnerships: October 12, 2017

The Midwest Regional Children’s Advocacy Center will host this webinar. Presenters will consider the essential element of collaboration in the Child Advocacy Center movement and discuss how leaders develop, assess, and monitor multidisciplinary partnerships. Learning objectives include recognizing the differences between mandated, essential, and voluntary partnerships; using a partnership analysis tool; and considering the impact of conflict on partner relationships. Registration information is available online.

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News in Brief

OJJDP Mourns the Passing of Dr. Candice Kane

Photot of Dr. Candice Kane. Photo courtesy of Dr. Kane's family.Dr. Candice Kane.

Photo courtesy of Dr. Kane's family.

Dr. Candice “Candi” Kane, retired chief operating officer of the Cure Violence program at the University of Illinois at Chicago, passed away on March 3, 2017.

Dr. Kane was a tireless proponent of the value of data and worked in the 1980s on the OJJDP-funded National Youth Gang Suppression and Intervention program with Dr. Irving Spergel. That program provided the research foundation for the Comprehensive Community-Wide Approach to Gang Prevention, Intervention, and Suppression Program (Comprehensive Gang Model). In 1988, Dr. Kane and Dr. Spergel surveyed 254 respondents in 45 communities across the United States about their anti-gang strategies and those they perceived to be most effective. Dr. Kane used that database to coauthor 12 guidance manuals for communities implementing Dr. Spergel’s model.

Dr. Kane was also a trailblazer in the areas of victims’ rights and criminal justice. She worked diligently to establish service delivery standards for sexual assault centers and was the first to secure Victims of Crime Act funds to employ advocates and counselors for survivors at rape crisis centers and domestic violence shelters nationwide. In the mid-1980s, she became the first Illinois Coalition Against Sexual Assault grants manager at the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority, and, through successive positions as associate director and executive director, she became a distinguished criminal justice policy expert.

“OJJDP and the field of juvenile justice have lost a passionate and visionary colleague,” said OJJDP Acting Administrator Eileen M. Garry. “Candi committed many decades of her career to helping system-involved youth and their families from rural Oklahoma to inner-city Chicago, and advocated for compassion in the work to help victims heal. To this day, we benefit from her life’s work. She will be truly missed.”

OJJDP Participates in National Summit on Youth HomelessnessNational Network for Youth logo

On March 13–14, 2017, the National Network for Youth (NN4Y) hosted its annual National Summit on Youth Homelessness in Washington, DC. OJJDP Senior Policy Advisor, Dr. Sanzanna Dean, attended the event’s federal agency roundtable discussion alongside representatives of the Departments of Education, Health and Human Services, Housing and Urban Development, and Labor, and the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness.

NN4Y brings together federal agency staff to discuss each agency’s role in ending youth homelessness.  Participating agencies describe and respond to questions about their current efforts and make at least one new commitment for the upcoming year to support young people experiencing homelessness.

Dr. Dean noted that OJJDP fulfilled its 2016 commitment to conduct a literature review on the incidence of labor trafficking among youth; the review available is now online. She also highlighted several Department of Justice and OJJDP-supported efforts to address youth homelessness, including:

Dr. Dean communicated OJJDP’s continued commitment to support efforts to address youth homelessness. In 2017, the Department of Justice—through OJJDP—commits to continued collaborations with federal partners to improve information dissemination with juvenile justice stakeholders on the incidence of youth homelessness.

Engage, Involve, Empower: Family Engagement in  Juvenile Drug Treatment Courts thumbail

OJJDP-Funded Brief Provides Resources for Juvenile Drug Treatment Courts

The National Center for Mental Health and Juvenile Justice has released the OJJDP-funded brief, Engage, Involve, Empower: Family Engagement in Juvenile Drug Treatment Courts in partnership with the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges. The publication is based on the results of a nationwide survey of juvenile drug treatment courts, juvenile mental health courts, and hybrid juvenile treatment courts and provides recommendations for successful family engagement within a juvenile drug treatment court program. The brief also includes a tool to assess a court’s current practices and highlights two juvenile drug treatment courts that demonstrate a strong commitment to family engagement.

Download Engage, Involve, Empower: Family Engagement in Juvenile Drug Treatment Courts, and learn more about OJJDP’s Juvenile Drug Treatment Court Guidelines.

Law Enforcement Guide to OJJDP’s Comprehensive Gang Model Available

A Law Enforcement Official's Guide to the OJJDP Comprehensive Gang Model thumbnailThe OJJDP-supported National Gang Center has published A Law Enforcement Official's Guide to the OJJDP Comprehensive Gang Model.  The guide provides law enforcement personnel with an overview of the OJJDP Comprehensive Gang Model, an evidence-based framework for preventing and reducing youth gang violence.

The publication includes information on the model's five core strategies—community mobilization, opportunities provision, social intervention, suppression, and organizational change and development—which offer a collaborative approach to addressing gang violence. The guide also explains the benefits to law enforcement agencies of implementing the model within their communities and outlines the essential steps for successful implementation.

Download A Law Enforcement Official's Guide to the OJJDP Comprehensive Gang Model.

National Institute of Justice Examines Teen Dating Violence Survey Findings

The National Institute of Justice (NIJ) article, A National Survey Shines a Light on the Nature and Scope of Teen Dating Violence, examines results from the NIJ-funded study, The National Survey of Teen Relationships and Intimate Violence. The study found that approximately two-thirds of youth (ages 12–18) who were in a relationship or had been in one in the past year reported they had been victimized (69 percent) or had perpetrated violence (63 percent). Psychological abuse was the most common type of victimization reported (more than 60 percent), but there were also substantial rates of sexual abuse (18 percent) and physical abuse (18 percent).

NIJ funded the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago to conduct the study to understand the prevalence of teen dating violence, the characteristics of abusive relationships, and the risk factors for abuse.

 

Access the article, A National Survey Shines a Light on the Nature and Scope of Teen Dating Violence.

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News From the Federal Advisory Committee on Juvenile Justice
Federal Advisory Committee on Juvenile Justice logo

The Federal Advisory Committee on Juvenile Justice (FACJJ) is convening a meeting on April 27–28, 2017, in Chicago, IL. The meeting will include remarks from OJJDP Acting Administrator Eileen M. Garry; report outs from FACJJ subcommittees on legislation, confidentiality of court records, research and publications, and transitioning youth; and a discussion of general committee business. Meeting details will be provided in the next issue of OJJDP News @ a Glance.

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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