**Coordinating Council on Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention
Quarterly Meeting**

**December 5, 2008**

Office of Justice Programs

810 Seventh Street NW, Washington, DC 20531

**Abstract**

At the December 2008 quarterly meeting of the Coordinating Council on
Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, three newly appointed
practitioner members were sworn in: Byron Johnson, Roland C. Warren, and
Harry Wilson.

Council members heard presentations from Robin Delany-Shabazz and Susan
Yeres on the Council's new Comprehensive Community Initiatives (CCIs)
Toolkit, a Web-based toolkit to help Federal managers develop, support,
and sustain CCIs to better the lives of children, youth, and families.

Council Vice Chair J. Robert Flores presented a retrospective of Council
activities from 2001 to 2008, reviewing the Council's significant
accomplishments during this period. Mr. Flores then officially
recognized a number of Federal staff who contributed to the Council's
efforts.

The Council heard a presentation from Byron Johnson, Professor of
Sociology, Baylor University, on his research on religiosity and
prosocial youth behavior. Dr. Johnson's major findings are that religion
is an important protective factor that serves as a buffer against
negative outcomes, and religion helps to promote an array of prosocial
behaviors and thus enhances positive outcomes.

In addition, several attendees provided legislative and program updates
on behalf of their agencies.

The action item emanating from the December 2008 Council meeting is as
follows:

-   Council members were asked to submit any final comments or additions
    to the Council's "Report of Activities and Recommendations to
    Congress, 2001--2008" to Robin Delany-Shabazz as soon as possible.

**Meeting Summary**

**Welcome and Opening**

***J. Robert Flores, Vice Chair, Coordinating Council; Administrator,
Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), U.S.
Department of Justice (DOJ)***

Mr. Flores called the December 5 quarterly meeting of the Coordinating
Council on Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (Council) to
order and welcomed Council members, Federal staff, presenters, and
members of the public. He introduced agency designees present at the
meeting. Paul Kesner, Director of State Programs, Office of Safe and
Drug-Free Schools, represented the U.S. Department of Education (ED).
Martha Moorehouse, Director, Division of Children and Youth Policy,
represented the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
Gregg Weltz, Chief, Division of Youth Services, represented the U.S.
Department of Labor (DOL). Lois Nembhard, Deputy Director, AmeriCorps
State and National, represented the Corporation for National and
Community Service (CNCS). In addition, Ron Ashford, Director of HOPE VI
Community and Supportive Services, represented the U.S. Department of
Housing and Urban Development (HUD); Deane Dougherty, Management and
Program Analyst, represented Immigration and Customs Enforcement, U.S.
Department of Homeland Security (DHS); and Martha Gagne, Assistant
Deputy Director, Office of Demand Reduction, represented the Office of
National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP).

Mr. Flores reviewed the meeting agenda and invited members of the
audience to submit their written questions and comments to staff
members. He announced that there will be a brief closed Council planning
session immediately following this public meeting.

He noted that this meeting will be his last meeting as Council Vice
Chair. He observed that during the past 8 years this Council has taken
important strides to share information and research, develop programs,
and work together to improve children's lives. He referred participants
to the Council's "Report of Activities and Recommendations to Congress,
2001--2008" for a review of the Council's accomplishments. He observed
that the Council has dispelled the notion that government agencies
cannot work together effectively on important issues. He thanked staff
from each of the agencies for the work that they have done between
quarterly meetings. He encouraged agencies to look at their upcoming
departmental budgets for opportunities to increase coordination and
collaboration.

The Council voted to approve the minutes from the September 2008
quarterly meeting as written.

**Introduction and Investiture of New Practitioner Members**

***J. Robert Flores***

Mr. Flores introduced three newly appointed practitioner members of the
Council.

Byron Johnson, Ph.D., is Professor of Sociology, Director of the
Institute for Studies of Religion, and Director of the Program on
Prosocial Behavior at Baylor University. He is currently completing a
series of studies for OJJDP on the role of religion in prosocial youth
behavior.

Roland C. Warren, MBA, is President of the National Fatherhood
Initiative, which works in every sector and at every level of society to
engage fathers in the lives of their children. Previously, Mr. Warren
worked as a financial consultant and in management positions for major
corporations.

Harry Wilson, MPA, is a consultant on youth, community, and family
services and programs for ICF International. Previously, he served as
Associate Commissioner, Family and Youth Services Bureau, HHS, where he
led or participated in breakthrough initiatives such as Mentoring
Children of Prisoners, National Youth Summit, Runaway and Homeless Youth
Program, the First Lady's Helping America's Youth Initiative, and the
Federal Mentoring Council. While at HHS, Mr. Wilson actively
participated in Council activities.

Mr. Flores administered the oath of office to the new Council members.

**Launch of Comprehensive Community Initiatives Toolkit**

***Robin Delany-Shabazz, Director, Concentration of Federal Efforts
Program, OJJDP***

***Susan A. Yeres, Ed.D., Consultant***

Robin Delany-Shabazz provided a brief overview of the Council's
Comprehensive Community Initiatives (CCI) Toolkit, a Web-based toolkit
to help Federal managers develop, support, and sustain CCIs to better
the lives of children, youth, and families. The project grew out of the
Council's 2006 strategic planning retreat, when members identified the
need for agencies to better structure CCI supports, strengthen and
increase Federal agency partnering around CCIs, and professionalize the
work around systems change. Federal staff on the Federal Partnerships
Project Work Team and contractors on the Toolkit Development Team have
been hard at work to develop this set of practice guidelines. The team
drew from a number of federally supported projects for key lessons
learned, including Weed and Seed, Safe Kids/Safe Streets, Safe
Schools/Healthy Students, Systems of Care, Criminal Justice Treatment
Networks, and Shared Youth Vision. Ms. Delany-Shabazz thanked team
members for all their efforts.

Sue Yeres reported that the toolkit is based on an inventory of CCIs, a
review of the literature about CCIs, interviews with 40 people from five
CCIs (funders, site managers, technical assistance (TA) providers, and
evaluators), and a forum in which a broad array of professionals
involved with CCIs gathered to review drafts and generate ideas. She
highlighted several features of the Web site, including four sets of
guidelines (on Federal partnerships, funding, TA, and evaluation). The
Web site is designed so that Federal managers can quickly find concise
answers, click for more detailed information, or access a variety of
tools (such as sample TA assessment tools). The toolkit will be housed
on the Coordinating Council's Web site
([www.juvenilecouncil.gov](http://www.juvenilecouncil.gov/)).

Ms. Yeres asked Council members for suggestions about the best way to
get the toolkit into the hands of people who can benefit from it.

-   Gregg Weltz suggested that the toolkit could be used at orientations
    and trainings for Federal staff who will be overseeing and managing
    grants for CCIs. For CCIs that receive Federal funding, the toolkit
    could be presented as a resource for new grantees.

-   Ron Ashford suggested that agencies should be encouraged to review
    the toolkit before they develop notices of funding availability
    (NOFAs) and requests for proposals (RFPs). Federal staff should be
    encouraged to use the toolkit as they are conceptualizing projects
    so they can connect with other Federal partners.

-   Martha Moorehouse said that there is a new Federal interagency Web
    site on youth, which she will report on later in this meeting. She
    suggested that, where it is appropriate, this new site could provide
    a link with the toolkit. She observed that this toolkit will be most
    important when agency staff are seeking information about crafting
    new initiatives. She observed that, in today's climate of limited
    resources, the toolkit's focus on collaboration will make it a
    valuable resource.

Ms. Yeres asked for suggestions for how to get current and new grant
managers and COTRs to access the toolkit and apply it to their work.

-   Ms. Delany-Shabazz suggested that trainings for new grant managers
    and COTRs would provide an ideal opportunity to introduce this
    resource.

-   Mr. Weltz suggested bringing together COTRs and Federal project
    officers for a single cross-agency training to roll out the toolkit.
    Bringing multiple agencies together would lead to richer discussion
    and exchange of information.

Ms. Yeres asked for suggestions for how to introduce the toolkit to new
leadership in this time of transition to ensure that this work
continues.

-   Roland Warren suggested framing the CCI toolkit in language that
    resonates with the philosophy of the new Administration. He
    suggested that because the CCI framework results in systems change,
    it can be seen as valuable by the new Administration.

Ms. Yeres asked for suggestions for what the Coordinating Council can do
in the next year to make this toolkit a valuable and useful document.

-   Mr. Flores suggested that the Council recommend turning the project
    over to the next OJJDP Administrator.

Ms. Yeres observed that the goal is to make the toolkit a "live
document." The plan is to include a feedback mechanism on the Web site
so people can send in new tools and updated resources. She encouraged
Council members to think about ways to continue to get the most
up-to-date knowledge and materials onto this site.

Ms. Yeres concluded by saying that the goal is to make the toolkit the
"go-to source" for best up-to-date knowledge when developing, managing,
and sustaining CCIs and a resource that encourages people to think about
partnering.

**Retrospective of Council Activities, 2001--2008**

***J. Robert Flores***

Mr. Flores observed that, when he became OJJDP Administrator in 2002,
Coordinating Council meetings provided an opportunity for OJJDP to
showcase its work and ask other agencies for help; however, there
appeared to be little opportunity for other agencies to further their
own missions. He said that, since then, the Council has "put to bed" any
misconceptions that Federal agencies cannot collaborate.

Recognizing that Council member agencies work with many of the same
youth, the Council established three overriding goals: (1) strengthen
the practice of inter- and intra-agency youth-focused collaboration; (2)
increase knowledge, dissemination, and use of evidence-based programs;
and (3) elevate the importance of a comprehensive juvenile justice
agenda. To provide a framework for its actions, the Council adopted 13
recommendations from the White House Task Force for Disadvantaged Youth
(<http://www.ncfy.com/publications/disadvantaged/FinalReport.pdf>).

From 2001 to 2008, the Council took a number of concrete steps to
improve the lives of children, families, and communities. For example,
it supported a geographic information system (GIS) tool that brought
programs from a number of Federal agencies together into a single
resource as part of the First Lady's Helping America's Youth Initiative.
Another GIS planning and program tool, OJJDP's SMART (Socioeconomic
Mapping and Resource Topography) System
([http://ojjdp.ncjrs.org/exit.asp?url=http:// smart.
gismapping.info](http://ojjdp.ncjrs.org/exit.asp?url=http:// smart. gismapping.info)),
is being expanded to other Office of Justice Program offices. Mr. Flores
said that it is his hope that this tool will be used by other
departments as well.

Other Council achievements include the use of interagency agreements
(IAAs) to enable agencies to coordinate their work and leverage Federal
resources. The Council has supported two rounds of IAAs, including IAAs
with CNCS, DOL, HUD, National Endowment for the Arts, Center for
Substance Abuse Treatment, and Maternal and Child Health Bureau. In
addition, the Council supported the Federal Mentoring Council, an
interagency council established to coordinate Federal mentoring work and
develop new Federal initiatives to increase mentoring for disadvantaged
youth. In addition, the Council supported coordination of Federal
resources for at-risk youth in the Gulf Coast in the aftermath of
Hurricane Katrina.

Mr. Flores remarked that, as Federal funds continue to tighten, Council
members have the opportunity to examine their agency or program budgets
to look for better ways to leverage funds and avoid duplication of
efforts to serve children.

He referred participants to the Council's "Report of Activities and
Recommendations to Congress, 2001--2008" and asked Council members to
submit final comments or additions to Robin Delany-Shabazz as soon as
possible.

Mr. Flores observed that the Council has accomplished a great deal
during the past 8 years and is positioned to continue to take great
steps.

**Recognition and Celebration**

***J. Robert Flores***

Mr. Flores recognized the following senior Federal staff who have worked
behind the scenes to support the Council's efforts:

-   Ron Ashford (HUD)

-   Robin Delany-Shabazz (OJJDP)

-   Deane Dougherty (DHS)

-   John Foster-Bey (formerly with CNCS)

-   Martha Gagne (ONDCP)

-   Bill Modzeleski (ED)

-   Martha Moorehouse (HHS)

-   Richard Morris (DOL)

-   Curtis Porter (HHS)

-   Sarah Potter (HHS)

-   Maria Lana-Queen (HUD)

-   Barbara Spencer (ONDCP)

-   Gregg Weltz (DOL)

He presented plaques with the Coordinating Council seal and expressed
his appreciation for their work.

William Gibbons (practitioner member) thanked Mr. Flores on behalf of
the Council for his leadership. He remarked that it is the consensus
among Council members that Mr. Flores has raised the activities of the
Council to a new level by bringing together agencies and focusing on
what works. Under the leadership of Mr. Flores, the Council has seen
many achievements including the 2006 national meeting; the planning
retreat, which helped to focus the Council's efforts; and post-Katrina
work to bring together Federal resources to help at-risk youth in the
Gulf region.

**Update on Juvenile Justice Research: Religiosity and Prosocial Youth
Behavior**

***Byron Johnson, Professor of Sociology, Baylor University***

Dr. Johnson received a grant from OJJDP to conduct research on two
understudied areas: prosocial behavior (what helps kids succeed) and
religiosity. He reported on some of the important findings of the five
studies funded by this grant.

Meta-analysis by Dr. Johnson and his colleagues' of almost 900 studies
on the relationship between religion and health found that 80 to 85
percent of these studies concluded that religion has a beneficial effect
on health outcomes (e.g., hypertension, depression, suicide, drug and
alcohol use, and crime and delinquency). Their meta-analysis of studies
examining the relationship between religion and prosocial outcomes again
found that 80 to 85 percent of these studies concluded that religion is
a protective factor associated with beneficial outcomes. Their
meta-analysis of research on the impact of religion on delinquency found
that 90 percent of these studies found an inverse relationship between
religiosity and delinquency.

He highlighted major findings of this project: (1) religion is an
important protective factor that serves as a buffer against negative
outcomes, and (2) religion helps to promote an array of prosocial
behaviors and thus enhances positive outcomes.

In another study of the cumulative advantage of religiosity, Dr. Johnson
and a colleague used longitudinal data (from the National Education
Longitudinal Study) to demonstrate the effect of religion over time.
They found that involvement in religion during preteen years tends to
decrease use of drugs, alcohol, and tobacco in adolescence and young
adulthood. They found empirical evidence that religiosity as a preteen
increases protective factors and decreases risk factors associated with
drug use. Thus, early involvement in religion tends to have a long-term,
prosocial influence on an individual's life.

Dr. Johnson said that the OJJDP-funded research has lead to a number of
exciting spinoff projects on the role of religion as a protective factor
and as a factor that promotes prosocial behavior. To access published
works on this topic, visit
[www.ISReligion.org](http://www.ISReligion.org/).

**Questions and Discussion**

Larry Brendtro (practitioner member) asked if there is a distinction
between types of religion (e.g., judgmental versus love-based). Dr.
Johnson responded that this is an important question. Most of the
datasets that seek information on religiosity are quite basic (e.g.,
frequency of attendance at religious worship). Some of the newer
research is beginning to ask more sophisticated questions such as
perceptions about God so that researchers will have more refined ways of
looking at the role of religion.

Mr. Brendtro asked if religiosity could be considered a tendency toward
altruism (being concerned for something beyond your own immediate
needs). Dr. Johnson responded that there is no question that these two
factors are intertwined, but it is difficult to isolate overlapping
factors.

Gregg Weltz asked Dr. Johnson how his findings about religiosity as a
protective factor for youth could be implemented as a government
strategy. Dr. Johnson responded that he and his colleagues are
demonstrating the importance of religion. Their concern is to continue
to find good, solid empirical evidence and to make sure that
policymakers have this information. Roland Warren remarked that,
although the Federal government's promotion of religion may be
problematic, policymakers can engage faith communities in problem
solving and be mindful of not minimizing the importance of religion.

Dr. Johnson agreed, and observed that there continues to be a subtle
discrimination against the role of religion. For example, it is well
known that there is a significant achievement gap between Caucasian
children and African American or Latino children. However, among
children who come from religious homes and go to religious schools,
there is no gap.

Mr. Warren asked Dr. Johnson if there is a specific list of behaviors
that he uses to define *prosocial.* Dr. Johnson responded that he is
limited to the variables used in any particular study. He takes a
dataset and identifies variables that are consistent with the term
*prosocial.* For example, involvement in extracurricular activities,
academic achievement, or engagement in volunteer work might be
considered prosocial behaviors.

Judge Steven Jones (practitioner member) observed that, when he was on
the bench, he received presentencing reports about juvenile defendants
including information about a child's religious involvement. Although he
could not dictate that a juvenile offender attend church, he knew that
kids who attended church had a greater probability of staying out of
court in the future. Churches provide youth with a support system and
teach them prosocial behaviors such as respect, responsibility,
trustworthiness, and caring.

Judge Gordon Martin (practitioner member) observed that the traditional
use of the term *religiosity* denotes superficial or showy religion and
asked whether researchers must use this term rather than *religious
commitment.* Dr. Johnson responded that terminology is somewhat
problematic, as people interpret terms differently. What he and his
colleagues are attempting to gauge is some level of religious activity
and devoutness. Other terms that are used include *religiousness* and
*spirituality.*

Martha Moorehouse asked how religiosity is related to other protective
factors in the lives of children (e.g., stable home environment,
relationships with parents). Dr. Johnson responded that researchers are
learning that religion is an important part of a cluster of known
protective factors (e.g., parental attachment, education, peers). He
observed that there is a significant interaction between these factors.

**Legislative and Agency Updates, Announcements, and Other Business**

**Interagency Working Group on Youth Programs**

Martha Moorehouse updated the Council on the Interagency Working Group
on Youth Programs, which was established by executive order in February
2008. The goals of the group, whose member agencies overlap a great deal
with those of the Coordinating Council, are to (1) create and support a
new Federal interagency Web site on youth, (2) identify and disseminate
effective strategies and practices that support youth, and (3) promote
enhanced collaboration.

The group has been working to build its new Web site on the foundations
of the Community Guide to Helping America's Youth. The site
([findyouthinfo.gov](http://www.findyouthinfo.gov/)) was recently
soft-launched and is being tested by Working Group members and their
Federal colleagues. It will be formally announced to the general public
later this month. The site provides information about how to collaborate
at the local level, allows users to generate maps of local and Federal
youth-focused resources, helps users find evidence-based programs to
address risk and protective factors, and includes additional features.

Ms. Moorehouse said that the Working Group will continue to enhance the
site and asked Council members to identify features that would help them
in their work to improve youth outcomes. She reminded Council members
that, like the CCI toolkit, this Web site is a tool that can be used to
carry out the priorities of the new Administration. Most of the members
of the Working Group are career Federal staff and will be staying on to
continue this work.

**Legislative Updates**

Mr. Flores referred Council members to their packets for a copy of
"Selected Pending Federal Legislation." He reviewed highlights of
pending legislation, including the bill to reauthorize the Juvenile
Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act. The bill to amend the Runaway
and Homeless Youth Act (S. 2982) just became Public Law 110--378, and
the bill to address Internet child exploitation issues (S. 1738) became
public Law 110--401. A number of other bills are in committee.

**Responses to Written Questions from the Audience**

Mr. Flores said that the Council appreciates questions from the
audience. In response to questions, he said:

-   The Council is by law responsible for coordinating activities at the
    Federal level alone. It does not have specific responsibility for
    coordinating activities at the State and local levels. Each agency
    does its own work with State and local groups.

-   The Council regularly invites local officials to make presentations
    at Council meetings, and this information helps to inform Council
    decisions.

**Announcements and Other Business**

Gregg Weltz announced that DOL is offering a three-category, \$17.3
million competition to help localities develop strategies to assist
young offenders returning from correctional facilities. The three parts
include Youth Offender Planning Grants, to help county and city
governments design plans for helping returning youth offenders; Juvenile
Offender Reentry Implementation Grants, which will allow State and local
juvenile justice agencies to work together to implement strategies for
assisting youth returning home from correctional facilities; and a
National Intermediary Reentry Grant, which will be awarded to one
organization to implement a model program for returning juvenile
offenders in multiple cities. The deadline for applications was December
18. DOL has worked closely with OJJDP to share this information with the
juvenile justice system.

Larry Brendtro announced that he has available copies of the current
issue of *Reclaiming Children and Youth.* This issue of the journal
focuses on the latest research on children who have experienced trauma

Ron Ashford announced that the Urban Institute will host a forum on
December 11 in Chicago called "Location, Location, Location: Combating
Urban Poverty through Place-Based Initiatives." The forum will explore
how initiatives that integrate services for high-need young people can
complement comprehensive neighborhood development work. The event is
available as a live audio webcast. Mr. Ashford encouraged members to
listen to the event.

Judge Martin observed that the U.S. Departments of Agriculture and
Commerce are listed as members of the Interagency Working Group on Youth
Programs and suggested that they would be good additions to the
Coordinating Council.

Harry Wilson reported that President Bush recently announced that the
Mentoring Children of Prisoners Program has passed its goal of providing
mentors for 100,000 children and youth. He said that he will bring
materials on the program to the next Council meeting.

Mr. Flores announced that OJJDP has published the first of the Girls
Study Group Bulletins, "The Girls Study Group---Charting the Way to
Delinquency Prevention for Girls"
(<http://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/ojjdp/223434.pdf>). The next Bulletin
in this series will be released in January.

**Closing and Adjournment**

***J. Robert Flores***

Mr. Flores expressed his appreciation to all of the Council partners and
remarked that he has truly enjoyed working with this group.

The meeting was adjourned at 12:25 p.m.