Pew's efforts focus on data-driven, research-based reforms that address each state's unique challenges. Kentucky, for example, passed legislation that is expected to substantially reduce the number of youth who are incarcerated for low-level offenses, while also saving the Commonwealth up to $24 million over the next five years. Pew's work with the state revealed that a majority of children Kentucky incarcerated had committed a low-level offense, or violated a rule of community-based supervision. The new law restricts both the out-of-home placement and length-of-stay of lower-level offenders and provides earlier community-based interventions, which research shows have better outcomes for low-risk youth and cost less than incarceration. The law further requires that a portion of the resulting financial savings must be reinvested in community-based programs and practices.
Hawaii, meanwhile, enacted juvenile justice reforms that are expected to reduce the number of incarcerated youth by nearly 60 percent over the next five years and save nearly $11 million. The state has directed the savings into effective community-based alternatives and has made an upfront investment of more than $1 million toward strategies that are proven to help troubled youth.
"Research showed that many youth who were being held behind bars could be kept in the community at much lower cost and with much better results," said Adam Gelb, Director of the Public Safety Performance Project. CJJ has partnered with Pew to assist in the education of juvenile justice leaders, and to share information about trends and practices that will enable further reform.
Pew PSPP: Juvenile Justice Reform And The Pew Charitable Trusts Webinar
Join CJJ for a webinar on the Pew Charitable Trusts' juvenile justice work on October 23 at 1:30pm ET. Representatives from the Pew Charitable Trusts will provide participants with information about the Public Safety Performance Project. Presenters will discuss reforms that Pew assisted with in Georgia, Kentucky, and Hawaii, and will focus on the process for involving stakeholders, identifying potential areas for reform, developing policy recommendations, and passing the reforms. Presenters will also discuss how these states are reducing their over-reliance on incarceration and shifting to a data-driven, outcome-based approach that utilizes community-based services and leads to improved outcomes for children, families, and communities, as well as reducing juvenile corrections costs. Register here!
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Child Trafficking and Juvenile Justice
Each year, roughly 100,000 children inside the United States are victims of child sex trafficking. Although many federal and state efforts are underway to prevent trafficking, and to provide better responses to victims, a number of these children are charged with prostitution and placed in juvenile detention facilities. Youth may also be charged with other offenses that are linked to their being trafficked, such as excessive absences from school or curfew violations.
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CJJ will hold the first in a series of webinars about human trafficking on November 19 at 3pm EST. It will include a discussion of what sex trafficking is, how it impacts its victims, and the history of U.S. responses to this complicated problem. Presenters will also discuss the intersection of trafficking with juvenile and criminal justice, particularly for high-risk populations like runaway and homeless youth. Current federal and state laws to prevent the criminalization of trafficking victims will be shared, along with efforts underway among juvenile justice agencies, State Advisory Groups and others.
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Presenters will include:
Register here!
JJ Monitor Named One of Top 10 JJ Newsletters
Reclaiming Futures named the JJ Monitor one of the top ten newsletters for juvenile justice news! Other newsletters include OJJDP's News @ a Glance and the Juvenile Justice Information Exchange. Check out the full list here.
Become a CJJ Member
CJJ's members are an important part of our mission, work, and success. We bring together State Advisory Groups, juvenile justice practitioners, advocates, service providers, public officials, youth, parents, and concerned citizens. By joining CJJ, your membership would strengthen our coalition and create a greater opportunity to influence policy at the state and federal levels. As a member, you receive the following benefits:
- Training and technical assistance on innovative practices;
- Reduced registration fees at CJJ conferences and events;
- Representation at the national level with policymakers;
- Access to CJJ's reports and publications;
- Opportunities to serve on CJJ's leadership committees and governing board;
- Discounts on partner memberships and subscriptions;
- And more!
Learn more about the different levels of membership on our website. Please contact Jessica Russell Murphy with any questions.
Also, CJJ members now receive a half price subscription discount to The Chronicle of Social Change, a national online publication covering child welfare and juvenile justice, using the promo code JuvJustice. Subscribers gain access to in-depth coverage of child welfare and juvenile justice policy and program news around the country, a youth services grants database that includes private and government grants, funder profiles, and expert analysis of youth services funding trends.
40 Years of the JJDPA
Lisa Pilnik, CJJ's Deputy Director, recently penned a blog post on the 40th anniversary of the JJDPA for the National Association of Counsel for Children's Child Law Blog. You can read her full blog post on "Celebrating Accomplishments and Advocating for Greater Change" here.
SOS Project: Webinar on How Judges and Other Leaders can Improve Outcomes for Status Offenders in their Communities
Join CJJ for a webinar on "Exercising Judicial Leadership on the Deinstitutionalization of Status Offenders" on November 14 at 1:00pm ET. This webinar will focus on how judges can act as convenors and improve outcomes for non-delinquent youth in their communities. Presenters will offer concrete steps judicial leaders and other juvenile justice practitioners can take to convene a multi-stakeholder process and illustrate these actions in practice by sharing their experiences leveraging their roles on the bench to make a difference in the lives of youth and families in need.
Presenters will include:
Register here!
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SOS Project: Keeping Kids Out of Court: Rethinking our Response to Status Offenses
Are you interested in bringing new stakeholders to the table? Are you wondering where to begin to educate them about status offenses? This new publication from the Status Offense Reform Center provides a brief primer on status offenses. It describes the scope of the problem, highlights states that are rethinking the current approach, and provides recommendations for better supporting youth and families who are struggling with status offenses outside of the juvenile justice system.
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Models for Change Connections
Each issue, CJJ is pleased to highlight the latest news and innovations of the Models for Change Initiative of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.
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Models for Change: Key Data to Address Racial and Ethnic Disparities Webinar
Cities can take a crucial and significant step toward reducing racial and ethnic disparities in the juvenile justice system by using local data to craft policies and create culture change in city agencies. Leaders from the Burns Institute will host a webinar that will outline the essential data a city should collect to understand the racial and ethnic impact of existing policies and protocols. Local leaders from Tuscon will then share strategies they have implemented to reduce racial and ethnic disparities and how those strategies have created a culture shift among local law enforcement officers. Register here!
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Models for Change: Dual Status Youth Technical Assistance Initiative
Robert F. Kennedy National Resource Center for Juvenile Justice, led by Robert F. Kennedy Children's Action Corps, is pleased to announce a new Dual Status Youth Technical Assistance Initiative providing support to four competitively selected jurisdictions to improve outcomes for youth and families involved in their child welfare and juvenile justice systems. The technical assistance provided by the RFK National Resource Center guides jurisdictions through a process of multi-system collaboration and innovation that yields meaningful and sustainable results in both human and fiscal terms. Interested jurisdictions can find more information as well as application materials here. Questions can be directed to John Tuell.
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Models for Change: Webinar on Improving Outcomes for Court-Involved Youth with Co-occurring Disorders
Please join the National Center for Mental Health and Juvenile Justice (NCMHJJ) for a webinar on addressing court-involved youth with co-occurring substance use and mental disorders that will be held October 24. The presence of co-occurring mental disorders among court-involved youth with substance use disorders creates unique challenges for juvenile drug treatment courts. Given the growing recognition that most youth who come in contact with the juvenile justice system experience co-occurring disorders, the NCMHJJ and the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges recently released a series of three briefs:
The webinar will offer an overview of the three briefs and provide guidance on improving policies and programs. Register here!
NJJN News: New Web-Based Expungement Tools Launched by IL, MD, LA
A new method for addressing the issue of record expungement is gaining steam in states across the country. Interactive websites, through simple "Yes/No" questions, can help people determine their eligibility for expungement and direct them to legal resources that can help them proceed. The platform, designed and pioneered in Illinois, is now live in three states: Illinois, Maryland, and Louisiana. Read the full article here.
NJJN News: Ending Universal Shackling of Children in Court
Children in far too many states are forced to appear in court shackled - often wearing handcuffs, leg irons, and belly chains connecting ankle and hand restraints. In a recent NJJN webinar, co-sponsored by CJJ, presenters David Shapiro of the Campaign Against Indiscriminate Juvenile Shackling and George Yeannakis of the Washington State Office of Public Defense and NJJN member TeamChild, discussed the practical, policy, and constitutional reasons to reform universal shackling practices and successful strategies for reforming shackling policies. You can watch the recording and read additional resources here.
NJJN News: Social Impact Bonds/Pay for Success-Pros, Cons, Promises and Risks
Social impact bonds (SIBs) are becoming increasingly popular throughout the U.S. This is largely due to President Obama's FY 2015 budget, which provided funds for states to undertake "pay for success" programs. But are SIBs a viable option for funding juvenile justice reform work? Experts John Roman, Kyle McKay, and Kelly Walsh presented last week on the risks and challenges that SIBs pose for funding reform work, as well as critical developments that SIBs must make to become a well-established funding option for large-scale social interventions in the juvenile justice arena. Watch the recording here.
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