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 Highlight of the Month
Want to Blog for CJJ?
CJJ is looking for bloggers for CJJ Today to author stories and posts about juvenile justice. We're particularly interested in stories from JJ specialists, DMC Coordinators, SAG chairs, and SAG members about issues at the state or local level, interesting programs or approaches, and perspectives about the course of juvenile justice reform at the local or state level. We also welcome blog posts from other juvenile justice system stakeholders.
Blog posts can be between 400-750 words in length.
Suggested topics could include:
- Status offenders (Note: CJJ will be releasing the National Standards for the Care of Youth Charged with Status Offenses in the next few weeks and we are looking for guest bloggers to write about this topic between now and January)
- School to Prison Pipeline
- Girls in the Juvenile Justice System
- Adolescent Brain Development
- Evidence-Based Practices
- Family and Youth Involvement
- Promising Practices or Program Spotlights
If interested, please contact Katie Mercier at [email protected] for more details. Thank you!
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CJJ Leadership News
Executive Director Search Committee Update The Search Committee is currently interviewing applicants for the CJJ Executive Director position. The position announcement can be viewed on the CJJ website. If you have any questions about the search process, please contact Sue Kamp at [email protected]. CJJ Internship Openings CJJ is looking to hire two or more interns. The Communications Intern will assist with the execution of projects to develop and manage the overall provision of email, web-based, and social media communications with CJJ members and other key audiences. The Policy and Legal Research Interns will assist with the execution of projects to develop resources and information to support CJJ's federal policy agenda and juvenile justice reform efforts. Check our internships page for the full internship descriptions. To apply, please send a cover letter, resume, writing sample, and a minimum of three references to [email protected]. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis. Back to Top
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CJJ Government and Federal Relations Alert
Take Action Now - Weigh in on White House Fiscal Year 2015 Budget
As the Administration begins to work on its budget recommendations for Fiscal Year 2015, now is the time for SAGs to weigh in. Last week, Marie Williams, Interim Executive Director at CJJ and Liz Ryan, President/CEO of the Campaign for Youth Justice, on behalf of the Act 4 JJ Campaign, sent a letter to the President urging him to include funding for key federal juvenile justice programs at the following levels:
- $80 million for the JJDPA Title II State Formula Grants Program;
- $65 million for the JJDPA Title V Delinquency Prevention Program with no earmarks;
- $30 million for Juvenile Accountability Block Grant (JABG) Program;
- $25 million for the new Juvenile Justice Realignment Incentive Grants to help states implement evidence-based strategies that reduce youth incarceration and foster better outcomes for youth;
- $25 million in community-based violence prevention initiatives, 50% of which will support public health approaches to violence prevention; and
- $10 million for competitive grants that focus on girls in the juvenile justice system.
CJJ is encouraging all of our SAG members and allies to also send letters to the Administration urging them to support these funding levels. Please use this template letter to weigh in on the President's Fiscal Year 2015 budget recommendations. If you choose to send a letter, please email a copy of the letter to Alexandra Staropoli, Esq., Associate Director of Government and Field Relations at [email protected]. Please also contact Alex if you have any questions.
Second Chance Reauthorization Bill Introduced
Last week, the Second Chance Reauthorization Act (S.1690 and H.R.3465) was introduced in the Senate by Senators Rob Portman (R-OH) and Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and in the House by Congressmen Jim Sensenbrenner (R-WI), Danny K. Davis (D-IL), Howard Coble (R-NC), Bobby Scott (D-VA), Marcia Fudge (D-OH), Spencer Bachus (R-AL) and Steve Chabot (R-OH). The Second Chance Act was signed into law in 2008; it provides grants to nonprofits and government agencies to help combat recidivism for both juveniles and adults. This bill would expand the number of grant programs available, promote increased accountability and outcomes from grantees, and prioritize funding for applicants who collaborate with local evaluators who develop data-collection systems. Learn more about reentry and the Second Chance Act from The Council of State Governments.
 ACT4JJ JJDPA Matters Advocacy Campaign
In September, ACT4JJ unveiled a new website and its new JJDPA Matters Campaign. One component of the campaign is the JJDPA Matters Blog Project, a sixteen week series comprised of posts written by advocacy organizations on why the JJDPA matters. Read the posts from this month on the ACT4JJ Blog or at the JJDPA Matters Action Center, powered by SparkAction.
If you are interested in learning more or participating in the Blog Project, contact Alexandra Staropoli, Esq., Associate Director of Government and Field Relations at [email protected].
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CJJ Conference News
2014 Annual Conference Save the Date
The 2014 CJJ Annual Conference will be held at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, DC on June 18-21.
Highlights will include:
- CJJ 30th Anniversary Celebration
- 40th Anniversary of the JJDPA
- CJJ Hill Day (June 18)
- Thematic Conference Tracks
- Council of SAGs Meeting
- CJJ Regional and Business Meeting
- JJ Specialist and DMC Coordinator's Business Meetings
- And much more!
To help alleviate travel restriction concerns, we have scheduled the CJJ conference to coincide with the recently announced OJJDP 2014 Core Requirements Training, which will take place June 17-18, 2014, in Washington, DC.
More information will be coming soon. For questions, please contact Jessica Russell Murphy, CJJ Conference Manager, at [email protected].
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OJJDP State Training and Technical Assistance Center (STTAC) News
CJJ Continues Partnership with American Institutes for Research to Provide TTA
In FY 2014, CJJ will once again be partnering with the American Institutes for Research (AIR) to provide training and technical assistance to states that receive funding under the JJDPA. CJJ's work will focus on the development of tools and resources to reduce DMC, and on highlighting and profiling promising practices in the field. For more information about CJJ's participation in OJJDP's STTAC project, contact Marie Williams at [email protected].
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CJJ Regions and Committees
Have Your Voice Heard - Write a Letter Today!
In anticipation of CJJ's 30th Anniversary in 2014, CJJ's National Youth Committee is collecting letters from young juvenile justice advocates to President Obama, OJJDP Administrator Listenbee, and/or Members of Congress. The letters will ultimately be compiled into a single collection of letters to be sent to policymakers and government officials.
There are no strict parameters for the letters. They should reflect young advocates' thoughts, ideas, and hopes for the future of juvenile justice and our nation's youth. While some young advocates may choose to share their personal story about their involvement with the justice system, others may focus strictly on policy, or suggestions for youth engagement - each letter will be unique.
You do NOT need to be a CJJ member to submit a letter. Feel free to disseminate this request to young juvenile justice advocates outside of the CJJ network. The deadline for submissions is December 31, 2013. Please direct your submissions and questions to Alexandra Staropoli, Esq. at [email protected].
Government Relations Committee Seeking SAG Liaisons
CJJ's Government Relations Committee has restructured. Under the new structure, the committee will consist of three groups: core members, SAG liaisons, and the broader CJJ community. The core group of members will have voting rights and are appointed by the National Chair, Regional Chairs, and the Youth Committee Chair. CJJ is currently looking to appoint SAG members to the SAG liaison role. Liaisons must have the approval of their SAG Chair. SAG Liaisons:
- Are permitted and encouraged to attend all GRC calls and participate in all discussions and deliberations;
- Are encouraged to report on the activities of the GRC at their respective SAG meetings, and between meetings where needed;
- Do not vote; however, the GRC Chair is permitted to get a sense of liaisons' positions on the issue; and
- Are included on a listserv that includes both GRC Members and Liaisons for information, discussion, and mobilization purposes.
See a more detailed description of the responsibilities here. All SAGs members are welcome as SAG liaisons. If you are interested in serving as a SAG liaison, please contact Alexandra Staropoli, Esq. at [email protected].
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SOS Project News
CJJ Seeks Partners to Endorse, Share, Disseminate and Write about National Standards for the Care of Youth Charged with Status Offenses
As part of its Safety, Opportunity and Success (SOS Project), CJJ will soon release its National Standards for the Care of Youth Charged with Status Offenses. The National Standards include concrete recommendations for limiting or avoiding court involvement and eliminating secure confinement for non-criminal juvenile offenders. CJJ is currently seeking partners to endorse, share, and/or disseminate the National Standards. We are also asking groups who have supported the National Standards if they would like to:
- Provide us with a testimonial (a few sentence quote). This could be about anything from the importance of the standards, to how they can help state or local reform efforts, or why they are useful for practitioners. The quote would go on the CJJ website and possibly other promotional materials for the standards.
- Write a blog post (around 300 or 400 words) for CJJ's website on some aspect of the standards-this could be a specific topic touched upon in the standards or something more general about status offense policy reform.
- Write an op-ed (around 600 to 800 words) for CJJ's website, which could also appear in your organization's newsletter, a CJJ partner organization's newsletter, and/or other relevant news outlets.
If your State Advisory Group, or local or national organization would be interested in endorsing, disseminating, writing about, or learning more about the National Standards, or if you would like to receive a copy of the Standards, please contact CJJ consultant Lisa Pilnik at [email protected].
Better Responses to Youth Who Commit Status Offenses Webinar Recording
CJJ and the National Juvenile Justice Network co-hosted a webinar on Better Responses to Youth Who Commit Status Offenses on November 12. National and state experts in this webinar, discussed:
 The National Standards for the Care of Youth Charged with Status Offenses;- Helpful legislative initiatives and advocacy tools;
- State and local initiatives that have been effective in diverting these youth from court;
- The new online Status Offense Reform Center from the Vera Institute of Justice, funded by Models for Change; and
- The work that Kentucky Youth Advocates, an NJJN member, is doing to end the incarceration of youth who commit status offenses in their state.
You can watch a recording of the webinar on the CJJ website.
Reducing the Number of Status Offenders Who Become Involved with the Courts
CJJ Wants to Hear from JJ Specialists!
CJJ is interested in learning about how states or local communities, either by law or practice, have reduced the number of youth who become involved with the courts because of running away and/or moved away from securely confining youth who run away. Many communities we have spoken with struggle with this issue and we'd like to hear about your experiences and best practices. Specifically,
- What practices, programs or policies have successfully reduced the number of youth who become involved with the courts because of running away, particularly youth who run away more than once?
- What practices or policies were put into place to end the practice of locking up runaway youth?
- What if any shifts in funding and legislation were required to end the practice?
- What community-based or other programs have been successful in your community to keep runaway youth safe in lieu of confinement?
- Can you share any evidence, data, outcomes information showing that your program or approach works?
If you know of a judge who is actively involved in addressing this issue, we'd appreciate hearing about that as well. In addition, we are looking for statistics or compelling stories about youth being locked up for status offenses using the VCO.
Please contact CJJ consultant Lisa Pilnik at [email protected]. Thank you for your prompt responses.
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Models for Change Connections
Each issue, Models for Change Connections is pleased to highlight the latest news and innovations and CJJ member participation in the Models for Change Initiative of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.
8th Annual Models for Change National Working Conference 
CJJ and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation will co-host the 8th Annual Models for Change National Working Conference in Washington, DC on December 16 and 17. The Models for Change Conference brings together juvenile justice leaders and practitioners to share cutting-edge advancements in the field. Participants will attend general sessions and workshops that highlight practices and innovations that address many of the most pressing needs of young people involved in the system, including better ways of:
- Holding youth accountable without harmful, wasteful, and unnecessary confinement;
- Safeguarding their access to qualified counsel;
- Identifying and meeting their behavioral health needs;
- Increasing collaboration and information-sharing among multiple agencies serving them;
- Ensuring that they are treated fairly, regardless of their race or ethnicity;
- Protecting their safety and that of the public; and
- Preparing them for successful reintegration into their communities.
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National Juvenile Justice Network News
Webinar: The Times is on Line One!
Most advocates are accustomed to the long, slow pace of change, but what can we do when a media crisis demands that we act fast?
Join NJJN and two communications experts for a webinar titled, "The Times is on Line One: How to Transform a Media Crisis into Juvenile Justice Reform." There, you'll learn how to plan for media crises and avert them if possible; how to handle them when they happen; and even how you can use them to help you make your case for juvenile justice reform. The webinar will be held on November 25, 2013, from 2:00-3:00PM EST. Learn more and register now.
NJJN Member Leads Push to Raise the Age in Wisconsin
 Wisconsin is one of only a handful of states that continues to sweep 17-year-olds into the adult criminal justice system. The Wisconsin Council on Children and Families (WCCF), an NJJN member, hopes to change that. With a newly-crafted bill that WCCF Deputy Director Jim Moeser hopes will satisfy some of the state's more conservative legislators, WCCF is pushing hard to raise Wisconsin's age of juvenile court jurisdiction this legislative session. So far, the bill is doing well-the Assembly Corrections Committee unanimously recommended A.B. 387 for passage. Read the full story here.
Profile of a Youth Justice Leader: Nick Allen
Each month we plan to profile one fellow participating in NJJN's Youth Justice Leadership Institute. This month, we spoke with Nick Allen, a staff attorney at the Institutions Project of Columbia Legal Services in Seattle, Washington.
"It's been said time and again that often there's just as much disproportionality in the advocacy population as there is with the kids involved in the justice system. So being able to help advocates of color understand the issues, learn from each other, and build on leadership potential to be able to implement that in our respective communities is hopefully a benefit to those communities, the juvenile justice efforts, and the fellows themselves."
Check out the full interview here.
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Upcoming Events and Webinars
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Recruitment, Re-engagement & Re-entry: Incorporating the Youth Voice into Juvenile Justice Reform Webinar
Across the United States, juvenile justice advocates are working tirelessly to challenge systems that so desperately need reform. One of the most successful reform strategies employed involves bringing all stakeholders together: judges, practitioners, service providers, young people, and families. Despite advocates' best attempts to include all  stakeholders, young people and their families are too often left out of these discussions. Their absence creates a void. Not only for the specific reform work assumed in that jurisdiction, but also for the larger juvenile justice field. Young people are the next generation of juvenile justice leaders. Are we doing all we can to prepare them to carry the torch?
Join CJJ for a webinar on Recruitment, Re-engagement & Re-entry: Incorporating the Youth Voice into Juvenile Justice Reform on November 21, 3:00 pm ET.
 This webinar will highlight two system reform efforts from Washington, that emphasize the inclusion of young people in advocacy efforts. These examples will illustrate how engaging youth in advocacy has dual outcomes: (1) Youth voice serves an effective advocacy tool and often provides a perspective that moves leaders to implement change, and (2) including young people in reform efforts empowers them to become the next generation of advocates, while also developing their leadership and life skills.
Presenters include:
Register now! If you are unable to join us for the live webinar, a recording will be made available on the CJJ website within 24 hours.
 Family Centered Treatment Webinar
CJJ will host a webinar on Family Centered Treatment (FCT) on December 4 at 2pm ET. The Institute for Family Centered Services is the developer and flagship provider of Family Centered Treatment (FCT), an evidence-based model already in use in Florida, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Massachusetts, Ohio, and Indiana. FCT is a practitioner-developed, family preservation model of home-based treatment owned by the nonprofit Family Centered Treatment Foundation. Its origins derive from "in the trenches" efforts to find simple, practical, and common sense solutions for families faced with disruption or dissolution of their family due to both external and internal stressors and circumstances or forced removal of their children from the home due to their delinquent behavior. This family system's trauma treatment model works equally well with juvenile justice, mental, and behavioral health populations. FCT developer William Painter will serve as a presenter on the webinar. Register now!
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Resources
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School to Prison Pipeline Webinar Recording 
On October 30, CJJ hosted a webinar on the School to Prison Pipeline: An Overview of the Issues and Potential Solutions for Reform. This webinar provided an overview of the School to Prison Pipeline, specifically examining how the overuse of suspension and the presence of police in schools affect young people. Presenters offered potential tools and solutions to address the issues raised by the pipeline through examples from their own work on the ground. You can watch the recording of the webinar on the CJJ website.
Juvenile Justice, Vulnerable Children, and Other Things That Matter
Excerpt from CJJ Today Blog Post
By Robin Jenkins, PhD
 I was recently reading the Des Moines Register to review what the experts said toward reforming and/or improving juvenile justice. Each expert, accomplished in their own fields and organizations, indicated strong support for various ways to improve juvenile justice either within their state, or the field in general if one thinks from a national perspective. What struck me about the article was the variety of- and strategically different approaches-offered for improving "the system". Clearly in the article experts noted significant support for interventions at the earliest possible point, an overarching focus on restorative approaches, matching the right program to the right level of risk, as well as ensuring that those truly requiring court supervision get that while ensuring high quality and accountability. Read full blog post in the CJJ Today.
Developing Partnerships with Community-Based Service Providers
 The Vera Institute of Justice and Just Detention International, in collaboration with the National PREA Resource Center, held a webinar on how to include victim service providers in a facility's sexual abuse prevention and response efforts. Presenters discussed how Washington state is working to ensure that victims of sexual abuse in Department of Corrections facilities have access to victim advocates. You can watch the recording of the webinar on the PREA Resource Center's website.
Violence Prevention: Closing the Gap Between Evidence and Implementation 
The Institute of Medicine of the National Academies released Violence Prevention: Moving From Evidence to Implementation, a discussion paper that highlights progress in the use of evidence-based violence prevention programs. The paper also offers resources to help community-based programs implement evidence-based practices.
National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention Releases Life-Saving Juvenile Justice System Resources
The National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention released a set of comprehensive suicide prevention resources to support professionals who work with youth in the juvenile justice system. The educational tools developed for the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention include:
These resources were developed by the Action Alliance's Youth in Contact with the Juvenile Justice System Task Force, co-led by the National Center for Mental Health and Juvenile Justice (NCMHJJ) at Policy Research Associates, Inc. and the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP).
 Campaign for Youth Justice Releases Policy Report on Removing Youth from the Adult Criminal Justice System
The Campaign for Youth Justice released State Trends - Legislative Victories from 2011-2013: Removing Youth from the Adult Criminal Justice System. The report documents trends in justice reform efforts across the country and highlights the key pieces of legislation enacted between 2011 and 2013.
The Impact of Federal Budget Cuts from FY10-FY13 on State and Local Public Safety
This summer, the National Criminal Justice Association (NCJA) and the Vera Institute of Justice conducted a survey to gather information from a wide range of jurisdictions about the impact of budget cuts. 1,226 state and local criminal justice stakeholders participated in the questionnaire and the findings are summarized in The Impact of Federal Budget Cuts from FY10-FY13 on State and Local Public Safety.
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| CJJ in the News |
Incarceration is Only One Piece of a Rational, Effective Juvenile Justice System
Hon. George Timberlake, Chair of the Illinois Juvenile Justice Commission State Advisory Group, penned an op-ed for the Juvenile Justice Information Exchange entitled Incarceration is Only One Piece of a Rational, Effective Juvenile Justice System. He writes, "The overwhelming lessons of science and experience should be enough to convince policymakers to use detention, jail or prison as a last resort and for the shortest time possible." Read the full article on JJIE's website.
Spirit of Youth Award Winner Interviewed on WABC NY
CJJ's 2013 Spirit of Youth Award winner Hernan Carvente talks about his involvement with the juvenile justice system on the Here and Now program on WABC in New York. He discussed gangs, how college turned his life around, his involvement with the New York State Advisory Group, and why he advocates for the Raise the Age Campaign. Currently, New York is one of only two states that prosecutes 16 year olds as adults. Watch Part 1 & Part 2 of his interview.
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| Share your News and Feedback with CJJ! |
CJJ invites you to share news from your SAG, state or region! Please submit items by email to [email protected]. Inclusion and editing of submissions are subject to CJJ editorial guidelines.
The Juvenile Justice 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.
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| Contact Information |
Coalition for Juvenile Justice
1319 F Street NW, Suite 402, Washington, DC 20004
202-467-0864
www.juvjustice.org
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