A Blueprint for Juvenile Justice Reform

Youth in the justice system are not so different from other youth that many foundations already serve. If your foundation supports youth development, education and after school programs, foster care, workforce development, or public health -- sectors where foundations are promoting significant change -- then you will recognize many of the same youth entangled in the juvenile justice system. Juvenile justice systems, too, are changing. The most advanced jurisdictions are reducing institutionalization for the vast majority of youth. And for those youth who must be conf ined, they are preparing them to pursue meaningful educational and vocational opportunities when they return home. The Juvenile Justice Work Group of the Youth Transition Funders Group is composed of regional and national grantmakers working across fields of justice, education, foster care, and mental health. Supporting policies and programs that treat youth like youth, we aim to help governments and nonprof its preserve public safety and improve young people's chances to become successful and productive adults

Where has all the youth crime gone? youth justice in an age of austerity

Youth justice under the Coalition government in England and Wales has been characterised by considerable gains — falling youth crime, increased diversion and substantial reductions in child imprisonment — that would generally be associated with a progressive agenda. Focusing on youth justice policy in England and Wales, this article suggests that the tensions implicit in a government of the new right delivering outcomes that demonstrate an increased tolerance to children who offend can be explained by the logic of austerity. That same logic brings with it other policy measures that are potentially less compatible with children's well-being

Addressing the Intersections of Juvenile Justice Involvement and Youth Homelessness: Principles for Change

A young person's involvement with the justice system can increase their likelihood of later experiencing homelessness for many reasons, including the fact that educational disruptions and juvenile delinquency records can make it harder to obtain employment. Youth experiencing homelessness may also be swept into the juvenile justice system through laws that prohibit simply being in public spaces, such as juvenile curfews, or anti-sitting or sleeping ordinances. Both juvenile justice involvement and youth homelessness have long-term negative consequences. The Principles in Part I of this document provide a roadmap for communities to help young people avoid experiencing juvenile justice system involvement and/or youth homelessness

Trauma histories among justice-involved youth: findings from the National Child Traumatic Stress Network.

BackgroundUp to 90% of justice-involved youth report exposure to some type of traumatic event. On average, 70% of youth meet criteria for a mental health disorder with approximately 30% of youth meeting criteria for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Justice-involved youth are also at risk for substance use and academic problems, and child welfare involvement. Yet, less is known about the details of their trauma histories, and associations among trauma details, mental health problems, and associated risk factors.ObjectiveThis study describes detailed trauma histories, mental health problems, and associated risk factors (i.e., academic problems, substance/alcohol use, and concurrent child welfare involvement) among adolescents with recent involvement in the juvenile justice system.MethodThe National Child Traumatic Stress Network Core Data Set (NCTSN-CDS) is used to address these aims, among which 658 adolescents report recent involvement in the juvenile justice system as indexed by being detained or under community supervision by the juvenile court.ResultsAge of onset of trauma exposure was within the first 5 years of life for 62% of youth and approximately one-third of youth report exposure to multiple or co-occurring trauma types each year into adolescence. Mental health problems are prevalent with 23.6% of youth meeting criteria for PTSD, 66.1% in the clinical range for externalizing problems, and 45.5% in the clinical range for internalizing problems. Early age of onset of trauma exposure was differentially associated with mental health problems and related risk factors among males and females.ConclusionsThe results indicate that justice-involved youth report high rates of trauma exposure and that this trauma typically begins early in life, is often in multiple contexts, and persists over time. Findings provide support for establishing trauma-informed juvenile justice systems that can respond to the needs of traumatized youth

California Juvenile Justice Reentry Partnership

A prime goal of the California juvenile justice system is the rehabilitation of juvenile offenders. Youth who commit crimes may be incarcerated for public safety reasons, but during and after their confinement they are supposed to receive treatment and services suited to their needs.Unfortunately, the juvenile justice system in California has achieved limited success in meeting the goal of rehabilitation. The re-offense rate for youth released from the state youth correctional system (the Division of Juvenile Justice) is approximately 70 percent -- meaning that more than two thirds of state delinquent wards are rearrested within two years of release. The results for county-run facilities, while not as well documented, indicate that more than a third of those leaving local facilities for delinquents are rearrested within one to two years. Rearrests are not the only measures of youth success and failure. Youth released from custody also have high rates of school dropout, substance abuse, mental disorders and other problems. Incarceration may also worsen a youth's problems, based on well documented reports of abuse and violence in some institutions, particularly those operated by the state Division of Juvenile Justice (formerly, the California Youth Authority)

Quantitative Analysis of Disparities in Juvenile Delinquency Referrals

Minority youths in Anchorage are referred to the Alaska Division of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) for delinquent behavior at rates much higher than white youths. This report, presenting the first findings from an extended examination of extended examination of race, ethnicity, and juvenile justice in Anchorage, provides a broad overview of the level of disproportionate minority contact in the Alaska juvenile justice system and examines whether disproportionate minority contact occurs (1) for all minority youth, (2) for both males and females, (3) for both youth referred for new crimes and youth referred for conduct or probation violations, and (4) throughout the Municipality of Anchorage or in specific geographical areas within the Municipality of Anchorage. By developing a detailed understanding of the scope of disproportionate minority contact, we become much better prepared to identify its causes and to develop promising evidence-based solutions. The sample in this analysis includes 1,936 youths who resided in Anchorage and were referred to DJJ in Anchorage during fiscal year 2005 for new crimes, probation violations, or conduct violations.National Institute of Justice Grant No. 2005-IJ-CX-0013Table and Figures / Acknowledgments / Executive Summary / Quantitative Analysis of Disparities in Juvenile Delinquency Referrals / Sample and Data / Geographic Data / Census Data / Juvenile Justice Data / Analysis / Results / Racial, Ethnic, and Gender Composition of Referred Youth / Disproportionate Minority Contact in Anchorage / Rates of Referral by Census Tract / Disproportionate Minority Contact by Census Tract / Disproportionate Minority Contact by Census Tract, for All Minority Youth / Disproportionate Minority Contact by Census Tract, for Black Youth / Disproportionate Minority Contact by Census Tract, for Native Youth / Disproportionate Minority Contact by Census Tract, for Asian Youth / Disproportionate Minority Contact by Census Tract, for Pacific Youth / Disproportionate Minority Contact by Census Tract, for Other Minority Youth / Disproportionate Minority Contact by Census Tract, for Multiracial Youth / Disproportionate Minority Contact by Census Tract, for Hispanic Youth / Summary of DMC Analyses by Census Tract / Summary and Conclusion / Appendices A. Technical Notes on Relative Rate Indices B. Technical Notes on Relative EB Rate Indices C. Type of Analysis by Census Trac

A Prescription for Crime Prevention: Improving Youth Access to Effective Mental Health Approaches

Examines youth mental health issues in California, focusing on at-risk youth and those already involved in the juvenile justice system. Offers eleven youth mental health programs and provides policy recommendations

It Takes a Village: Diversion Resources for Police and Families

Police frequently encounter youth running away from home, violating curfew, skipping school, and chronically disobeying adults—misbehavior that can often stem from family conflict and that do not require justice involvement. When alternatives are not available, however, these behaviors can lead to arrests or detention. Families dealing with difficult youth behavior often unwittingly send their youth into the justice system by calling the police because they feel they have nowhere to turn for help. For police, encountering these kinds of situations can be frustrating because they feel limited to suboptimal choices: either ignoring the problem behavior or criminalizing it.This brief explores the creative, collaborative, and community-focused work being done in Nevada, Connecticut, Nebraska, Michigan, Illinois, and Oregon to find productive responses to youth "acting out."  The juvenile assessment resource centers, crisis response centers, and crisis intervention teams in these jurisdictions address the needs of youth and connect families to resources and services without the need for juvenile justice involvement