Found 90 matches.
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Juvenile Law Center sign-on letter to the American Law Institute
Tags: Federal | Sex Offender Registries | Administrative/Regulatory Policies
Juvenile Law Center sign-on letter to the American Law Institute expressing support for the proposed section 213.11A(3) of the Model Penal Code, which eliminates sex offender registration for nearly all individuals who were under 18 at the time of the offense.
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Transportation Equity Caucus/Policing Project at NYU sign on letter
Tags: New York | Administrative/Regulatory Policies
Transportation Equity Caucus/Policing Project at NYU sign on letter asking for a meeting with policymakers from DOT and DOJ to discuss concerns about agency programs that are encouraging pretextual traffic stops leading to significant racial inequities in stops and arrests as well as use of force.
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Toolkit: Facility Closure and Strategic Downsizing of Juvenile Justice Systems July 2018
Tags: Federal | Institutional Conditions | Youth in the Adult System | Correctional Education | Administrative/Regulatory Policies | Member Publications
This Toolkit was prepared by the Council of Juvenile Correctional Administrators (CJCA) with additional support from The Pew Charitable Trusts. Many agencies across the country are closing facilities. CJCA members have been informally helping each other through this process and wanted to collect their experiences, resources and advice in one document. In addition to juvenile justice administrators and agency staff, the information here may be useful to legislators, court officers and administrators, leaders of related agencies (e.g., education, health), advocates, and others who may be engaged in the closure process and/or supporting youth and families. This guide is intended to help juvenile justice agencies responsibly and successfully close a facility and consider closure as a component of efforts to safely reduce the use of juvenile justice placement facilities. It also shows how best to manage those closures when they occur, as well as how to redirect facility operational funds to other parts of the system, such as community‐based diversion and/or aftercare services.
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LGBTQI Youth in Juvenile Justice Settings: Closing the Gap between Recommended Practice and Reality
Tags: Federal | New York | Collateral Consequences | Crime Data and Statistics | Juvenile Defense and Court Process | LGBTQ Youth | Mental Health and Substance Abuse | Physical Health | Positive Youth Development and Strengths-Based Programming | Prevention | School-to-Prison Pipeline | Evidence-Based Practices | Advocacy | Administrative/Regulatory Policies | Court Decisions and Related Documents | Legislation | Presentations | Reports | Research | Partner Publications | Fact Sheets and Briefs
This presentation from NJJN Forum 2018 was developed by Currey Cook, Youth in Out-of-Home Care Project Director at Lambda Legal, and provides information on how LGBTQ youth are disproportionately represented in the justice system and legal protections granted to members of the LGBTQ community.
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Concerns Over Recent Actions by the Department of Justice and the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention
Tags: Federal | Deinstitutionalization | Detention | Racial and Ethnic Disparities | Youth in the Adult System | Advocacy | Administrative/Regulatory Policies | Reports | Partner Publications
This backgrounder published by the Campaign for Youth Justice outlines how recent actions taken by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) toward loosening compliance with the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Acts (JJDPA) core requirements will be extremely detrimental to young people in contact with the justice system, especially youth of color.
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Improving Outcomes for Justice-Involved Youth Through Structured Decision-Making and Diversion
Tags: Federal | Virginia | Community-Based Alternatives and Supervision | Deinstitutionalization | General System Reform | Positive Youth Development and Strengths-Based Programming | Risk Assessment and Screening | Restorative Justice | Evidence-Based Practices | Advocacy | Administrative/Regulatory Policies | Reports | Research | Partner Publications | Fact Sheets and Briefs
This issue brief by the Center for Juvenile Justice Reform at Georgetown University reviews research on the structured decision-making process and diversion, including the use of risk and needs assessment tools and dispositional matrices. It also has a focus on how these tools can improve the effectiveness of juvenile diversion programming. Moving from research to practice, this brief further highlights some of the recent reform efforts in Fairfax County, Virginia.
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National Sheriffs’ Association Resolution on Youth Tried as Adults
Tags: Federal | Juvenile Defense and Court Process | Youth in the Adult System | Administrative/Regulatory Policies | Reports
This resolution states the National Sheriffs' Association's support for keeping youth under 18 out of the adult justice system. The group says that the youth justice system should have original and exclusive jurisdiction over cases involving youth under the age of 18, unless there is evidence, reviewed by a judge, that refutes the presumption that a young person can be safely rehabilitated in the youth justice system.
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Letter - NDDUnited2017.SignOnFinal.January2018.WithAdditions+(003)
Tags: Federal | Fiscal Issues and Funding | Public Opinion and Messaging | Advocacy | Administrative/Regulatory Policies
The letter was sent to Congress and Senate to urge them to ensure adequate funding for programs funded through annual appropriations, by continuing the bipartisan practice of providing relief from sequestration budget cuts and opposing any new efforts to cut these programs more deeply. These "nondefense discretionary" (NDD) programs serve many vital national needs but have been subject to repeated cuts over the past six years. Congress should avoid making further reductions in these programs and work to replace the scheduled sequestration cuts through a package that is balanced—both in how such relief is paid for and how it is applied to defense and NDD programs.
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2018_01_16 Child Welfare Juvenile Justice Opposition to Parent Child Separation Plan
Tags: Federal | Detention | Family and Youth Involvement | Immigration | International and Human Rights | Advocacy | Administrative/Regulatory Policies | Media
Urgent appeal to Sec. Nielsen, U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security, to halt plans to separate children from parents when they arrive at or are found near the U.S. border.
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Request to congressional leaders to immediately enact a strong, five-year extension of the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). First Focus.
Tags: Federal | Physical Health | Administrative/Regulatory Policies | Legislation
12/13/17 – Request to congressional leaders to immediately enact a strong, five-year extension of the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). First Focus.
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WIOA Youth Funding Supplemental Letter to House Labor-H 12-11-17
Tags: Federal | Family and Youth Involvement | Positive Youth Development and Strengths-Based Programming | Advocacy | Administrative/Regulatory Policies | Member Publications | Partner Publications
Letter to House Appropriations leaders to ensure the WIOA (Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act) Youth formula program funding is left intact in the coming supplemental appropriations bill and oppose any new transfer authorities. National Youth Employment Coalition.
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WIOA Youth Funding Supplemental Letter to Senate Labor-H 12-11-17
Tags: Federal | Family and Youth Involvement | Positive Youth Development and Strengths-Based Programming | Advocacy | Administrative/Regulatory Policies | Member Publications | Partner Publications
Letter to Senate Appropriations leaders to ensure the WIOA (Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act) Youth formula program funding is left intact in the coming supplemental appropriations bill and oppose any new transfer authorities. National Youth Employment Coalition.
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DeVosSignOnLetter120617FINAL
Tags: Federal | Brain and Adolescent Development | Racial and Ethnic Disparities | Family and Youth Involvement | Physical Health | Advocacy | Administrative/Regulatory Policies | Member Publications | Partner Publications
Letter to Sec. DeVos expressing strong support for robust enforcement of the regulation implementing the IDEA’s disproportionality requirements and opposition to any effort to delay its implementation. The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights.
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Letter to urge continued funding of federal innocence forensic science programs Nov 9, 2017
Tags: Federal | Crime Data and Statistics | General System Reform | Juvenile Defense and Court Process | Risk Assessment and Screening | Evidence-Based Practices | Administrative/Regulatory Policies | Member Publications | Partner Publications
The letter to urge leaders of the Appropriations Committees to continue funding of federal innocence and forensic science programs at the Department of Justice and the National Institute of Standards and Technology at the Department of Commerce in the final FY 2018 Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies appropriations bill. Innocence Project.
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RE: Defense Department 1033 Program and the militarization of police
Tags: Federal | District of Columbia | Public Opinion and Messaging | Administrative/Regulatory Policies | Legislation
Message to U.S. House of Representatives to suspend the 1033 program in a wake of the Trump administration’s revocation of President Obama’s 2015 Executive Order 13688 and its ensuing recommendations, which placed critical limits on federal programs that provide military equipment to law enforcement agencies, until Congress and the public understand—through Congressional hearings—what steps the federal government is taking to provide oversight and accountability of these programs amidst the racial tension in this country.
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RE: Defense Department 1033 Program and the militarization of police
Tags: Federal | District of Columbia | Public Opinion and Messaging | Administrative/Regulatory Policies | Legislation
Message to U.S. Senate to suspend the 1033 program in a wake of the Trump administration’s revocation of President Obama’s 2015 Executive Order 13688 and its ensuing recommendations, which placed critical limits on federal programs that provide military equipment to law enforcement agencies, until Congress and the public understand—through Congressional hearings—what steps the federal government is taking to provide oversight and accountability of these programs amidst the racial tension in this country.
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FY18 LSC Support Letter FINAL
Tags: Federal | Family and Youth Involvement | Juvenile Defense and Court Process | Fines and Fees | Advocacy | Administrative/Regulatory Policies | Legislation | Member Publications | Partner Publications
Letter to Appropriations Committee leaders in support of continued investment in the Legal Services Corporation (LSC). ABA Center on Children and the Law.
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Oppose Anti-Fair Housing and Geospatial Data Amendments
Tags: Federal | Advocacy | Administrative/Regulatory Policies | Member Publications | Partner Publications
Letter to Representatives opposing a potential amendment to the FY17 appropriations bill that would repeal HUD’s Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH) regulation, require HUD to use its limited resources to duplicate previous consultations with state and local governments about how to fulfill their fair housing obligations, and block access to government geo-spatial data. National Fair Housing Alliance.
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Children's Groups Letter to Hill_Do No Harm
Tags: Federal | Family and Youth Involvement | Physical Health | Public Opinion and Messaging | Advocacy | Administrative/Regulatory Policies | Legislation | Member Publications | Partner Publications
Urges majority and minority leaders of House and Senate to keep the unique needs of children front and center and adopt a “do no harm” standard for children as they consider any changes to the nation’s health care system. Children’s Defense Fund.
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Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities
Tags: Federal | International and Human Rights | Physical Health | Public Opinion and Messaging | Advocacy | Administrative/Regulatory Policies | Legislation | Member Publications | Partner Publications
Letter of Opposition to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Education and Reform act of 2017 (H.R. 620). H.R. 620 would create significant obstacles for people with disabilities to enforce their rights under Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to access public accommodations, and would impede their ability to engage in daily activities and participate in the mainstream of society. Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD) and Coalition Partners.
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MERCY Act Letter of Support 2 6 17
Tags: Federal | Detention | General System Reform | International and Human Rights | Juvenile Defense and Court Process | Youth in the Adult System | Advocacy | Administrative/Regulatory Policies | Court Decisions and Related Documents | Legislation | Member Publications | Partner Publications
Letter of support for the MERCY Act. Sponsored by Sen. Cory Booker to protect young people from solitary confinement. Juvenile Law Center.
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HOW SHOULD JUSTICE POLICY TREAT YOUNG OFFENDERS?
Tags: National | Brain and Adolescent Development | General System Reform | Mental Health and Substance Abuse | Physical Health | Evidence-Based Practices | Administrative/Regulatory Policies | Research | Partner Publications
Research findings show that adolescents differ from adults in brain development and function, as well as behaviors. Current research identify differences in the brains of young adults, aged 18 to 21, indicating that they too may be immature in ways that are relevant to justice policy.
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State and Federal Policy: Incarcerated youth
Tags: Federal | National | Aftercare/Reentry | Racial and Ethnic Disparities | School-to-Prison Pipeline | Administrative/Regulatory Policies | Partner Publications
Racial disparities among youth and barriers to education leads to improvements needed for policy reform surrounding academic outcomes.
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Amending Rule 12, Arizona Rules for the Juvenile Court
Tags: Arizona | Shackling | Administrative/Regulatory Policies
Arizona Supreme Court changes juvenile court rules to ensure youth are not shackled in the court room except in extraordinary circumstances.
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Debtors' Prison for Kids? The High Cost of Fines and Fees in the Juvenile Justice System, EXEC SUMMARY
Tags: Pennsylvania | National | Racial and Ethnic Disparities | Juvenile Defense and Court Process | Fines and Fees | Administrative/Regulatory Policies | Reports | Partner Publications
A report on the impact of juvenile court costs on youth and their families. The report was featured in a New York Times article (http://nyti.ms/2d2GR0c) and includes a companion microsite featuring interactive maps (http://bit.ly/2deF6cP).
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Debtors' Prison for Kids? The High Cost of Fines and Fees in the Juvenile Justice System, JLC
Tags: Pennsylvania | National | Racial and Ethnic Disparities | Juvenile Defense and Court Process | Fines and Fees | Administrative/Regulatory Policies | Reports | Partner Publications
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Defining Violence: reducing incarceration by rethinking America’s approach to violence, JPI
Tags: National | General System Reform | Juvenile Defense and Court Process | Victims | Administrative/Regulatory Policies | Reports | Partner Publications
To impact mass incarceration, this piece from the Justice Policy Institute urges rethinking how the justice system responds to violent crimes, starting with how these crimes and behaviors are defined, and how that affects prison populations.
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Justice System Imposed Financial Penalties Increase the Likelihood of Recidivism in a Sample of Adolescent Offenders
Tags: Pennsylvania | Racial and Ethnic Disparities | Juvenile Defense and Court Process | Fines and Fees | Administrative/Regulatory Policies | Research
Study of the effect of financial costs incurred by youth int he justice system and the extent to which such costs relate to the likelihood of recidivism and eventual reintegration into society. Related to JLC Debtors' Prison report here: http://bit.ly/2deF6cP.
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Comments on Juvenile Registration Under SORNA - Youth Justice Alliance
Tags: Federal | National | Sex Offender Registries | Administrative/Regulatory Policies | Legislation
A Youth Justice Alliance urges the SMART office to: 1) Hold a full public hearing on the proposed guidelines to examine unintended consequences and alternative approaches that would better serve public safety before finalizing; 2) Convene a task force to study and recommend best practices for youth charged with sex offenses; 3) Revise the guidelines to incentivize evidence-based practices proven to prevent and intervene with sexual harm, and; 4) Move toward implementing a system that both reassures states they will not lose Byrne grant funding if they do not register youth and also discourages state policies that require youth registration.
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Comments on Juvenile Registration Under SORNA - Just Kids
Tags: Federal | National | Sex Offender Registries | Administrative/Regulatory Policies | Legislation
A diverse and bi-partisan alliance called Just Kids suggests that the SMART Office move towards implementing a system that both reassures states they will not lose Byrne grant funding if they do not register youth and also discourages state policies that require youth registration.
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Comments on Juvenile Registration Under SORNA - Researchers with Expertise on Juvenile Sexual Offending
Tags: Federal | National | Sex Offender Registries | Administrative/Regulatory Policies | Legislation
Various researchers with expertise on youth who have committed sexual offenses recommend that the SMART Office emphasize evidence-based treatment rather than registration and waiver as a way to manage youth who have sexually offended.
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Comment to Petition to Create Mechanical Restraints Rule (Children's Action Alliance, AZ)
Tags: Arizona | Shackling | Administrative/Regulatory Policies | Member Publications
The Children's Action Alliance of Arizona rebuts arguments made on behalf of state probation officers citing the need to shackle youth in the court room and to retain discretion to do so.
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Summary of National Standards Restricting the Solitary Confinement of Youth - ACLU
Tags: National | General System Reform | Youth in the Adult System | Administrative/Regulatory Policies | Reports
This document highlights national standards and best practices for juvenile justice settings (including examples from specific systems), as well as mental health and educational facility standards and best practices, and international standards. These standards and best practices, drawn from a range of institutional environments, all apply limitations on the use of solitary confinement for youth.
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JJGPS State Scan: U.S. Age Boundaries of Delinquency
Tags: National | Youth in the Adult System | Administrative/Regulatory Policies | Reports
This JJGPS State Scan describes and lists state-based laws and policies regarding the lower and upper ages of juvenile court jurisdiction nationwide.
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United Nations: Convention on the Rights of the Child - General Comment No. 10 (2007)
Tags: International | National | General System Reform | Administrative/Regulatory Policies | Reports
The objectives of this general comment are: To encourage States parties to develop and implement a comprehensive juvenile justice policy to prevent and address juvenile delinquency based on and in compliance with CRC.
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Maine Judiciary Bans Indiscriminate Shackling of Juveniles in Court
Tags: Maine | Shackling | Administrative/Regulatory Policies
Maine's judiciary adopted a judicial rule to ban the indiscriminate shackling of juveniles in court.
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Virginia: 2015 Guidelines for Determining the Length of Stay of Juveniles Indeterminately Committed to the Department of Juvenile Justice
Tags: Virginia | Deinstitutionalization | General System Reform | Evidence-Based Practices | Administrative/Regulatory Policies
2015 guidelines for determining length of stay for youth in the juvenile justice system in Virginia.
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Baltimore City Graduated Responses Grid - Maryland Dept of Juvenile Svcs
Tags: Maryland | Community-Based Alternatives and Supervision | Administrative/Regulatory Policies
A graduated sanctions grid used for supervising youth on probation by the Maryland Department of Juvenile Services.
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Graduated Responses for Youth Under DJS Supervision - Maryland Dept of Juvenile Services
Tags: Maryland | Community-Based Alternatives and Supervision | Administrative/Regulatory Policies | Presentations
A PowerPoint presentation re: a graduated response system for youth on probation developed by the Maryland Department of Juvenile Services.
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Implementing an Effective Graduated Responses System
Tags: National | Community-Based Alternatives and Supervision | Administrative/Regulatory Policies
Brief overview of the rationale for graduated responses, along with resources and steps to design and implement one.
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The Federal Advisory Committee on Juvenile Justice 2013 Recommendations to the President, Congress, and OJJDP Administrator
Tags: Federal | National | Racial and Ethnic Disparities | Family and Youth Involvement | General System Reform | School-to-Prison Pipeline | Evidence-Based Practices | Administrative/Regulatory Policies | Reports
The Federal Advisory Committee on Juvenile Justice makes policy recommendations on topics of evidence-based practices, youth engagement, youth justice and schools, and disproportionate minority contact, as well as strongly urging the president, congress, and OJJDP to reauthorize the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention act.
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Revised Guidance on Jail Removal and Separation Core Requirements
Tags: National | Youth in the Adult System | Administrative/Regulatory Policies
OJJDP Publication "Revised Guidance on Jail Removal and Separation Core Requirements" offers new guidance related to the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act's (JJDPA) Sight and Sound Separation requirement for children in adult jails and lockups.
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Best Practices in the Use of Restraints with Pregnant Women and Girls Under Correctional Custody
Tags: National | Girls | Administrative/Regulatory Policies
The purpose of the best practices statement is to guide state and local institutions to develop effective internal policies, procedures, and practices that maximize safety and minimize risk for pregnant women and girls, their fetuses/newborns, and correctional and medical staff. The recommendations emphasize the collaborative development (between correctional leaders and medical staff) of written policies and procedures on the use of restraints, based on the recognition that the unique healthcare needs of women and girls are not addressed by most correctional policies.
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Pregnancy and Child-Related Legal and Policy Issues Concerning Justice-Involved Women
Tags: National | Girls | Administrative/Regulatory Policies | Reports
This publication from the National Institute of Corrections provides an overview of pregnancy- and child-related legal questions concerning justice-involved women that can be raised in correctional settings.
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Policy Review and Development Guide: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender. and Intersex Persons in Custodial Settings
Tags: National | LGBTQ Youth | Administrative/Regulatory Policies
The National Institute of Corrections has released a policy review and development guide aimed at correctional administrators and staff, as well as medical and mental health personnel, to help them craft policies that account for the specific needs of LGBTI individuals in custodial settings.
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D.C. Working Group Aims to Reduce Arrests and Detention, B20-0199/A20-0157
Tags: District of Columbia | Community-Based Alternatives and Supervision | Detention | Administrative/Regulatory Policies
The Washington, D.C. City Council passed a law to establish the “Alternatives to Juvenile Arrest and Secured Detention Working Group.” The city-wide working group is charged with studying all youth arrests starting with 2011, including data on the number and type of school-based arrests. The legislation mandates that the working group include representatives from community-based non-profit organizations, as well as educational institutions that represent court-involved youth or conduct research on local juvenile justice issues. The group is required to submit a report to the Mayor that “develops and proposes a differential response policy, program, and budget for juvenile arrests with the goal of diverting more youth from arrest, prosecution, overnight detention, or pre-trial detention.” After the formation of the working group was delayed, a privately convened group of advocates addressed the issues raised in the legislation and submitted a report to the City Council that calls for a comprehensive diversion pilot program in the city and a centralized mayoral strategy to reduce formal youth system involvement. B20-0199/A20-0157, passed September 6, 2013; effective December 24, 2013.
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Berks County, Pennsylvania Juvenile Detention Risk Assessment
Tags: Pennsylvania | Risk Assessment and Screening | Administrative/Regulatory Policies | Reports | Research
This report assesses the efficacy of a draft Juvenile Detention Risk Assessment Instrument in Berks County, Pennsylvania using data from an 8-month trial period. The report offers data analysis as well as policy recommendations to improve future risk assessment models, advance best practices, and reduce the rate of juveniles in detention.
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King County Resource Guide for Information Sharing - 2nd Edition
Tags: Washington | Community-Based Alternatives and Supervision | Crossover and Dual Jurisdiction Youth | Administrative/Regulatory Policies
This resource guide provides information on how to safely and legally share information between staff in the following agencies: probation, detention, child welfare, juvenile rehabilitation, law enforcement, schools, mental health services, substance abuse treatment, and court-appointed special advocates.
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Louisiana Children & Youth Planning Board (Act 555): Planning Tools and Resources
Tags: Louisiana | Community-Based Alternatives and Supervision | Administrative/Regulatory Policies
This toolkit compiles resources that the Models for Change Project uses to create and strengthen Children and Youth Planning Boards (CYPBs). Topics include: writing a mission statement, developing organizational structure, covering issues and action items, and much more.
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Oklahoma's Governor Establishes Committee to Study Juvenile Justice System
Tags: Oklahoma | Community-Based Alternatives and Supervision | Evidence-Based Practices | Administrative/Regulatory Policies
Through an executive order, Oklahoma's governor established the Juvenile Justice Reform Committee to study the state's juvenile justice system and recommend improvements. The committee is to consider the most efficient and effective programs, recidivism rates, diversion programs, and national best practices concerning housing and treatment of youth. Executive Order 18, signed May 16, 2013.
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Rhode Island Training School Expands Protections Against Use of Restraints on Pregnant Girls, Policy 1200.0832
Tags: Rhode Island | Girls | Shackling | Administrative/Regulatory Policies
The Department of Children, Youth and Families expanded an agency policy prohibiting the use of mechanical restraints on pregnant girls at the Rhode Island Training School. The new policy includes more detailed guidelines and new protections for pregnant and post-partum girls, requiring removal of restraints upon the request of medical personnel in emergency or urgent situations. When medical personnel request removal of restraints in non-urgent situations, Training School staff must seek guidance from a supervisor. The new policy requires that all girls be notified of the policy upon admission to the facility. The policy includes an exception allowing the use of restraints if a girl is determined to be a danger to herself or others, or poses a risk of flight that cannot be addressed by other means. Policy 1200.0832, October 2, 2012.
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DOJ Consent Decree Regarding the New Orleans Police Department
Tags: Louisiana | LGBTQ Youth | Administrative/Regulatory Policies | Court Decisions and Related Documents
In a consent decree with the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), the New Orleans Police Department agrees to "fundamentally change the way it polices the New Orleans community.” The consent decree is a result of DOJ findings of patterns of misconduct that violate the Constitution and federal law--especially as applied to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth.
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Prison Rape Elimination Act of 2003 Final Rule
Tags: Federal | Institutional Conditions | Youth in the Adult System | Administrative/Regulatory Policies | Reports
The Department of Justice released the final rule to prevent, detect and respond to prison rape in accordance with the Prison Rape Elimination Act of 2003.
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Los Angeles Reforms Truancy Law
Tags: California | School-to-Prison Pipeline | Status Offenses | Administrative/Regulatory Policies
The Los Angeles City Council amended the county’s truancy law, which allowed Los Angeles police to issue tens of thousands of “truancy tickets” to L.A. schoolchildren, even when they were on their way to class. Such tickets carried heavy fines and unnecessarily criminalized youth. Police may no longer issue tickets to students who are on their way or running late to class. Sanctions for the first and second offense are limited to counseling, development of an attendance plan, and/or community service, and third and subsequent offenses may result in a fine not exceeding $20 for any individual youth. The change follows recommendations made by the Los Angeles County Education Coordinating Council and policy changes adopted by the Los Angeles Police Department. Ordinance No. 182084, April 13, 2012.
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U.S. Department of Justice Findings Letter Instructing Mississippi to Improve Mental Health Services for Youth, December 22, 2011
Tags: Mississippi | Mental Health and Substance Abuse | Administrative/Regulatory Policies
On December 22, 2011, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) issued a findings letter compelling Mississippi to reorganize its mental health facilities and departments, while deinstitutionalizing youth and providing community-based services that are more appropriate and cost-effective. The letter was the result of a full investigation that found Mississippi to be in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act and the United States Supreme Court decision, Olmstead v. L.C., 527 U.S. 581 (1999).
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U.S. Department of Justice Findings Summary, Community Choice Alliance
Tags: Mississippi | Mental Health and Substance Abuse | Administrative/Regulatory Policies
On December 22, 2011, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) issued a findings letter compelling Mississippi to reorganize its mental health facilities and departments, while deinstitutionalizing youth and providing community-based services that are more appropriate and cost-effective. The letter was the result of a full investigation that found Mississippi to be in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act and the United States Supreme Court decision, Olmstead v. L.C., 527 U.S. 581 (1999).
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Louisiana Public Defender Board Performance Standards for Legal Representation in Delinquency Proceedings, December 2011
Tags: Louisiana | Juvenile Defense and Court Process | Administrative/Regulatory Policies
The Louisiana Public Defender Board issued the state’s first trial court performance standards for juvenile delinquency proceedings. The standards are intended to alert defense counsel to courses of action that may be necessary, advisable, or appropriate, and thereby assist attorneys in deciding upon the particular actions that must be taken in each case to ensure that the client receives the best representation possible.
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Executive Summary, School Police Memorandum of Understanding, Sedgwick County, Kansas, October 25, 2011
Tags: Kansas | School-to-Prison Pipeline | Administrative/Regulatory Policies
Sedgwick County, Kansas developed a written agreement between police and public schools to reduce school-based arrests for low-level offenses. The county first developed the agreement with alternative schools in January 2010, expanding the agreement to all Wichita Public Schools in August 2011.
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Michigan Launches Indigent Defense Advisory Commission, Executive Order 2011-12
Tags: Michigan | Juvenile Defense and Court Process | Administrative/Regulatory Policies
Michigan's governor issued an executive order to establish the Michigan Indigent Defense Advisory Commission. The commission is charged with investigating how to improve legal representation for defendants who cannot afford an attorney, as well as developing recommendations on how to ensure public defense is consistent across the state.
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Little Rock, Arkansas One-Cent Sales Tax Provides an Additional $3 Million for Community-Based Youth Programming
Tags: Arkansas | Community-Based Alternatives and Supervision | Fiscal Issues and Funding | Prevention | Administrative/Regulatory Policies
On September 6, 2011, the city of Little Rock passed a one-cent sales tax increase that included, in the public safety section of the proposal, $3 million in additional revenue for prevention, intervention and treatment (PIT) programs to reduce juvenile crime.
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Non-Discriminatory, Developmentally-Sound Treatment of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Youth, New Orleans Youth Study Center
Tags: Louisiana | Detention | Institutional Conditions | LGBTQ Youth | Administrative/Regulatory Policies
Policy providing eleven procedural guidelines regarding LGBT youth, including a definition of what qualifies as discrimination, harassment, and abuse of LGBT youth; a prohibition on discriminating or threatening anyone based upon their sexual orientation or gender identity, by both staff and other incarcerated youth; and a prohibition on placing LGBT youth in isolation as a "means of keeping them safe from discrimination." The policy also includes provisions regarding transgender youth, including that transgender youth will not be forced to shower or change clothing in front of staff or other youth-a situation that can be especially humiliating and terrifying for this demographic.
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Youth Study Center Becomes National Leader with Model LGBT Policy
Tags: Louisiana | Detention | Institutional Conditions | LGBTQ Youth | Administrative/Regulatory Policies
Press release regarding LGBT policy for New Orleans' juvenile detention center, which provides eleven procedural guidelines, including a definition of what qualifies as discrimination, harassment, and abuse of LGBT youth; a prohibition on discriminating or threatening anyone based upon their sexual orientation or gender identity, by both staff and other incarcerated youth; and a prohibition on placing LGBT youth in isolation as a "means of keeping them safe from discrimination." The policy also includes provisions regarding transgender youth, including that transgender youth will not be forced to shower or change clothing in front of staff or other youth-a situation that can be especially humiliating and terrifying for this demographic.
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Youth Study Center LGBT Policies, New Orleans, Louisiana, August 2011
Tags: Louisiana | LGBTQ Youth | Administrative/Regulatory Policies
The policy oversees the protection of LGBT youth already in the custody of the system—estimated at 15 percent, according to national data—and also mandates that direct care staff, supervisors, and social service providers at the detention center undergo training to help create a safer environment for LGBT youth in their care. The policy provides eleven procedural guidelines, including a definition of what qualifies as discrimination, harassment, and abuse of LGBT youth; a prohibition on discriminating or threatening anyone based upon their sexual orientation or gender identity, by both staff and other incarcerated youth; and a prohibition on placing LGBT youth in isolation as a “means of keeping them safe from discrimination.”
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LGBTQ Youth Policies, New York City, July 2011
Tags: New York | Detention | Institutional Conditions | LGBTQ Youth | Administrative/Regulatory Policies
The policies—which draw from guidelines issued by New York’s Office of Children and Family Services in 2008—cover LGBTQ identities and language, disclosure, confidentiality, cultural competency training, medical/mental health, bedroom/bathroom arrangements, personal grooming, search issues, and transition/reentry planning.
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School Police Memorandum of Understanding, Sedgwick County, Kansas, January 20, 2011
Tags: Kansas | School-to-Prison Pipeline | Administrative/Regulatory Policies
Sedgwick County, Kansas developed a written agreement between police and public schools to reduce school-based arrests for low-level offenses. The county first developed the agreement with alternative schools in January 2010, expanding the agreement to all Wichita Public Schools in August 2011.
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Strengthening Interagency Partnerships for Safe Schools: A Training Initiative to Reduce Suspensions, Expulsions, and Arrests Through Positive Youth Development Approaches, Fox Valley Technical College, Criminal Justice Center for Innovation, Wisconsin Sc
Tags: Wisconsin | School-to-Prison Pipeline | Administrative/Regulatory Policies
Wisconsin’s Rock, Kenosha, and Outagamie Counties worked with Fox Valley Technical College to create a curriculum for School Resource Officers (SROs). The curriculum—developed through the counties’ work with the MacArthur Foundation’s Models for Change initiative—aims to train SROs in alternatives to school-based arrest, and includes information on adolescent brain development, de-escalation techniques, over-criminalization of common youth behavior, the effects of an arrest in school, Motivational Interviewing, and other relevant topics.
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Memorandum on Restraints in Juvenile Court, Administrative Office of the Juvenile Court, Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Tags: Massachusetts | Juvenile Defense and Court Process | Administrative/Regulatory Policies
Memorandum citing a new change in policy in Massachusetts that restraints are not to be used on juveniles in the courtroom unless there is an indication that the juvenile will try to escape, hurt themselves, or hurt others.
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Louisiana Establishes Standards for Juvenile Detention Facilities, January 31, 2012
Tags: Louisiana | Detention | Institutional Conditions | Administrative/Regulatory Policies
Detention reform in Louisiana passed another milestone in July 2011, when the Task Force on Juvenile Detention Center Standards submitted a final draft of proposed standards to the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS). The task force was created by legislation passed in 2010 (H.B. 1477). The standards—informed by the MacArthur Foundation’s Models for Change initiative—end the use of restraint chairs and chemical restraints such as pepper spray in facilities; mandate that staff receive increased training, including on best practices for working with lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth; address access to required educational and other services; and create procedures for reporting complaints. Final standards were promulgated January 31, 2012, with all facilities to be licensed and in compliance by the end of 2013.
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Birmingham City Schools School Offense Protocol, Alabama, October 13, 2009
Tags: Alabama | School-to-Prison Pipeline | Administrative/Regulatory Policies
A school offense protocol, developed by the Birmingham City Schools Collaborative, is designed to reduce student arrests in schools and improve graduation rates by ensuring that minor student misbehavior is addressed in the schools, rather than in juvenile court. The protocol establishes a three-step process for handling minor infractions in school: a student’s first offense results in a warning notice from the school resource officer, the second offense results in a referral to the School Conflict Workshop program, and the third offense results in a referral to court.
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Collaborative Agreement, Birmingham City Schools Collaborative
Tags: Alabama | School-to-Prison Pipeline | Administrative/Regulatory Policies
Agreement between Birmingham City Schools, the Birmingham Police Department, the Jefferson County Family Court, and the Jefferson County District Attorney's Office for the purpose of establishing a cooperative relationship between community agencies involved in the handling of juveniles who are alleged to have committed a delinquent act over which the school may have disciplinary power.
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Graduated Sanctions Order and Policy, Sedgwick County, Kansas, August 2009
Tags: Kansas | Aftercare/Reentry | Administrative/Regulatory Policies
To reduce the number of youth entering detention for violating the terms of their probation, Sedgwick County developed a system of graduated sanctions and incentives in August 2009. The system equips probation officers with greater options to reward positive behavior and hold youth accountable for negative behavior without resorting to incarceration.
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Chicago City Council Passes Resolution in Support of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, Media Advisory, Northwestern University
Tags: International | Illinois | International and Human Rights | Administrative/Regulatory Policies
Press release about the Chicago's resolution supporting the United Nations' CRC. The resolution itself states that the city of Chicago stands behind the CRC because it affirms Chicago's past commitment to protecting the vulnerable and innocent and because would provide a single, comprehensive framework within which the diverse arms of the Chicago city government that can assess and address, in a consistent manner, the rights and protections of children.
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Advances in Juvenile Justice Reform, 2007-2008, National Juvenile Justice Network
Tags: National | General System Reform | Administrative/Regulatory Policies | Court Decisions and Related Documents | Legislation | NJJN Publications
Compilation of legislative, judicial and administrative advances and new funding allocations that have led to the closure of large, harmful juvenile prisons; increases in programs that offer community-based alternatives to confinement; strengthened practice standards for juvenile defenders; and additional procedural and substantive protections for youth in and out of court. The booklet includes advances from states across the country sorted into substantive issue categories. Each advance is briefly summarized with a citation. Advances cited in the booklet may be found on NJJN’s Web site.
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Senate Bill 94 Reference Manual, Colorado Department of Human Services, Division of Youth Corrections, January 2009
Tags: Colorado | Community-Based Alternatives and Supervision | Deinstitutionalization | Detention | Administrative/Regulatory Policies
Bed caps on detention originated from S.B. 94 in 1991; the state periodically revises the caps as the utilization rate declines. When the cap is exceeded, the state must do an emergency release. The bed reduction also allows the legislature to reduce corresponding costs. S.B. 94 also created a Juvenile Services Fund to fund local alternatives to incarceration.
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District of Columbia Final Evaluation of the Effect of Juvenile Speedy Trial Emergency Legislation, The Council for Court Excellence
Tags: Juvenile Defense and Court Process | Administrative/Regulatory Policies | Reports
An emergency resolution passed in D.C. aims to resolve the issue of juveniles placed in non-secure detention or shelters beyond the 30 day deadline in place for youth in secure detention.
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Discipline of Students with Disabilities, Denver Public Schools Discipline Policy JK-F
Tags: Colorado | School-to-Prison Pipeline | Administrative/Regulatory Policies
Revised disciplinary policy from the Denver Public Schools system, focusing on more progressive and less harsh responses to disciplinary issues.
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Student Code of Conduct and Discipline Management Plan, Louisiana Recovery School District
Tags: Louisiana | School-to-Prison Pipeline | Administrative/Regulatory Policies
Key revisions to school code, which includes a more positive approach to youth and discipline.
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Model School Discipline Policies and Programs, Part 1, Jim Freeman, Advancement Project
Tags: California | Colorado | School-to-Prison Pipeline | Administrative/Regulatory Policies
Compilation of model discipline policies and programs from Denver Public Schools and the Los Angeles Unified School District.
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Model School Discipline Policies and Programs, Part 2, Jim Freeman, Advancement Project
Tags: Connecticut | Georgia | Illinois | Maryland | School-to-Prison Pipeline | Administrative/Regulatory Policies | Legislation
Compilation of model discipline policies and programs from Chicago Public Schools; Clayton County, Georgia; and Baltimore School Police, as well as model legislation on suspensions from Connecticut. Compilation also includes examples of prevention, intervention and diversion programs.
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Mayor Bloomberg Announces New Weekend Court Processing So Youth Who Present Low Risk to the Community Can Be Returned Home Swiftly, Press Release, City of New York, Office of the Mayor
Tags: Juvenile Defense and Court Process | Administrative/Regulatory Policies | Reports
Youth aged seven to fifteen now have the right to an arraignment on weekends.
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New York Office of Children and Family Services Policy and Guidelines to Better Serve LGBTQ Youth
Tags: New York | LGBTQ Youth | Administrative/Regulatory Policies
Policy prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
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Positive School Culture: 2007-2008 Student Code of Conduct, Louisiana Recovery School District
Tags: Louisiana | School-to-Prison Pipeline | Administrative/Regulatory Policies
Revised Student Code of Conduct that includes a more positive approach to youth and discipline. The code reduces the amount of instructional time lost to unnecessary removals by reducing the number of school-based infractions that are "suspendable" and "expellable" and by increasing the use of school-based interventions and alternatives to suspension and expulsion. The code is now also aligned with the principles of School-Wide Positive Behavioral Supports and is infused with useful and family-friendly information for parents and students about their rights in the discipline process.
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Massachusetts Governor Creates Independent Office of the Child Advocate, Massachusetts, Executive Order 494
Tags: Massachusetts | General System Reform | Administrative/Regulatory Policies
The Office of the Child Advocate is an independent office that has oversight authority with respect to services provided to any children involved in an executive agency, including those served by the juvenile justice system.
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D.C. Metropolitan Police Department Policy on Handling Interactions with Transgender Individuals, GO-PCA-501.02
Tags: District of Columbia | LGBTQ Youth | Administrative/Regulatory Policies
An order from the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department calling for respect and awareness of gender identification and expression.
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Colorado Establishes Juvenile Clemency Board, Colorado, Executive Order B-009-02
Tags: Colorado | Administrative/Regulatory Policies
The Colorado governor established a seven-member clemency board to review clemency and commutation requests by juveniles who were tried as adults and sentenced to state prison.
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Press Release About Creation of Colorado's Juvenile Clemency Board, Colorado, Executive Order B-009-07
Tags: Colorado | Youth in the Adult System | Administrative/Regulatory Policies
Press release about Colorado's establishment a seven-member Juvenile Clemency Advisory Board to review clemency and commutation requests by juveniles who were tried as adults and sentenced to state prison.
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Culture of Discipline: Guiding Principles for Everyone in the School, Los Angeles Unified School District
Tags: California | School-to-Prison Pipeline | Administrative/Regulatory Policies
School-wide discipline plan focused on positive youth development.
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New York City Anti-Discrimination Policy for LGBTQ Youth, New York City Department of Juvenile Justice
Tags: New York | LGBTQ Youth | Administrative/Regulatory Policies
Department of Juvenile Justice anti-discrimination policy for LGBTQ youth in the system.
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Evaluation of Ohio’s Reclaim Funded Programs, Community Correctional Facilities, and DYS Facilities: Cost-Benefit Analysis Supplemental Report
Tags: Ohio | Administrative/Regulatory Policies
A supplemental cost-benefit analysis of RECLAIM Ohio, from November 2005.
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Evaluation of Ohio’s Reclaim Funded Programs, Community, Corrections Facilities, and DYS Facilities
Tags: Ohio | Fiscal Issues and Funding | Administrative/Regulatory Policies
Recidivism report on RECLAIM Ohio, from August 2005.
