Bed Space Forecast for Baltimore Youth Detention Facility

This report describes the National Council on Crime and Delinquency's forecast of future bed space needs for youth detained in the adult criminal justice system in the City of Baltimore, Maryland. These youth are processed and, if necessary, detained in the adult system-currently in the Juvenile Unit of the Baltimore City Detention Center (BCDC)-after either being charged with certain crimes that require their automatic involvement in the adult justice system (known as an automatic waiver) or being sent to the adult system by a juvenile court judge (known as a judicial waiver).The State is currently considering options for housing these youth, as the present facility is inadequate. A new facility is in the planning stages and is designed to hold 180 youth, based on a forecast completed by the State in 2007. In a 2010 report by NCCD, the earlier forecast was found to overestimate the number of beds needed in a new facility. Subsequently, the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Corrections Services (DPS), along with two local foundations, the Open Society Institute-Baltimore and the Annie E. Casey Foundation, asked NCCD to perform this new forecast to assist in the decision-making process

Disproportionate Minority Contact: Alameda County

This FOCUS explores racial and ethnic disproportion in the juvenile justice system. A case study of Alameda County, California, examines Disproportionate Minority Contact (DMC) at various points in the system and its implications. The study is juxtaposed to other societal conditions to explore patterns and potential connections

Assessing the Enhanced Ranch Program of the Santa Clara County Probation Department

In 2006, the Santa Clara County Probation Department (SCCPD) changed its approach to serving youth in two of its juvenile justice programs--the William F. James Boys' Ranch and the Muriel Wright Center. The overarching objectives of the change were to provide specific therapeutic services to youth and families while maintaining a commitment to public safety. The new cognitive-behavioral model marks a vastly different structure and philosophy, patterned after the evidence-based program developed by the Missouri Division of Youth Services. The new model, entitled the Enhanced Ranch Program, targets youth heavily entrenched in the juvenile justice system and emphasizes positive, peer-based group interactions and a holistic approach to developing individual case plans. Specially trained teams of staff work with small groups of youth offenders.Teams function as therapeutic units that share the daily activities of life with youth and focus on their critical thinking, personal development, and group processes. The Enhanced Ranch Program serves high-risk, high- need youth with gang affiliations, substance abuse issues, and significant criminal histories. This model was designed to improve outcomes for youth with extensive criminal histories by ensuring that they receive the most appropriate and purposeful services. The primary focus is to help youth internalize healthy behavior that will help them succeed.In November, 2008, Santa Clara County Chief Probation Officer Sheila Mitchell, commissioned NCCD to evaluate the implementation of the Enhanced Ranch Program. In large part, this report presents the findings of a process evaluation--an analysis of the specific structure and practice instituted by the County. It also presents some preliminary outcomes for youth

Not Invisible: Asian Pacific Islander Juvenile Arrests in San Francisco County

This report is based on data that was originally collected by the San Francisco Juvenile Probation Department. The data reflect all juvenile arrests in the city and county of San Francisco that were referred to the Probation Department and are presented in two ways: 1) total number of arrests per year, and 2) total number of individual youths who were arrested during a given year. Many of the youths who were categorized in the race/ethnic field as "Other Asian" and "Other" can be classified into a specific race/ethnic group by examining the youth's last name. A database of common Asian Pacific Islander surnames and the race/ethnic group that coincides with that surname was developed for the purpose of this project

Culture Counts: How Five Community-Based Organizations Serve Asian and Pacific Islander Youth

This two-year effort to examine cultural competence involved an extensive literature review, a survey of organizations, and in-depth reviews of five community-based organizations: Asian American Recovery Services (Santa Clara office), East Bay Asian Youth Center of Oakland, Filipinos for Affirmative Action, Helping and Outreaching to Peers Everywhere (H.O.P.E.) (API Wellness), and United Cambodian Culture Club (UCCC) (Cambodian Community Development)

Not Invisible: Asian Pacific Islander Juvenile Arrests in Alameda County

This report is based on data that were originally collected by the Alameda County Probation Department. The data reflect all juvenile arrest referrals to probation (i.e., official court referral) in the county of Alameda from 1991-2000 and are presented in two ways: number of arrests which are reports of events, not unduplicated individuals, and number of unique youths which are reports of unique youths for the given year. Many of the youths who were categorized in the race/ethnic field as "Other Asian" and "Other" can be classified into a specific race/ethnic group by examining the youth's last name. A database of common Asian Pacific Islander surnames and the race/ethnic group that coincides with that surname was developed for the purpose of this project

Profiling Incarcerated Asian and Pacific Islander Youth: Statistics Derived from California Youth Authority Administrative Data

This article provides data about youth in the California Youth Authority (CYA) and compares and contrasts Asian and Pacific Islander (API) youth with other wards with regard to youth characteristics, commitment offenses, incarceration, parole, and discharge. The data shows that although API constituted 5% of the total population in February of 2002, some API ethnicities are vastly overrepresented in the CYA population and have had high levels of gang involvement. At the same time, API wards had the highest percentage with honorable discharges and the lowest percentage with a dishonorable discharge from CYA