OJJDP and CJJ Co-Host 2014 Juvenile Justice Youth Summit

OJJDP and the Coalition for Juvenile Justice (CJJ) co-hosted the 2014 CJJ Youth Summit on August 7–8, 2014, in Washington, DC. The annual summit’s goal is to cultivate and empower a new generation of juvenile justice advocates. The event featured sessions on a range of topics, including the evolution of the juvenile justice system, the core requirements of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act, emerging juvenile justice reform issues, strengthening youth involvement in juvenile justice reform at the state level, and legislative advocacy. Participants also had the opportunity to network with researchers, legal and social-service providers, policy advocates, policymakers, and other professionals from the juvenile justice and other youth-serving systems.

OJJDP Administrator Robert L. Listenbee offered welcoming remarks on August 7 and also moderated a panel discussion on August 8 with youth advocates. Panel discussants included James Anderson, Program Administrator, Anti-Recidivism Coalition; Coloradas Mangas, Youth Board Member, Center for Native American Youth; and Jim SaintGermain, Founder, Preparing Leaders of Tomorrow. The advocates offered accounts of how they became involved with the juvenile justice system and discussed their top priorities for juvenile justice reform.

Northwestern Juvenile Project Examines Death in Delinquent Youth in Adolescence and Young Adulthood

An article by Northwestern Juvenile Project researchers, published in the July 2014 issue of Pediatrics, found that delinquent youth are at great risk of violent death up to 16 years after detention. The article examines causes of death by gender and race/ethnicity and analyzes risk factors associated with subsequent death. Some key findings are as follows:

• Death rates were 2.1 to 9.6 times higher in delinquent youth than in the general population.
• The most common cause of death was homicide with a firearm.
• Compared with non-Hispanic whites, African Americans had 4.5 times the risk of death by homicide.
• Delinquent females died at nearly 5 times the rate of the general population.
• Death rates in Hispanic males and females were 5 and 9 times the rate of the general population, respectively.
• Drug dealing, alcohol use disorder, and gang membership predicted external-cause mortality and homicide for as long as a decade later.

The Northwestern Juvenile Project is the first large-scale longitudinal study of the health needs and outcomes of youth after detention. OJJDP, other federal agencies, and private foundations fund the study. To learn more about the project, visit the OJJDP Web site.

Access Supportive School Discipline Resources Online

OJJDP has released an online brief on the Supportive School Discipline Initiative (SSDI), a collaboration between the U.S. Departments of Education and Justice in coordination with OJJDP, the Department of Health and Human Services, and other federal partners. SSDI supports school discipline practices that foster safe, supportive, and productive learning environments and keep students engaged in school and out of courts. The brief provides information about SSDI and features links to research, data collection, funding, and related resources, including the school discipline guidance package.

Child Maltreatment Data Available Online

OJJDP has launched an online access tool of national data gathered from the “Fourth National Incidence Study of Child Abuse and Neglect (NIS–4): Report to Congress.” The NIS–4 data, collected in 2005 and 2006 by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration for Children and Families, provide updated estimates of the number of children who are abused or neglected. NIS–4 data combine information about children whose incidence rates of maltreatment were investigated by child protective services with data on maltreated children identified by professionals. NIS–4 also provides information on the nature and severity of the maltreatment, as well as the characteristics of the children, perpetrators, and families involved.

IACP Launches Online Training Series on Juvenile Interviewing and Interrogation

The International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), in collaboration with OJJDP, has released a free online training series on effective juvenile interviewing and interrogation techniques. This introductory-level series is targeted to law enforcement and legally authorized juvenile justice professionals who interview and/or interrogate youth. Courses include analyzing juvenile behavior, developing rapport with youth, juvenile interviewing techniques, and juvenile interrogation techniques. This online series was developed under IACP’s Improving Law Enforcement Responses to Youth Training and Technical Assistance Program, funded through OJJDP, and is based on the IACP/OJJDP classroom training “Introduction to Juvenile Interview and Interrogation Techniques.”

Report Presents Recommendations From Summit on Law Enforcement Leadership in Juvenile Justice

The International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) has released Law Enforcement’s Leadership Role in Juvenile Justice Reform: Actionable Recommendations for Practice & Policy. In September 2013, IACP collaborated with the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation to host the National Summit on Law Enforcement Leadership in Juvenile Justice. This report highlights 33 summit recommendations for law enforcement and juvenile justice stakeholders to address juvenile crime and develop more effective, developmentally appropriate responses to juvenile offenders and at-risk youth.

OJJDP Administrator Robert L. Listenbee, a featured speaker and attendee at the summit, said, “As we work to make our justice system more fair and equitable, the science is beginning to tell us that, whether it’s the way a law enforcement officer approaches a kid on the street, or the way a judge talks to a young person in the courtroom, nuances can make a big difference in whether children decide to get back on track or whether they decide to continue their antisocial behaviors. This report is a useful resource for the federal government and for jurisdictions nationwide.” To learn more about IACP’s Improving Law Enforcement Responses to Youth Training and Technical Assistance Program, funded by OJJDP, visit the association’s Web site.

Spring/Summer 2014 Issue of National Gang Center Newsletter Released

The latest issue of the National Gang Center’s (NGC’s) newsletter covers a range of topics, including Homeboy Industries, the long-term consequences of adolescent gang membership, the NGC Web site and its resources, a gang prevention documentary, and an update from the OJJDP Comprehensive Gang Model Training on March 4–6, 2014, in Dallas, TX. To access previous issues of the NGC newsletter, visit the center’s Web site. NGC is supported by OJJDP and the Bureau of Justice Assistance.

Webinar Explores How To Improve Education of Confined Youth

On July 10, 2014, the U.S. Departments of Justice and Education presented "Addressing the Educational Challenges of Youth Who Are Confined in Juvenile Justice Secure Settings.” The 90-minute Webinar, which is part of the Supportive School Discipline Webinar series, discussed the recent memo that the Departments of Justice and Education sent to states’ chief school officers and attorneys general addressing joint efforts to improve the education of confined youth. Presenters provided an overview of trends in juvenile correctional education and their impact on youth outcomes, highlighted Indiana’s juvenile justice education reform efforts, and explored how quality education can prepare youth for successful reentry to their communities and schools. OJJDP coordinates the Justice Department’s work on the Supportive School Discipline Initiative.

Justice Department Finds Pattern and Practice of Excessive Force and Violence at Jails on Rikers Island

On August 4, 2014, Attorney General Eric Holder and United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York Preet Bharara announced the completion of the Justice Department’s multiyear civil investigation pursuant to the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act into the conditions of confinement of adolescent male inmates on Rikers Island. The investigation, which focused on the use of force by staff, inmate-on-inmate violence, and the use of punitive segregation during the period 2011–13, concluded that there is a pattern and practice of conduct at Rikers Island that violates the rights of adolescents protected by the Eighth Amendment and the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution. The 79-page report detailing the findings of the investigation is accessible online.

Administration Issues National Drug Control Strategy

On July 7, 2014, Michael Botticelli, Acting Director of National Drug Control Policy, released the 2014 National Drug Control Strategy, the Obama Administration’s primary blueprint for drug policy in the United States. The strategy builds on the Administration’s record of drug policy reform by outlining a series of actions that will continue to expand health interventions and “smart on crime” alternatives proven to reduce drug use and its consequences in America. The strategy also notes significant increases in heroin and prescription drug abuse as key challenges and highlights a series of actions currently underway to reduce the impact of the opioid epidemic in the United States. More information about the President’s plan to reform drug control policy is available at the White House Web site.

Juvenile Justice Resource Hub Adds Evidence-Based Practices Section

In recent years, scientists have determined that there are many effective programs and policies that substantially reduce recidivism among juvenile offenders. These evidence-based practices have helped significantly decrease the need for the secure confinement of youth.

On August 13, 2014, the Juvenile Justice Information Exchange rolled out a new section of its Juvenile Justice Resource Hub that focuses on evidence-based practices. Composed of material developed and curated by the National Juvenile Justice Network, the section includes an overview of key issues and reform trends, as well as links to resources and organizations with expertise.

Report Highlights Community-Based Alternatives to Incarceration

The Youth Advocate Programs Policy and Advocacy Center has released “Safely Home.” This report highlights cost-effective, community-based alternatives to incarceration for high-needs youth. Some key findings are as follows:

• More than 8 of 10 youth remained arrest-free and 9 of 10 were at home after completing their community-based programs.
• Intensive programs based in the community can serve 3 to 4 youth safely for the same cost as incarcerating one child.

The report details elements of effective community-based alternatives, including individualized services, cultural competence, positive youth development, safety and crisis planning, and "no reject/no eject" policies that promote unconditional caring.

Brief Describes Strategies To Place System-Involved Youth in Their Communities

The National Council on Crime and Delinquency has released “Close to Home: Strategies to Place Young People in Their Communities.” This policy brief describes strategies for juvenile justice stakeholders to reduce the number of young people placed in secure facilities. Key strategies include developing a decision point where alternatives to out-of-home placement are reviewed, building a local continuum of placement and treatment options, and reducing lengths of stay in facilities at various points in the system. This brief is part of a series based on the council’s national study on youth deincarceration.

CDC Report Provides Guidance on Reducing Youth Violence

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has released “Preventing Youth Violence: Opportunities for Action.” This report provides information, evidence-based strategies, and action steps to help community leaders and members, public health professionals, families, and young people reduce or prevent youth violence. For more information on preventing youth violence, visit the Web sites of the CDC and the National Forum on Youth Violence Prevention.

Children’s Bureau Develops Video on Evaluating Tribal Child Welfare Programs

The Children’s Bureau, in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, has released an online video introducing concepts described in the report “A Roadmap for Collaborative and Effective Evaluation in Tribal Communities,” that the Children’s Bureau’s Child Welfare Research & Evaluation Tribal Workgroup has developed. The video highlights the difficult history of evaluation and research in tribal communities and explores a new narrative for conducting culturally responsive and scientifically rigorous evaluations to support ongoing improvement in tribal child welfare programs. To learn about OJJDP’s programs for tribal youth, visit the Office’s Web site.

New Screening Tool Facilitates Identification of Trafficking Victims

The landmark Trafficking Victims Protection Act made trafficking in persons a federal crime in 2000, but the greatest obstacle to rescuing victims of human trafficking is identifying them. To facilitate the identification of these individuals—and to ensure they get the services and support they need while also generating evidence against their traffickers—the Vera Institute of Justice has created a screening tool to be used by victim service providers and law enforcement when encountering someone who may be a victim of human trafficking. The tool, a 30-topic questionnaire that was tested by service providers and validated by Vera researchers, is the result of a 2-year study funded by the National Institute of Justice.

Massachusetts, Vermont, and Iowa Rank Highest in Child Well-Being, According to 2014 KIDS COUNT Data Book

The Annie E. Casey Foundation’s KIDS COUNT Data Book is an annual publication that assesses child well-being nationally and across the 50 states, as well as the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Using an index of 16 indicators, the 2014 report ranks states on overall child well-being and in four domains: economic well-being, education, health, and family and community. For 2014, the three highest ranked states for child well-being were Massachusetts, Vermont, and Iowa; the three lowest ranked were Nevada, New Mexico, and Mississippi. The report also provides national trends, comparing the latest data with mid-decade statistics. 

The 2014 Data Book also examines trends in child well-being since 1990. It highlights positive policies and practices that have improved child health and development and features stories from several states on advocacy efforts that have improved outcomes for children and families.