**Coordinating Council on Juvenile Justice and Delinquency**

**Prevention Quarterly Meeting**

**September 8, 2006**

**Office of Justice Programs, Main Conference Room**

**810 Seventh Street NW, Washington, DC 20531**

**Abstract**

At the September 2006 Quarterly Meeting of the Coordinating Council on
Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, Council members received an
overview of recent research on critical issues in juvenile justice. A
panel of researchers that included Howard Snyder, Rolf Loeber, Joseph
Cocozza, and Andrea Sedlak presented findings on a wide range of issues
including juvenile suicide rates, risk factors for victimization and
delinquency, the growth in arrest rates for violent crime among juvenile
females, early indicators of community crime, mental health disorders
among youth in the juvenile justice system, educational problems among
youth in custody, youth in custody with children, and youth in custody
with a history of prior of abuse. Following the presentation, Council
members had an opportunity to ask questions of the panelists and to
discuss the implications of the research findings for member agencies.

Council members then heard presentations on three critical issues that
the juvenile justice system is currently facing: disproportionate
minority contact, waivers and transfers of juveniles, and youth gangs.
In addition, members were briefed on research proposals recently
submitted to OJJDP.

The presentations provided Council members with a common set of
references and will help them prepare for the December Quarterly
Meeting, when the Council will discuss strategies and set priorities for
its future work.

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

No action items emanated from this meeting.

**Meeting Summary**

**Call to Order and Opening Remarks**

***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 September 8 quarterly meeting of the Coordinating
Council on Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (Council) to
order. He welcomed the members of the Council and members of the public.

He introduced Bertha K. Madras, Ph.D., a new designee to the Council.
Dr. Madras is Deputy Director of Demand Reduction in the White House
Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP). Dr. Madras remarked that
she is happy to serve on the Council and looks forward to learning more
about the functions of the Council and about what ONDCP can do to
contribute to its mission.

Mr. Flores referred Council members to the minutes of the June 2 Council
meeting. Council members voted to certify the minutes as correct.

Mr. Flores reported that the focus of this meeting is to provide an
overview of recent research on critical issues in juvenile justice. This
information will provide Council members with a common set of references
and help them prepare for the December retreat, when the Council will
discuss strategies and set priorities for its future work. He encouraged
members of the audience to submit written questions to the panelists
during the break. Questions will be answered at this meeting or on the
Council Web site.

Mr. Flores reminded Council Planning Team members that a meeting will be
held at 1:30 p.m. to plan the December retreat. That meeting will not be
open to the public.

**Administrative Announcements**

***Robin Delany-Shabazz, Designated Federal Official, OJJDP***

Ms. Delany-Shabazz referred Council members to their packets, which
contain a wealth of information organized by agenda topics. She remarked
that copies of the materials are available on the table for the public.
She reminded participants to complete and return their meeting
evaluation forms after the meeting.

**Conversation with the Researchers. Overview: At Risk Youth, Juvenile
Justice Issues, and Trends**

***Lisa Trivits, Moderator, Research and Policy Analyst, Office of Human
Services Policy, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and
Evaluation, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)***

Mr. Flores said that the Coordinating Council has assembled a group of
experts to share their knowledge of what they have learned from their
research, to identify critical issues, and to suggest implications of
the data. He observed that OJJDP and the Coordinating Council member
agencies all are committed to the notion that research must inform
policy. Solutions to juvenile crime and delinquency are complex and must
involve every system in our community working together. He introduced
panel moderator, Lisa Trivits, who asked the panelists to introduce
themselves.

**Facts To Consider**

***Howard Snyder, Director of Systems Research, National Center for
Juvenile Justice***

Dr. Snyder presented four key issues for Council members to consider.

1.  **Mental Health Concerns.** Much juvenile violence is
    self-inflicted, and juveniles are almost as likely to be a suicide
    victim as a homicide victim. Juvenile suicide rates are highest in
    states that have a large population of Native Americans, and Native
    American youth have the highest suicide rate of any group in the
    country. In 33 states, juvenile suicide victims outnumbered juvenile
    murder victims (1981--2001).

2.  **Community Context.** Living in a disadvantaged community
    influences a youth's risk of victimization, as does lack of
    supervision.

3.  **The Level of Juvenile Violence.** The juvenile arrest rate for
    violent crime was lower in 2004 than in any year since 1980. The
    juvenile arrest rate for murder declined steadily from 1993 to 2004,
    so the 3- to 5-percent increase in 2005 is relatively small by
    comparison.

4.  **Increases in Violence by Juvenile Females.** Both males and
    females experienced a similar decline in arrest rates for murder,
    robbery, burglary, motor vehicle theft, and drug violations.
    However, the growth in arrest rates for aggravated assault, simple
    assault, and weapons offenses was proportionately greater for
    females than males. This may not reflect an actual *increase* in
    offenses, but rather a change in police response to domestic
    violence. Previously, a girl who hit her mother was charged with
    incorrigibility and treated as a status offender, and today she is
    treated as a violent offender.

**Crime Waves and the Need for Multi-Agency Report Cards of Early
Indicators of Community Crime**

***Rolf Loeber, Distinguished Professor of Psychiatry, University of
Pittsburgh***

Dr. Loeber's presentation addressed three key questions: (1) Is it
possible to predict crime waves? (2) What are community needs for
indicators of future crime waves? (3) What is the role of interagency
collaboration?

Dr. Loeber observed that community crime trends are not a function of
chance, are an aggregate of age-crime curves of successive age cohorts,
and are most influenced by peak offending age of juveniles and by
high-rate offenders. He remarked that peak offending age and the number
of high-rate offenders can vary from age cohort to age cohort.

Researchers from the Pittsburgh Youth Study found a large difference in
reported violence between two age cohorts, with the older cohort (who
grew up around 1994) showing a higher rate of crime and a larger number
of years to outgrow violence than the younger cohort. Study
investigators found that predictors of violence include 11 broad risk
factors (e.g., low socioeconomic status, high-risk neighborhood, low
school motivation). The more risk factors present, the higher the
probability of later violence among young males. Surveys of risk factors
and surveys that measure the general well-being of juveniles help us to
understand the risk factors that youth are being exposed to.

Today policymakers are faced with a major choice---whether to continue
with mostly reactive systems of intervention that address juvenile
delinquency or to use information about predictors of violence to expand
proactive systems of intervention.

Dr. Loeber suggested that the Coordinating Council consider the
following recommendations:

1.  Put together a working group to explore early marker systems and
    report on available data sources, barriers, and feasibility issues.
    The Council is in an ideal position to do this.

2.  Explore options to tie this work on predictors into existing
    programs such as the Helping America's Youth initiative.

3.  Support state and county development of local early marker systems.

**Mental Health and Juvenile Justice: Issues and Trends**

***Joseph Cocozza, Director, National Center for Mental Health and
Juvenile Justice (NCMHJJ)***

Dr. Cocozza reported on NCMHJJ's recent OJJDP-funded study of mental
health disorders among youth in the juvenile justice system. The
multistate study, which was conducted across a continuum of settings,
found high rates of mental health disorders, regardless of geographic
location or type of residential setting. The study found that
approximately 70 percent of justice-involved youth met the criteria for
at least one psychiatric disorder. Many of these youth experienced
multiple and severe disorders. For example, 55.6 percent met the
criteria for at least two diagnoses, 60.8 percent of youth with a mental
health disorder also had a substance use disorder, and 27 percent had
disorders serious enough to require immediate and significant treatment.

Dr. Cocozza described other factors that are fueling the growing sense
of crisis surrounding youth with mental health disorders. The number of
youth entering the juvenile justice system is increasing. Youth are
being inappropriately placed, and many of these youth do not need to be
in the juvenile justice system. In addition, mental health services are
often unavailable or inadequate.

A number of services and strategies are being developed to support the
better identification and treatment of these youth.

1.  **Standardized mental health screening and assessment procedures.**
    For example, the Massachusetts Youth Screening Instrument (MAYSI--2)
    is now used systemwide in 39 states.

2.  **Evidence-based interventions and promising practices.** As
    researchers have begun to study the effect on criminal recidivism of
    different types of programs for juvenile offenders, there is a
    growing understanding of "what works" and what does not.

3.  **Comprehensive mental health and juvenile justice programs and
    models.** These include the Substance Abuse and Mental Health
    Services Administration's (SAMHSA's) *Policy Academy on Improving
    Services for Youth with Mental Health and Co-Occurring Substance Use
    Disorders Involved with the Juvenile Justice System,* the MacArthur
    Foundation's Models for Change Initiative, and OJJDP/NCMHJJ's
    *Blueprint for Change: A Comprehensive Model for the Identification
    and Treatment of Youth with Mental Health Needs in Contact with the
    Juvenile Justice System.*

Even though progress is being made, much needs to be done. Throughout
the juvenile justice system, there is a need for effective treatment
diversion programs, expanded community-based mental health services,
gender-specific services, increased use of evidence-based practices,
integrated programs for youth with co-occurring disorders, and linkages
at reentry. At the federal level, there is need for greater recognition
and support for the needs of these youth and the systems that serve them
and a need for modeling and cross-agency collaborative actions.

Dr. Cocozza concluded that youth with mental health problems present a
major challenge for the juvenile justice system, the resolution of which
requires collaboration across systems.

**Educational Problems, Childbearing, and Prior Abuse Among Delinquents
in Custody**

***Andrea Sedlak, Vice President, Westat, Inc.***

Dr. Sedlak presented information on three important findings from the
Survey of Youth in Residential Placement, a survey that involved
interviews with a nationally representative sample of 7,000 youth in
residential placement (YRP) because of offenses.

1.  **Educational problems of YRP.** YRP report far higher rates than
    the general population for dropping out of school, being suspended
    or expelled from school, repeating a grade, performing below grade
    level, or having a learning disability. However, fewer than half of
    nongraduates with learning disabilities receive special education in
    their facility and 20 percent of nongraduates report that they have
    no plans for school after their release.

2.  **Childbearing.** One in seven YRP have children and one in five YRP
    have children or are currently expecting a child. These rates are
    far higher than those for the general population. Among YRP, the
    rates are higher for boys than for girls, which is opposite of the
    trends in the general population. Youth with children have more
    educational problems (e.g., more youth with children have learning
    disabilities and more youth with children have dropped out of
    school).

3.  **Prior abuse of offenders in custody.** Of YRP, 30 percent report
    prior physical or sexual abuse. Youth who did not have a biological
    parent caregiver when growing up experienced higher rates of prior
    abuse. Youth who experienced abuse are more likely than other YRP to
    have committed more serious crimes, to have drug/alcohol problems,
    to be gang members, to report emotional problems, to engage in
    fights in their facility, and to have educational problems.

In addition, Dr. Sedlak presented findings from the National Incidence
Study of Child Abuse and Neglect. The number of children in the country
who experience maltreatment goes far beyond the children who are
investigated by the child protective services (CPS) system.
Professionals in a number of other community agencies---particularly
schools---come into contact with children who have been maltreated.

Dr. Sedlak summarized the implications of these findings. (1) Schools
play a key role in the identification of abuse and identification of
educational problems, so they have the potential for delinquency
prevention, early intervention, and aftercare for reentering juvenile
offenders. (2) Programs and services for youth in custody should include
early identification of victimized youth and of their needs for
services, programs addressing educational needs, support for school
plans after release, and identification of youth with children and
support for their special needs.

**Research Proposals Submitted to OJJDP**

***Janet Chiancone, Research Coordinator, OJJDP***

Ms. Chiancone reported that in May OJJDP released the solicitation for
its Field-Initiated Research and Evaluation Program. Applicants from the
field were invited to conduct research studies or evaluate programs
focusing on prevention, intervention, or treatment of juvenile
delinquency and/or child victimization. OJJDP received more than 140
applications, which demonstrates the need for continued support of
research studies. Many of the proposals reflected the themes raised by
the researchers at this Council meeting (e.g., proposals to examine the
nexus between victimization and delinquency, proposals to conduct
research studies or evaluate programs that address mental health issues,
proposals to evaluate residential programs and reentry programs for
delinquent and foster care populations, proposals focusing on
evidence-based programs and learning more about "what works"). Fifteen
proposals will be funded, and OJJDP hopes to release the solicitation
again next year. Information about the funded studies will be posted on
the Coordinating Council Web site (<http://www.juvenilecouncil.gov/>).

**Conversation with the Researchers (Continued). Discussion: Import and
Implications for Member Agencies**

Dr. Trivits observed that the panelists had presented a tremendous
amount of information about what research has been accomplished and the
needs for future research. She encouraged Council members to think about
how the Council as a body can conduct policy and program planning to
address some of the issues identified by the panelists. She opened the
floor for Council members to engage in discussion and ask questions of
the panelists.

*Can you describe the profile of juvenile suicide victims?*

Dr. Snyder responded that information can be gathered from coroners'
reports about suicide victims' method, age, gender, and ethnicity, but
little is known about their mental health backgrounds. The suicide rate
for Native American youth is five times higher than for white youth, and
the rate among whites is higher than among blacks. The high suicide rate
among Native American youth suggests that this population has a high
need for improved mental health and substance abuse services. A possible
explanation for the relatively low juvenile suicide rates in some urban
states (e.g., California, New York, and New Jersey) is that these states
have better mental health services than more rural states.

Mr. Flores said that an OJJDP report on this issue will be released
soon. The report will be posted on the OJJDP and Coordinating Council
Web sites. He observed that the National Center on Child Fatality Review
(NCFR) is an important resource. Every state is required to have a board
that reviews what has happened when a child dies. Some states have
well-supported boards, and others do not. He suggested that OJJDP and
HHS could work together to lend support to the child fatality review
effort. Ideally, all state boards should examine not only coroners'
reports but also information from law enforcement, mental health
services, public health officials, CPS, etc. This information would
allow researchers to put together longitudinal studies about juvenile
suicide victims. A list of state contacts is available at the NCFR Web
site, <http://www.ican-ncfr.org/>. See also
[www.childdeathreview.org](http://www.childdeathreview.org/).

*All of these presentations seem to be talking about the same group of
kids. Would it be possible to link together the various research studies
to provide a better sense of what is driving the problems that we are
seeing?*

Dr. Loeber responded that a great deal is known about factors that drive
children to delinquency. He and his colleagues have identified 53
predictors of delinquency (including maltreatment and educational
problems), a dozen of which are particularly important. He said that his
book, *Serious and Violent Juvenile Offenders,* is a good place to begin
to learn about these markers.

Dr. Cocozza added that the more we learn from the research, the more we
understand that youth in the juvenile justice system have common
problems (e.g., they tend to live in high-risk neighborhoods, to have
mental health problems, and to have experienced abuse). There is a clear
overlap between youth in the child welfare system, youth faring poorly
in the educational system, and those in the juvenile justice system. We
need to do a better job developing comprehensive services and programs
to help these youth earlier so that they do not end up in the juvenile
justice system.

*Can you discuss the issue of resiliency, as many at-risk juveniles do
alright or better than alright?*

Dr. Loeber responded that a great deal of work has been done on
resiliency and protective factors. Researchers are finding that
desistance (from crime and delinquency) takes place at different times
along the development course for different youth. A number of factors
influence desistance including family (e.g., parental supervision),
education, etc.

*In this time of scarce resources, how can federal agencies assist state
and local professionals to identify and meet the mental health and
substance abuse needs of children?*

Dr. Cocozza said that some impressive work has already been done. The
basic approach is to bring together teams of the main administrators
from the relevant agencies and ask them to figure out how to do a better
job addressing a particular problem. For example, SAMHSA led the effort
to convene the National Policy Academy; with relatively little money,
this initiative has resulted in significant changes in the way in which
youth with mental health and co-occurring substance use disorders are
dealt with.

*How can we get a more accurate, complete profile of a juvenile offender
before he or she is sentenced?*

Judge Steven Jones, Sullivan County, Tennessee, said that his
jurisdiction established an observation and assessment center for
testing, screening, observing, and providing a physical examination of
juvenile offenders. A team of psychiatrists, counselors, and medical
doctors observes the child for up to 30 days, identifies the child's
specific problems, and makes recommendations for appropriate services;
most of the children who go through the center get the help that they
need without going into state custody. He remarked that such centers
should be funded throughout the United States. Judge Jones said that his
jurisdiction also has a respite center, where juveniles can be separated
from their families for a "cooling-off period" and then gradually
integrated back into their home environments.

Dr. Sedlak said that in the 1990s she conducted an evaluation of runaway
and homeless youth shelters and learned that approximately one-third of
the youth who came to these shelters reported that they went there to
seek respite from their families.

Dr. Cocozza congratulated Judge Jones on his county's observation and
assessment program. He observed that a few of these programs exist
across the country; however, they tend to be isolated cases, and there
has been no general encouragement of such programs or recognition of
their importance. A movement in this direction is needed.

*What are some of the key prevention strategies, early-intervention
strategies, or intervention points that could have the most impact in
terms of reducing delinquency and victimization?*

Dr. Snyder observed that researchers and policymakers have been
emphasizing the idea of evidence-based programs but have not identified
numerous programs that "work." An important next step is the evaluation
of existing good programs and the identification of additional
evidence-based programs that can be replicated across the country.

Ms. Chiancone said that OJJDP strongly encourages the states to spend
their formula grant funds on evidence-based programming, and OJJDP is
being measured on its ability to support evidence-based programming. She
suggested that perhaps Council agencies could work together to reach
common standards on what is meant by evidence-based programming.

Dr. Loeber agreed with Dr. Snyder's observation on the need to evaluate
more programs in order to increase the variety of evidence-based
programs. For example, programs that address gender-specific issues are
underdeveloped, and more information is needed about culturally relevant
programs for various ethnic groups. In addition, some excellent programs
may not be ready to disseminate because they do not have good manuals.
OJJDP could facilitate the development of strong programs for
replication.

Ms. Chiancone responded that OJJDP's Field-Initiated Demonstration
Program focuses on the development of program models that advance
juvenile justice practice.

Richard Morris, U.S. Department of Labor, referred back to the question
about key intervention points. He observed that we know that the
problems described by the researchers are concentrated in "discrete
pockets." He observed that it makes sense to implement evidence-based
models inside these discrete pockets and at the same time ensure that
there is an infusion of resources to allow these models to work.

*Speaking of evidence-based programs, please comment on the earlier
slide indicating that Scared Straight--type programs and juvenile boot
camps are not effective.*

Dr. Cocozza responded that research studies have consistently found that
these types of programs have not been effective in reducing recidivism
or reducing the crime rate.

*The slide referring to Scared Straight and juvenile boot camps
indicates that these programs actually increased recidivism. What does
this mean?*

Dr. Cocozza responded that, because these programs are not
cost-effective, they should not be funded. The emphasis upon
evidence-based practices is getting practitioners to realize the need to
evaluate what they are doing. If a practice does not work, we should not
be funding it.

Dr. Snyder added that, if a program has negative results, it is
important to make people aware of that.

*Do programs such as Scared Straight and juvenile boot camps target more
serious offenders who are more likely to be repeat offenders? Could this
be the reason that they have not been effective in reducing recidivism?*

Dr. Cocozza responded that most studies of these programs have been
controlled for such factors, and there is little disagreement among
researchers that these programs are not effective.

*In Memphis, a growing number of girls are involved in gang activity. Of
those juveniles who acknowledge gang affiliation at intake, 25 to 30
percent are girls. Could this phenomenon be contributing to the growth
in arrest rates for assault and gun possession among girls?*

Dr. Snyder responded that no uniform data are collected on whether
juveniles who enter the courts are gang-involved. The trend in Memphis
could be a local phenomenon in terms of how gang is defined and how law
enforcement responds to these juveniles.

Ms. Chiancone referred to OJJDP's Girls Study Group (GSG), which is
examining a variety of research related to girls and delinquency. The
GSG has not found a change in girls' self-reported behavior over time,
although the growth in arrest rates for violent crime has been greater
for girls than for boys. OJJDP hopes to release a Bulletin on the GSG
findings in November.

Mr. Flores thanked the panelists and remarked that this conversation
will continue in December, when the Coordinating Council will discuss
these issues and identify priorities that should be addressed over the
next several years.

**Focus on Critical and Current Issues**

Mr. Flores said that this portion of the agenda will examine three
topics that are of special concern to OJJDP---disproportionate minority
contact (DMC), waivers and transfers, and youth gangs. They are
statutory areas of focus and have all been identified as priority areas
by the Federal Advisory Committee on Juvenile Justice. DMC and waivers
are controversial issues among practitioners and among the public, and
it has been a challenge to have a principled discussion and develop
principled strategies. He observed that often our first instinct is for
immediate justice; although the demand for justice is a necessary
function of our system, the system must be perceived as fair. Mr. Flores
then introduced the three presenters.

**Disproportionate Minority Contact**

***Michael Shader, Social Science Specialist, OJJDP***

Mr. Shader said that minorities make up about one-third of the general
population but about two-thirds of those in contact with the justice
system. In 2002, Congress modified the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency
Act to broaden the DMC initiative from disproportionate minority
*confinement* to disproportionate minority *contact,* because minority
youth are disproportionately represented at all levels of the juvenile
justice system. The Act requires system improvement efforts to ensure
equal treatment of all youth.

A number of theories have been posited on the causes of DMC. These
include discrimination, institutional bias, higher involvement of
minorities in delinquent acts, and lack of access to counsel. OJJDP's
Program of Research on the Causes and Correlates of Delinquency, which
collects data on self-reported offending, found that DMC cannot be
explained solely by differences in offense rates. Recent studies have
found that there is a bias in how African American youth are processed
in the justice system.

OJJDP has been working with the states to address DMC. Some states,
especially Washington and Colorado, have undertaken significant system
improvement efforts to reduce DMC. Promising approaches to reduce DMC
include alternatives to detention, objective risk assessment
instruments, cultural competency training, legislation addressing DMC,
funding to provide legal representation for minority juveniles, and
uniform guidelines.

Mr. Shader observed that minorities are overrepresented not only in
juvenile justice but in the child welfare system, among youth at risk of
academic failure, etc. Many of the agencies represented on the
Coordinating Council are faced with disproportionality, but OJJDP is the
only agency that is mandated by law to address this issue. He concluded
by observing that it is important for agencies to work together to
address this issue, to identify promising approaches, to conduct
rigorous and focused evaluations, and to identify effective
interventions.

**Waivers and Transfers**

***Gordon Martin, Jr., Practitioner Member, Coordinating Council***

Judge Martin said that, in response to the high rates of juvenile
violent crime in the 1990s, there was a rash of legislation to expand
states' ability to transfer juvenile cases to adult criminal court.
Since this wave of legislation, many studies have been conducted on the
comparative impact of juvenile versus criminal court sanctions on
recidivism. Generally, these studies have found that there is a higher
rate of recidivism among transferred youth than among retained youth.

Judge Martin suggested that the Coordinating Council and member agencies
should be taking measures to reduce the likelihood that children reach
the stage where the difficult decision must be made regarding whether to
transfer them to criminal court. For example:

-   DOJ should encourage cooperation between the U.S. Attorney, U.S.
    Marshal, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and local law enforcement
    to support community policing.

-   Federal agencies should work together to address the problem of
    school dropouts. This problem reflects multiple issues including the
    need to reduce teen pregnancy, the need to increase funds for Head
    Start, the need to provide assistance when a child falls below grade
    level, and the need to provide classes and incentives for dropouts
    to return to school.

-   Federal agencies should work together to provide adequate community
    health centers, drug treatment programs, summer job programs,
    afterschool programs, and public housing.

Judge Martin concluded that many of our nation's youth will not succeed
without increased federal assistance and intelligent federal monitoring.

**Gangs**

***Phelan Wyrick, Gang Program Coordinator, OJJDP***

Mr. Wyrick pointed out that the National Youth Gang Survey results
indicate that gang activity has steadily declined since 1996, but by
2004 there was a leveling off or even a small increase in gang activity.
Juveniles who join gangs tend to be among the highest-risk youth, and
the more risk factors that are present, the more likely an individual is
to join a gang. Gang members offend at higher rates, commit more serious
crimes, and are more likely to be involved in adult criminal enterprises
than nongang members.

The renewed media attention on gangs is fueled in part by the growth in
immigrant gangs, particularly among immigrants from Central America.
Immigrant youth often experience difficult circumstances before they
come to the United States (e.g., many are initially left behind when
their parents come to the United States) and then have a difficult time
fitting in when they are brought here. These youth are being heavily
recruited by gangs. DOJ is working with the U.S. Department of State and
the U.S. Agency for International Development to take an international
approach to this problem.

OJJDP emphasizes a multi-sector, multi-strategy, long-term approach to
respond to gangs that includes prevention, intervention, enforcement,
and reentry strategies. Recent DOJ initiatives have included OJJDP's
Gang Reduction Program and the Attorney General's Anti-Gang Initiative,
which was launched in six jurisdictions across the country. In addition,
Project Safe Neighborhoods has expanded its focus to include gang
prevention, and all 93 U.S. Attorneys have been asked to convene gang
prevention summits in their districts. DOJ has developed Web-based
resources to support multi-strategy approaches to gangs, and states are
beginning to tie their anti-gang funding to this model.

Mr. Wyrick concluded by referring to the earlier discussion of the need
for evidence-based programs. He observed that practitioners across the
country must deal with the challenges posed by gangs, regardless of
whether they have evidence-based programs to meet those challenges.
Public health approaches (multi-sector, long-term approaches that
involve multiple strategies) are notoriously difficult to evaluate. For
this reason, he urged caution in tying funding exclusively to
evidence-based approaches.

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

**HHS**

***Jerry Regier, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Planning and
Evaluation***

***Harry Wilson, Associate Commissioner, Family and Youth Services
Bureau (FYSB)***

***Stan Chappell, Director, Research and Evaluation, FYSB***

***Randy Muck, Lead Public Health Advisor, SAMHSA***

-   **Helping America's Youth (HAY) Initiative.** This summer the White
    House hosted two regional HAY conferences, in Denver and
    Indianapolis. Three working groups representing 10 federal agencies
    were formed to facilitate the conferences. All agencies were asked
    to identify evidence-based programs, and the HAY Program Tool
    currently identifies 180 evidence-based programs.

-   **Mentoring Children of Prisoners (MCP) Program.** The
    Administration for Children and Families (ACF) hopes that Congress
    will approve its proposed voucher program, so that children of
    prisoners can be linked with any of the 4,100 existing mentoring
    programs around the country. In addition, ACF is selecting sites to
    conduct an evaluation of MCP.

-   **Child Welfare.** ACF has submitted a bill that requests \$40
    million for grants to improve outcomes for children affected by
    methamphetamine use. In addition, ACF supports legislation that
    would permit states to administer their foster care programs more
    flexibly; this would allow states to work with children who are not
    yet part of the system as a prevention alternative to foster care.

-   **Office of Community Services (OCS).** OCS is about to announce
    awards for the Community Empowerment Youth Grants, which allocate
    funds to build community systems and organizational capacity to
    improve services to youth.

-   **Transitional Living Programs for Runaway and Homeless Youth.**
    FYSB will soon begin a followup evaluation of long-term outcomes
    among older homeless youth in residential transitional living
    programs.

-   **Interagency Agreement Between SAMHSA and OJJDP.** The agreement
    focuses on three areas: (1) OJJDP and SAMHSA will convene summit
    meetings to bring together practitioners and researchers who focus
    on prevention and treatment of substance abuse and mental health
    disorders within community settings and within juvenile justice
    settings to share common knowledge, instrumentation, and information
    about approaches that are working in both settings. (2) SAMHSA will
    hold a planning forum on tribal juvenile justice and substance
    abuse/mental health issues as a means of improving policy
    coordination in that arena. (3) OJJDP and SAMHSA will hold a series
    of partnership meetings between the two agencies.

**U.S. Department of Labor (DOL)**

***Richard Morris, Work Force Development Specialist, Employment and
Training Administration***

-   **Shared Youth Vision Federal Collaborative Partnership.** The
    partnership will hold Youth Vision Forums in Atlanta to provide
    technical assistance to 16 state teams.

-   **YouthBuild Transfer Act.** Congress has approved a bill to
    transfer the YouthBuild initiative from the U.S. Department of
    Housing and Urban and Development (HUD) to DOL. This bill will now
    go before the President for his signature.

**Corporation for National and Community Service (CNS)**

***Theresa Clower, Executive Director/Senior Advisor, CNS; Executive
Director, Federal Mentoring Council***

-   **Federal Mentoring Council.** The Federal Mentoring Council held
    its first meeting in July. Eight departments are represented on the
    council: HHS, DOJ, DOL, Education, Defense, Agriculture, HUD, and
    CNS. The meeting provided an overview of federal mentoring programs.
    Participants identified 54 primary, partial, or potential mentoring
    programs. The October meeting will focus on training and technical
    assistance.

**Adjournment**

Mr. Flores adjourned the meeting at 12:35 p.m.

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

**Quarterly Meeting**

**Friday, September 8, 2006**

**Final Attendance List**

**Ron Ashford**

Director

HOPE VI Community and Supportive Services

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

451 7th Street SW

Washington, DC 20410

202-708-0614

202-401-2370 (fax)

Ronald_T.\_Ashford@HUD.gov

**Bray Barnes**

Attorney/Practitioner

Coordinating Council on Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention

1924 Kenilworth Court

Toms River, NJ 08753

732-255-4748

732-255-0278 (fax)

bbbtrcolt@aol.com

**Renee K. Carl**

Director of Policy and Government Relations

National Collaboration for Youth

1319 F Street NW, Suite 402

Washington, DC 20004

202-347-2080

202-393-4517 (fax)

renee@nassembly.org

**Stan Chappell**\
Director, Research and Evaluation\
Family and Youth Services Bureau, Administration

for Children and Families

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services\
1250 Maryland Avenue SW\
Suite 800\
Washington, DC 20024\
202-205-8496\
schappell@acf.hhs.gov

**Janet Chiancone**

Research Coordinator

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention

U.S. Department of Justice

810 7th Street NW

Washington, DC 20531

202-305-8273

Janet.chiacone@usdoj.gov

**Theresa B. Clower**

Executive Director/Senior Advisor

Corporation for National and Community

Service

Federal Mentoring Council

1201 New York Avenue NW

Washington, DC 20525

202-606-6755

202-606-3476 (fax)

tclower@cns.gov

**Joseph J. Cocozza, Ph.D.**

Director

National Center for Mental Health

and Juvenile Justice

Policy Research Associates, Inc.

345 Delaware Avenue

Delmar, NY 12054

518-439-7415, ext. 227

518-439-7612 (fax)

**Javier M. Cordova**

Senior Policy Analyst

Office of National Drug Control Policy

750 17th Street NW

Washington, DC 20503

202-395-6166

202-395-6744 (fax)

Jcordova@ondcp.eop.gov

**Catherine Davis**\
Chief of Staff\
Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools

U.S. Department of Education\
400 Maryland Avenue SW\
Washington, DC 20202\
202-205-4169\
catherine.davis@ed.gov

**Robin Delany-Shabazz**

Designated Federal Official

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention

U.S. Department of Justice

810 7th Street NW, Room 3327

Washington, DC 20531

202-307-9963

202-354-4063 (fax)

robin.delany-shabazz@usdoj.gov

**Mary Downs**\
Research Officer\
Institute of Museum and Library Services\
1800 M Street NW, 9th Floor\
Washington, DC 20036\
202-653-4682\
mdowns@imls.gov

**Daryel A. Dunston**

Senior Meeting Planner

EDJ Associates, Inc.

2100 Reston Parkway

Suite 350

Reston, VA 20191

703-738-9175

703-738-9149 (fax)

ddunston@edjassociates.com

**Thaddeus Ferber**

Program Director

The Forum for Youth Investment

7064 Eastern Avenue NW

Washington, DC 20012

202-207-3333

202-207-3341 (fax)

thaddeus@forumforyouthinvestment.org

**Kathleen Ferrier**\
Senior Policy Associate\
YMCA of the USA\
1101 17th Street NW\
Suite 705\
Washington, DC 20036\
202-835-9043\
katie.ferrier@ymca.net

**Patrick Fitzgerald**\
Government Relations Coordinator\
National Association of Service and Conservation

Corps\
666 11th Street NW

Suite 1000\
Washington, DC 20001\
202-737-6272\
202-737-6277 (fax)\
pfitzgerald@nascc.org

**J. Robert Flores**

Administrator

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention

U.S. Department of Justice

810 7th Street NW

Washington, DC 20531

202-307-5911

202-307-2093 (fax)

robert.flores@usdoj.gov

**John A. Foster-Bey**\
Senior Advisor\
Corporation for National and Community Service\
1201 New York Avenue NW\
Washington, DC 20525\
202-606-6635\
jfosterbey@cns.gov

**Elizabeth Gaines**\
Program Manager\
Forum for Youth Investment\
7064 Eastern Avenue NW\
Washington, DC 20012

202-207-3714\
elizabeth@forumforyouthinvestment.org

**William Gibbons**

District Attorney, Shelby County, Tennessee

State of Tennessee

201 Poplar Avenue, Third Floor

Memphis, TN 38103

901-545-5900

901-545-3937 (fax)

linda.russell@srdag.com

**Kathi L. Grasso**

Senior Juvenile Justice Policy and Legal Advisor

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention

U.S. Department of Justice

810 Seventh Street NW

Washington, DC 20531

202-616-7567

202-307-2093 (fax)

kathi.grasso@usdoj.gov

**Adele Grubbs**

Judge

Superior Court of Cobb County

30 Waddell Street

Marietta, GA 30090-9643

770-528-1826

770-528-1830 (fax)

agrubbs@cobbcounty.org

**Sheila Harley**\
Senior Vice President\
DB Consulting Group, Inc.\
8403 Colesville Road, 10th Floor\
Silver Spring, MD 20602\
301-589-4020 ext. 143\
301-589-4122 (fax)\
sdjohnson@dbconsultinggroup.com

**Steven H. Jones**

Judge

Sullivan County, Tennessee

200 Shelby Street

Kingsport, TN 37660

423-224-1750

423-224-1732 (fax)

SHJones24@yahoo.com

**Joan LaRocca**

Public Affairs Specialist

Office of Justice Programs

U.S. Department of Justice

810 7th Street NW

Washington, DC 20531

202-514-8875

202-514-5958 (fax)

joan.larocca@usdoj.gov

**Donni LeBoeuf**

Special Assistant to the Administrator

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention

U.S. Department of Justice

810 Seventh Street NW

Washington, DC 20531

202-616-3642

202-307-2093 (fax)

donni.leboeuf@usdoj.gov

**Suzanne M. LeMenestrel**\
National Program Leader, Youth Development

Research\
National 4-H Headquarters, CSREES

U.S. Department of Agriculture\
1400 Independence Avenue SW\
MS 2225\
Washington, DC 20250\
202-720-2297\
202-720-9366 (fax)\
slemenestrel@csrees.usda.gov

**Rolf Loeber, Ph.D.**

Distinguished Professor of Psychiatry and

Professor of Psychology and Epidemiology

Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, University of

Pittsburgh Medical Center

3811 O\'Hara Street

Pittsburgh, PA 15213

412-647-7118

412-647-7225 (fax)

loeberr@upmc.edu

**Beth P. Lovell**

Director for Children, Youth, and Families

Volunteers of America, Inc.

National Headquarters

1660 Duke Street

Alexandria, VA 22314-3427

703-341-5060

703-341-7001 (fax)

bethp@voa.org

**Phillip Lovell**

Vice President, Public Policy

America's Promise

909 North Washington Street, Suite 400

Alexandria, VA 22314-1556

703-535-3862

703-535-3904 (fax)

phillipl@americaspromise.org

**Bertha K. Madras, Ph.D.**

Deputy Director for Demand Reduction

Office of National Drug Control Policy

750 17th Street NW

Washington, DC 20503

202-395-6751

202-395-6744 (fax)

Vwoodberry@ondcp.eop.gov

**Gordon A. Martin, Jr.**

Associate Justice (retired)

31 Grant Avenue

Newton Centre, MA 02459-1308

617-244-4670

617-244-4670 (fax)

gamartinjr@comcast.net

**Marion Mattingly**

Washington Editor

Juvenile Justice Update

Civic Research Institute, Inc.

8801 Fallen Oak Drive

Bethesda, MD 20817

301-469-6580

301-469-8013 (fax)

wmattingly@aol.com

**Angela Moody**

CEO/President

EDJ Associates, Inc.

2100 Reston Parkway

Suite 350

Reston, VA 20191

703-738-9150

703-738-9149 (fax)

Amoody@edjassociates.com

**Martha Moorehouse**

Director

Children and Youth Division

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

200 Independence Avenue SW

Washington, DC 20201

202-690-6963

202-690-6562 (fax)

Martha.Moorehouse@hhs.gov

**Karen Morgan**

Senior Program Analyst

U.S. Department of Defense

4000 Defense Pentagon, Room 2E319

Washington, DC

703-693-5049

703-697-2519 (fax)

**Richard G. Morris**

Workforce Development Specialist

Employment and Training Administration

U.S. Department of Labor

200 Constitution Avenue NW, Room N4511

Washington, DC 20210

202-693-3603

202-693-3861 (fax)

morris.richard@dol.gov

**Randolph Muck**

Lead Public Health Advisor/Team Leader

Adolescent Programs

Center for Substance Abuse Treatment

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

1 Choke Cherry Road, Room 5-1087

Rockville, MD 20857

240-276-1576

240-276-2970 (fax)

randy.muck@samhsa.hhs.gov

**Denis Murstein**\
Executive Director\
Youth Network Council\
200 North Michigan Avenue\
Suite 400\
Chicago, IL 60601\
312-704-1257 ext. 304

312-704-1265 (fax)\
murstein@youthnetworkcouncil.org

**Cheryl S. Neverman**\
Senior Program Manager\
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

U.S. Department of Transportation\
400 7th Street SW, NTI-111, Room 5118\
Washington, DC 20590\
202-366-2696\
202-366-2766 (fax)\
cheryl.neverman@dot.gov

**Catherine M. Nolan**

Director

Office on Child Abuse and Neglect, Children's Bureau

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

1250 Maryland Avenue SW, 8th Floor

Washington, DC 20024

202-260-5140

cnolan@acf.hhs.gov

**John Pogash**

National Juvenile Coordinator

Detention and Removal Operations

Immigration and Customs Enforcement

U.S. Department of Homeland Security

425 I Street NW, Suite 900

Washington, DC 20536

202-307-6007

202-305-2919 (fax)

john.pogash@dhs.gov

**Sarah Potter**

Child Care Program Specialist

Program Operations Division

Child Care Bureau

Portals Building, Suite 800

1250 Maryland Avenue SW

Washington, DC 20024

202-205-8388

202-690-5600 (fax)

spotter@acf.hhs.gov

**Deborah A. Price**

Assistant Deputy Secretary

U.S. Department of Education

400 Maryland Avenue SW, Room 1E110

Washington, DC 20202-6450

202-205-4169

202-205-5005 (fax)

Deborah.Price@ed.govTracy

Tracy.Catoe@ed.gov

**Maria Queen**

Grants Manager

HOPE IV Community and Supportive Services

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

451 Seventh Street SW

Washington, DC 20410

202-708-0614

202-401-2370 (fax)

Maria-Lana_Queen@hud.gov

**Jerry Regier**

Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

200 Independence Avenue SW, Room 405F

Washington, DC 20201

202-690-7409

202-690-6562 (fax)

jerry.regier@hhs.gov

**Victor Rodriguez**

Chief of McAllen Police Department

P.O. Box 220

1601 North Bicentennial Boulevard

McAllen, TX 78501

956-972-7351

956-972-7355 (fax)

vrodriguez@mcallenpd.net

**Luke Rose**\
Consultant\
S. Margaret Gallagher Foundation\
509 Pine Road\
Fort Washington, MD 20744\
202-558-6955\
info@rosecompanyllc.com

**Linda A. Rosen**\
Program Manager\
Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention

U.S. Department of Justice\
810 7th Street NW\
Washington, DC 20531\
202-353-9222\
linda.rosen@usdoj.gov

**Andrea J. Sedlak, Ph.D.**

Vice President

Westat, Inc.

1650 Research Boulevard

Rockville, MD 20850

301-251-4211

301-315-5934 (fax)

andreasedlak@weststat.com

**Michael Shader**

Program Manager

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention

U.S. Department of Justice

810 7th Street NW, Room 3327

Washington, DC 20531

202-616-2605

Michael.shader@usdoj.gov

**Adam Shepherd**\
Associate\
Alcalde & Fay\
2111 Wilson Boulevard\
Arlington, VA 22301\
703-841-0626\
shepherd@alcalde-fay.com

**Margaret D. Smariga**

Writer

EDJ Associates, Inc.

6508 Jefferson Boulevard

Frederick, MD 21703

301-473-8299

301-371-8919 (fax)

smarigas@verizon.net

**Howard N. Snyder, Ph.D.**

Director of Systems Research

National Center for Juvenile Justice

3700 South Water Street, Suite 200

Pittsburgh, Pa 15203

412-227-6950

412-227-6955 (fax)

snyder@ncjj.org

**Francesca Stern**\
Senior Program Specialist\
EDJ Associates\
810 7th Street NW\
Washington, DC 20531\
202-616-3551\
francesca.stern@usdoj.gov

**Kerri Strug**

Special Assistant to the Administrator

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention

U.S. Department of Justice

810 7th Street NW

Washington, DC 20531

202-305-0702

202-514-6382 (fax)

kerri.strug@usdoj.gov

**Abby Swetz**\
Program Specialist, Strategic Partnerships\
Institute of Museum and Library Services\
1800 M Street NW, 9th Floor\
Washington, DC 20036\
202-653-4692\
aswetz@imls.gov

**Lisa Trivits**

Research and Policy Analyst

Division of Children and Youth Policy

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

200 Independence Avenue SW

Humphrey Building, Room 404E

Washington, DC 20201

202-205-5750

202-690-5514 (fax)

lisa.trivits@hhs.gov

**Jessica Weiss**

Editor

Substance Abuse Funding News

8204 Fenton Street

Silver Spring, MD 20910

301-588-6380, ext. 132

301-588-6385 (fax)

lainsley@cdpublications.com

**Dennis L. White**

Research Analyst

Hamilton Fish Institute on School and Community Violence

George Washington University

2121 K Street NW, Suite 200

Washington, DC 20037-1830

202-496-8491

202-496-6244 (fax)

dlw@gwu.edu

**Harry Wilson**

Associate Commissioner

Family and Youth Services Bureau

Administration for Children and Families

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

1250 Maryland Avenue SW, Eighth Floor

Washington, DC 20024

202-205-8102

202-205-9721 (fax)

Harry.Wilson@hhs.gov

**Phelan Wyrick**

Gang Program Coordinator

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention

U.S. Department of Justice

810 Seventh Street NW

Washington, DC 20531

202-353-9254

202-353-9096 (fax)

phelan.wyrick@usdoj.gov