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-- Shakespeare
Brevity on the NetWednesday, July 26, 2006 A weekly newsletter about juvenile justice
from the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges,
Brevity brings you news and information from around the country and on the Internet.
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I will retire on Friday, July 28, after almost 22 years with NCJFCJ and this will be the last issue of Brevity as it now appears. I have been asked to continue to produce it post-retirement, but as a monthly publication rather than the weekly Brevity you are familiar with. Since there is nothing older than old news, the new monthly Brevity will emphasize reports, publications, research and information from the field. If you are already a subscriber you will not need to do anything to receive the new Brevity. If you’re not a Brevity subscriber and you want to subscribe, simply follow the instructions at the bottom of the page. Publishing Brevity has been very rewarding -- even when it seemed like Wednesday rolled around at least twice a week -- so I am pleased to be able to continue to do so. Look for your first issue of the new monthly Brevity in your email the end of August. JBBlueprint for Change: a Comprehensive Model for the Identification and Treatment of Youth with Mental Health Needs in Contact with the Juvenile Justice System. The National Center for Mental Health and Juvenile Justice (NCMHJJ) has just published the Blueprint, a practical framework for juvenile justice and mental health system use when developing programs and policies aimed at improving mental health services for youth in the juvenile justice system. It consists of: Core Principles that represent the foundation on which a system can be built. Four Cornerstones which provide the infrastructure of the Blueprint and reflect the most critical areas of improvement to enhance the delivery of mental health services to youth in the juvenile justice system. Discussion of Seven Critical Intervention Points within the juvenile justice continuum.
The Blueprint includes descriptions of over 50 Programs illustrating how communities across the country have begun to develop services or programs for youth with mental health needs at key stages of justice processing. The Blueprint can be downloaded at the link above in its entirety, 142 pages. Readers can also download Blueprint for Change: Improving the System Response to Youth with Mental Health Needs Involved with the Juvenile Justice System, a 12 page brief summarizing the Blueprint. ++++++++++ Three New WSIPP Program Evaluations
The Washington State Institute for Public Policy has posted a number of new studies on its web site, among them these program evaluations readers may find of interest: The Effects of Parole on Recidivism: Juvenile Offenders Released from Washington State Institutions: Final Report – Upholds preliminary finding that parole does not reduce recidivism for non-high risk and non-sex offender juveniles.
++++++++++ SYNERGY
The latest issue of the newsletter of the Resource Center on Domestic Violence: Child Protection and Custody published by the Family Violence Department at NCJFCJ is available to read and/or download at NCJFCJ’s web site. Click on the link above for the 16 page pdf file. Contents include: ++++++++++ Indiana Child Safety PSAs Rattle Viewers
These public safety announcements about the safe supervision of children are compelling to watch. There are three of them. One shows a father leaving a young child in the bath while he takes a phone call. The second shows a mother who loses sight of her child in a backyard swimming pool. The third ad, scheduled to appear in August, shows a mother who suffocates her baby while sleeping with the baby on a sofa. All three PSAs from the Summer Supervision Campaign can be viewed at the Indiana Department of Child Services web page. ++++++++++ Youth Under Age 18 in the Adult Criminal Justice System
NCCD (National Council on Crime and Delinquency) has released this fact sheet on the negative impacts on youth processed in the adult system. The fact sheet is six pages in length and includes statistics on life without parole, minimum age and transfer provisions by state, and incarceration in state prisons and jails. From the fact sheet: Youth tried as adults are subject to harsher adult penalties than youth processed in the juvenile system. In most states this includes life without parole. Youth convicted in the adult system receive little or no rehabilitative programming, which is mandated in the juvenile system. Youth convicted as adults cannot as easily expunge their criminal record. Youth are at greater risk of victimization and death in adult jails and prisons.
++++++++++ Virginia Youth Can Refuse Conventional Medical Treatment
A follow-up to a story in last week’s Brevity, Starchild Abraham Cherrix will be allowed to refuse more chemotherapy and to continue to follow an alternative treatment for Hodgkin’s disease. The ruling escalates a court battle that pits parental rights against government intervention on behalf of a child. ++++++++++ New Child Trends Data Bank Information Drunk Driving – Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for young drivers (15- to 20-year-olds). In 2002, 24% of young drivers who were killed in an automobile accident had been drinking and were legally intoxicated. Adolescents Who Have Ever Been Raped – in 2005, more than one out of ten (11%) high school females reported having been raped at some point in her life. Sexual assault and rape are crimes that disproportionately affect females and young adults between the ages of 12 and 24. Adolescents and young adults are two to three times more likely than adults age 25 and older to be raped or sexually assaulted. ++++++++++ Study Finds Florida Justice System Harsh to Underage Girls
A study conducted by NCCD has found that Florida’s juvenile justice system locks up a higher percentage of underage girls than 46 other states, hands out stiffer punishment to girls than boys, and doesn’t provide the kind of treatment girls need. Barry Krisberg, NCCD President, said “Girls’ programs are often boys’ programs painted pink. What we have found is that these programs, by and large, don’t work.” The study found that Florida’s girl offenders often have more emotional problems and treatment needs that are at the root of many girls’ crimes. Researchers interviewed 319 Florida girls in juvenile programs. They found: 49% were self-mutilators. 34% had attempted suicide. 35% were pregnant or had been. 46% had an alcohol or substance abuse problem.
In contrast, boys more frequently broke the law because of peer pressure or gang activity. ++++++++++ The Case of Marie and Her Sons
The New York Times Sunday Magazine from July 23 includes a lengthy (14 pages) article about a mother trying to get her children back, her interactions with social services, and a brief history of social work in the U.S. which includes the 1874 story of “Little Mary Ellen,” whose case as an abused and neglected child was taken up by the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. ++++++++++ NIDA Study Results Support Prison Treatment Programs
NIDA says that locking up people with addictions is no cure. Instead, it advocates the use of effective treatment in criminal justice settings. The NIDA report urges more use of methadone and other addiction medications, it endorses using pressure tactics to keep offenders in treatment, and drug testing to track treatment progress and prevent relapse. The study includes a list of principles of drug abuse treatment for criminal justice populations. ++++++++++ Conferences
25th Annual Juvenile Probation and Justice Management Conference
September 17-20, 2006 – Providence, Rhode Island
Multiple tracks feature Juvenile Probation, Mental Health Issues in Juvenile Probation, and the Juvenile Justice Management Development Institute. Download a copy of the conference brochure here for the details. NCJFCJ Conferences and Educational Events through Early 2007
For information and details on the various programs and events NCJFCJ will be conducting through the end of the year, click on the link above. Journey to Stewardship: Repairing Harm, Reducing Crime, Building Community
September 28-29
Florida Gulf Coast University campus - Ft. Myers, Florida.
Sponsored by the Institute for Youth and Justice Events at Florida Gulf Coast University. The keynote speaker will be Ms. Myrlie Evers, the widow of slain civil rights activist, Medgar Evers. Dennis Maloney and Gordon Bazemore are also scheduled to speak. For details, click on the link above. Developing and Implementing Youth Courts: A Training Seminar
September 13-15, 2006 – Albany, New York
Designed to assist jurisdictions in developing and implementing effective youth court programs. Also helpful for new program staff persons who want to learn more about how youth courts operate nationally and how they can enhance their programs with fresh ideas. Highly interactive 2 and one-half day seminar. Register online at the link above.
Join Us! ! Membership in NCJFCJ offers judges and juvenile court professionals the opportunity to get information about innovations and ideas, issues and news in juvenile justice and family law. Members receive the Juvenile & Family Court Journal and TODAY Magazine quarterly, and the Juvenile & Family Law Digest every month. For a sample package of all three publications and information on how to become a member, send me your name and USPO mailing address and I'll send you an information packet . ++++++++++ To Subscribe, follow the instructions below: - click on my email address,
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Joey Binard, Senior Program Manager
Technical Assistance Resource Center
Juvenile & Family Law Department
NCJFCJ
Brevity is supported by Grant No.2005-JL-FX-0065 from the
Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, U.S. Department of Justice
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