MAY 2014, VOLUME 4, NUMBER 5
 

IN THIS ISSUE 

New Orleans Rethinks, Restores, Reconciles 

Detroit's Safety Stations Improve School Climate 

Announcements and Upcoming Events 

• Funding Opportunities 

• Training Opportunities 

News and Views 

• Reports, Guidelines, and Briefs 

• News 

• Other Resources 

FOR NEW ORLEANS,

RESTORATIVE JUSTICE 

MEANS RECONCILIATION
 by Dave Marsden 

When Chris Gunther, New Orleans, La.'s 

coordinator for the National Forum on Youth 

Violence Prevention and a Health Department 

lead, reached out to stakeholders throughout 

New Orleans, a student advocacy group 

called Rethinkers made clear to him and his 

Forum team the need to expand restorative 

approaches to conflict in schools. 

Rethinkers was established a little while after 

Hurricane Katrina of 2005 to provide a way for 

young people returning home from time at 

other schools to talk about their experiences 

and how they could turn what they learned 

into action in New Orleans public schools. It 

currently operates in seven middle schools 

and a high school, conducting 5-week summer 

programs and student clubs to discuss topics 

such as school discipline, violence in the 

community, explorations of power and 

privilege, school food, school uniforms, and 

teacher–student and other interpersonal 

DETROIT'S SAFETY STATIONS 

IMPROVE SCHOOL CLIMATE 

FOR POSITIVE CHANGE 

by Martha Yeide 

Detroit, Mich., is harnessing the expertise of past VISTA 

volunteer Maura Villhauer, associate at the Detroit Youth 

Violence Prevention Initiative, to coordinate current VISTA 

work with at-risk high school students. By supporting this 

effort, the city is helping the Forum achieve Goal 2 of the 

National Forum 2014 Action Plan, to enhance local capacity 

to prevent youth and gang violence. One strategy the plan 

mentions is the recruitment and placement of AmeriCorps 

Volunteers In Service To America (also known as VISTA) to 

support Forum activities. Detroit has adopted this strategy to 

set up and staff Safety Stations in three of the city's high 

schools. 

Schools, as all Forum cities know, can sometimes be 

dangerous places for youth. They bring together youths who 

are in their peak crime years, which by itself can increase 

rates of victimization.1 In 2011, students ages 12–18 reported 

being more afraid of victimization at school (4.0 percent) than 

away from school (2.0 percent).2 According to the most 

recent (2011) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 

Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System data, 5.4 percent of 

high school students had carried a weapon on school 

grounds in the 30 days preceding the survey, and 5.9 percent 

had not gone to school because they felt they would be 

unsafe at, or on their way to or from, school.3 

Healthy Climate Reduces Anxiety, Boosts Performance 

Safety Stations are designed to contribute to a positive 

school climate. A positive school climate can help make 

school a better place for youth. Research has found that a 

positive school climate can reduce delinquency and 

victimization while improving academic performance. For 

instance, Khoury–Kassabri and colleagues (2004) found all 

types of victimization were lower at schools with a positive 

school climate.4 Studies have linked school climate with a 

variety of other outcomes such as academic achievement,5 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

relationships. 

"When we met with the Rethinkers," Gunther 

recalls, "they educated us about the 

importance of restorative approaches. We see 

a great deal of promise in restorative justice 

as a way to not only promote positive and safe 

school climates but also engage youth as 

partners in violence prevention." 

Emphasis on Repairing Harm,

Not Punishing Offenders 

Restorative justice programming has been 

around since the 1970s. According to 

criminologist Howard Zehr, restorative practice 

approaches have their roots in restorative 

justice, "a way of looking at criminal justice 

that emphasizes repairing the harm done to 

people and relationships rather than only 

punishing offenders."* This concept has taken 

hold in New Orleans, becoming one of the 

focal points of the Forum team effort. 

Though Rethinkers brought the Forum team's 

attention to restorative approaches, the Center 

for Restorative Approaches (CRA) had been 

active in New Orleans since 2009, when it 

began work at Walter L. Cohen High School. 

CRA is an independent nonprofit. 

For CRA founder Troi Bechet, using 

restorative approaches is "a real way to not 

only keep our children in school but to heal 

and repair the harm that happens because of 

these types of incidences in school." 

Bechet created the center in 2008 after 

traveling to a school for adjudicated youth in 

Baltimore, Md., and observing a successful 

community conference with young women 

who were involved in a fight. 

She continues: "Restorative approaches hold 

children accountable in a way that makes 

them reflect on what they could have done 

differently and internalize their responsibility to 

themselves and others." 

high school completion,6 and substance use.7 Positive school 

climate can derive from many components: clear policies 

against violence, supportive relationships between teachers 

and students, a sense of community within school, attention 

to safety issues, respect for all members of the school 

community, and responsiveness to students' needs.8 

"The idea is to have a safe place for kids to come, to cool off, 

or to get some help with problems," Villhauer states. They are 

a place where students can find resources to avoid getting 

involved in violence or to help support and disseminate the 

violence prevention message. Kids don't come to school to 

fight, notes Villhauer; when they fight, they are acting out in 

response to a situation. The Safety Stations can help get 

them referrals to services they might need to address various 

problems. VISTA volunteers help staff the stations, reach out 

to other school and community staff, connect with other 

resources, and work with youths to connect them with 

opportunities in the school and community. 

As part of their Leadership Week, Youth Executive Boards perform a skit on 

bullying the safe routes rally. 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Troi Bechet (pictured) founded the Center for Restorative 

Approaches in 2008, having watching young women 

involved in a fight reconcile. 

The benefit of restorative approaches is that 

they deemphasize guilt and shame. They 

allow all those involved to maintain their 

dignity and self-esteem, for they feel 

themselves part of a problem-solving activity, 

not part of a trial with a sentence at the end of 

the process. CRA is deeply involved in the 

New Orleans community through 

Circle Work. The center facilitates 

circles for community building, team 

building, problem solving, and conflict 

resolution. Bechet and her small staff 

also train people to use circles in day-today interactions. 

Community Conferencing. They bring 

together everyone who has been 

affected by a conflict or crime to speak 

about what happened and how they 

have been affected, and to decide how 

to repair the harm and move forward in 

a manner that minimizes the potential 

for a repeat of the negative behavior. 

Training and Consulting/Professional

Development. They offer training and 

ongoing professional development in an 

array of settings. They concentrate on 

shifting organizational culture, building a 

cooperative team environment, and 

giving people opportunities to take 

responsibility for how they affect others. 

Rethinkers and CRA have partnered in 

schools, although CRA has a much broader 

community agenda in the neighborhoods. 

CRA Facilitates Through 366 Circles 

Safety station youth and three VISTA team members take the college tour to 

Eastern Michigan University. 

Schools were considered based on several data points: crime 

data, 911 calls, victim analysis, income, and school 

attendance rates. Three schools in areas of great need were 

selected: Cody High School on the west side, and Osborn 

and Denby High Schools on the east side. 

Safety Stations were modeled after the Central Collegiate 

Academy, already in operation in another Detroit school. The 

program is attractive because it uses a youth-led, adultsupported approach. When given the opportunity, Villhauer 

notes, youths are very vocal with their good ideas. The Safety 

Stations give them an environment where they can take the 

lead on implanting those ideas. The Youth Executive Board 

helps create activities that are youth led and spread violenceprevention messages in school. For instance, at open-mic 

nights, kids can comment on their experiences with violence 

and talk about what's important to them. The VISTA 

volunteers staff the stations Monday through Friday; students 

are welcome before and after school, and during all lunch 

hours. 

Students Organize Leadership Week, Sessions on SelfRespect, Bullying 

Villhauer mentions a leadership week that the youths 

organized last summer. At the 2-day event, more than 50 

youths attended sessions on self-respect, bullying, and 

similar topics. They visited different neighborhoods to enrich 

their discussion of what they wanted for their own 

neighborhoods and brainstormed how to make that happen. 

They went on a college tour as part of the activities. Youths 

who attended came from across Detroit, so they had a rare 

chance to mix with one another. 

A workshop led during Leadership Week. 

The program is in its second year at Osborn and Cody, and in 

its first year at Denby. As a result, few data are available for 

assessing the impact of the program. Villhauer does note that 

there were some additional challenges to implementing the 

stations at Osborn and Cody, each of which has several 

distinct schools within one building. Since the Safety Station 

has to be physically located within one of the three schools, it 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Students at the Wilson School, including one 

Rethinker, have received training by CRA and 

are involved in a project in the Peer 

Facilitators Club. The goal of this club is first 

to discuss problems between and among 

youths, teachers, administrators, and all 

members of the school community, and then 

to repair relationships and prevent escalations 

that can lead to violence. 

Funding comes from grants, earned income, 

training fees, and fundraising/donations. As of 

nine months ago, CRA had conducted 366 

circles to handle student and community 

problems. Of these, 93 percent resulted in a 

signed agreement between all parties, and of 

which 86 percent were carried out 

successfully. As Bechet puts it, "This keeps 

our kids out of the school-to-prison pipeline." It 

has also significantly reduced suspensions. 

CRA wants to be responsive to the community 

and schools and is continually adjusting to 

meet needs. 

Currently, Gunther is working with CRA and 

Rethinkers to create an implementation 

manual that will prepare schools for bringing in 

CRA and the restorative process. As he sees 

it, the role of the Health Department and the 

Forum is threefold in assisting these 

organizations in New Orleans's public health– 

oriented violence prevention effort: 

Provide "pass through" financial support. 

Assume the role of "documenter" of the 

restorative process. 

Disseminate the "lessons learned" so 

that restorative approaches can be 

expanded. 

All Rethinkers programming and meetings happen in 

Circles. Here Rethinkers engage in a small group 

discussion during the summer program. 

Rethinkers conducts a yearly retreat to choose 

a topic for the summer program based on the 

most salient issues. Rethinkers and its adult 

can be difficult to reach youths attending the other two 

schools and may decrease the likelihood that they feel free to 

access the station. 

Nonetheless, Villhauer is working with others to identify 

qualitative and quantitative metrics that will help better shape 

the programs. They are interested in having the youths 

document their stories. 

References 

1a) Philip J. Cook, Denise C. Gottfredson, and Chongmin Na. 2009. School 

Crime Control and Prevention. b) David A. Soulé, Denise C. Gottfredson, 

and Erin Bauer. 2008. "It's 3 p.m. Do You Know Where Your Child Is? A 

Study on the Timing of Juvenile Victimization and Delinquency." Justice 

Quarterly 25(4):623–26. 

2Simone Robers, Jana Kemp, and Jennifer L. Truman. 2013. Indicators of 

School Crime and Safety: 2012 (NCES 2013–036/NCJ 241446). 

Washington, D.C.: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department 

of Education, and Bureau of Justice Statistics, Office of Justice Programs, 

U.S. Department of Justice. 

3Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. N.d. "Youth Online: High 

School YRBS." Web page and data portal. 

4Mona Khoury–Kassabri, Rami Benbenishty, Ron Avi Astor, and Anat Zeira. 

2004. "The Contributions of Community, Family, and School Variables to 

Student Victimization." American Journal of Community Psychology 34(3– 

4):187–204. 

5a) Adam Gamoran. 1996. "Student Achievement in Public Magnet, Public 

Comprehensive, and Private City High Schools." Educational Evaluation and 

Policy Analysis 18(1):1–18. b) Valerie E. Lee and Anthony S. Bryk. 1989. "A 

Multilevel Model of the Social Distribution of High School Achievement." 

Sociology of Education 62(3):172–92. 

6Russell W. Rumberger and Scott L. Thomas. 2000. "The Distribution of 

Dropouts and Turnover Rates Among Urban and Suburban High Schools." 

Sociology of Education 73:39–67. 

7a) David J. Eitle and Tamela McNulty Eitle. 2004. "School and County 

Characteristics as Predictors of School Rates of Drug, Alcohol, and Tobacco 

Offenses." Journal of Health & Social Behavior 45(4):408–21. b) Richard B. 

Felson, Allen E. Liska, and others. 1994. "The Subculture of Violence and 

Delinquency: Individual Versus School Context Effects." Social Forces 

73(1):155–73. c) Denise C. Gottfredson and Gary D. Gottfredson. 1985. 

Victimization in Schools. New York, N.Y.: Plenum. d) Kimberly L. Henry and 

Michael D. Slater. 2007. "The Contextual Effect of School Attachment on 

Young Adolescents' Alcohol Use." Journal of School Health 77(2):67–74. 

8a) Mona Khoury–Kassabri, Rami Benbenishty, Ron Avi Astor, and Anat 

Zeira. 2004. "The Contributions of Community, Family, and School Variables 

to Student Victimization." American Journal of Community Psychology 34(3– 

4):187–204. b) Wendy M. Reinke and Keith C. Herman. 2002. "Creating 

School Environments That Deter Antisocial Behaviors in Youth." Psychology 

in the Schools 39(5):549–60. c) Jane B. Sprott. 2004. "The Development of 

Early Delinquency: Can Classroom and School Climates Make a 

Difference?" Canadian Journal of Criminology & Criminal Justice 46 (5):553– 

72. d) Wayne N. Welsh, Robert J. Stokes, and Jack R. Greene. 2000. A 

Macro-Level Model of School Disorder. Journal of Research in Crime & 

Delinquency 37(3):243. e) Dorian Wilson. 2004. "The Interface of School 

Climate and School Connectedness and Relationships With Aggression and 

Victimization." Journal of School Health 74(7):293–99. 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

supporters work alongside each other in the 

restorative process in New Orleans, but it is 

the students who are accountable for making 

it work. 

Renee Smith, on the cusp of graduating high 

school, looks back on her six years as a 

Rethinker and says it has been "life changing 

and meaningful to the point that it touches 

almost every aspect of my every day." 

Teaching young people and the rest of the 

school community responsibility for solving 

school problems is a highly effective tool in 

meeting the goal of safer and more productive 

environments for everyone. 

*Howard J. Zehr. 1990. Changing Lenses: A New Focus 

for Crime and Justice. Scottdale, Pa.: Herald Press. 

ANNOUNCEMENTS 

& UPCOMING EVENTS
 

Funding Opportunities 

The Justice Department's Office of 

Community-Oriented Policing Services (COPS 

Office) and Department of Health and Human 

Services' Office of Minority Health (OMH) 

have announced a new joint solicitation: 

Minority Youth Violence Prevention: 

Integrating Public Health and Community 

Policing Approaches (MYVP). A national 

initiative, MYVP will demonstrate the 

effectiveness of integrating public health and 

community policing approaches to address 

disparities in public health access and the risk 

of violent crime in distressed neighborhoods. 

OMH will support 8 to 10 demonstration sites 

that integrate violence prevention and crime 

reduction models with public health– and 

community-oriented policing approaches. 

Applications (available here) are due June 

13, 2014. 

Applications are now being accepted for the 

Community Policing Development CPD) 

Program. The application will close on 

Monday, June 23, 2014, at 7:59 p.m. EDT. For 

more information on this program, on other 

COPS funding opportunities, and on how your 

agency can apply, visit the Grants and 

Funding section of the CPD Web site. 

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health 

Services Administration is announcing a new 

NEWS & 

VIEWS 

Reports 

Social Media and Police Leadership: Lessons From

Boston 

Harvard Kennedy School and National Institute of Justice, 

March 2014 

According to this paper, law enforcement should always 

consider scope, structure, and tone when using social media. 

In light of Boston, Mass.'s experience, social media presents 

both opportunities and challenges to police. The ways in 

which it can help develop new models of policing mainly 

center on community engagement. While use of social media 

creates new capabilities and possibilities for police, law 

enforcement agencies should make sure they are shaping 

the tools. Effective use means respecting the characteristics 

of social media but using them in ways adapted to the 

traditions and goals of community policing. 

Trends in Bullying, Physical Fighting, and Weapon

Carrying Among 6th Through 10th Grade Students From

1998 to 2010: Findings From a National Study

American Journal of Public Health, June 2014
 

In a study that examined 12-year trends in bullying,
 

victimization, fighting, and weapon carrying and gender,
 

grade level, and race/ethnicity variations among U.S.
 

adolescents, researchers found American teens are much
 

less likely to engage in bullying than they were a decade ago.
 

Bullying perpetration, bullying victimization, and physical
 

fighting decreased from 1998 to 2010; declines in bullying
 

perpetration and victimization were greater for boys than for
 

girls.
 

Trends in Children's Exposure to Violence, 2003 to 2011

JAMA Pediatrics, April 2014 

Crime and violence have been declining among children and 

youth. In this study, three national telephone surveys of 

representative samples of children and caregivers were 

compared. Samples included parents of children ages 2 to 9 

and youth ages 10 to 17. Of 50 trends in exposure, there 

were 27 significant declines and no significant increases 

between 2003 and 2011. Dating violence decreased, as did 

some forms of indirect exposure, suggesting fewer American 

children have been exposed to violent acts. 

Promoting Protective Factors for In-Risk Families and

Youth: A Brief for Researchers 

Administration on Children, Youth and Families and 

Development Services Group, Inc., March 2014 

This report explores protective factors that help youths and 

their families cope with trauma, focusing on five populations 

that are often victimized. Looking at existing research, the 

Administration on Children, Youth and Families and 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

grant program, "Now Is the Time" Healthy

Transitions: Improving Life Trajectories for

Youth and Young Adults With, or at Risk

for, Serious Mental Health Conditions. The 

purpose of the program is to improve 

treatment access and support services for 

youth and young adults ages 16–25 who 

have, or are at risk of developing, a serious 

mental health condition. Applications are due 

June 13. 

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health 

Services Administration Center for Mental 

Health Services (CMHS) is accepting 

applications for "Now Is the Time" Project 

AWARE (Advancing Wellness and Resilience 

in Education) State Educational Agency

Program (NITT–AWARE–SEA) cooperative 

agreements and Local Educational Agency

(NITT–AWARE–LEA) grants. The purpose of 

the NITT–AWARE–SEA Cooperative 

Agreement program is to build and expand the 

capacity of SEAs to increase awareness of 

mental health issues among school-aged 

youth, provide training for school personnel 

and other adults to detect and respond to 

mental health issues in children and young 

adults, and connect children, youth, and 

families who may have behavioral health 

issues with appropriate services. The NITT– 

AWARE–LEA program aims to help local 

educational agencies begin to support training 

of school personnel and other adults who 

interact with youth in school settings and 

communities to detect and respond to mental 

illness in children and youth, including how to 

encourage adolescents and their families to 

seek treatment. Applications for both 

programs are due June 16. 

The U.S. Department of Education is making 

an estimated $9.75 million available in grants 

to local educational agencies (LEAs) to 

increase their capacity to help schools in 

communities with pervasive violence better 

address the needs of affected students and 

break the cycle of violence. All LEAs (public 

school districts, including charter schools that 

are considered LEAs under state law) are 

eligible to apply. Applications are due June 

30. 

The National Institute of Justice is accepting 

applications for its Developing Knowledge

About What Works to Make Schools Safe 

funding opportunity. Under the Comprehensive 

School Safety Initiative, the Institute will fund 

projects that discover more about how 

personnel, programs, and activities contribute 

Development Services Group, Inc., found children and young 

people have a greater chance of overcoming negative events 

if conditions that promote well-being are present, including a 

sense of purpose and optimism, caregivers with strong 

parenting skills, and supportive teachers and school staff. 

New Reports on Youth Deincarceration

National Council on Crime & Delinquency, April 2014 

The National Council on Crime & Delinquency summarizes 

stakeholder views on reducing youth incarceration, identifies 

ways to budget for reform, and focuses on supervision, 

placement, oversight, transfer to adult court, and family 

involvement. 

Reducing Recidivism for Justice-Involved Persons With

Mental Illness 

Merrill Rotter and W. Amory Carr 

The Rotter and Carr report Reducing Criminal Recidivism

for Justice-Involved Persons With Mental Illness: 

Risk/Needs/Responsivity and Cognitive–Behavioral

Interventions reviews the intervention paradigm: 

Risk/Needs/Responsivity. The authors concentrate on 

criminal thinking and the structured cognitive–behavioral 

interventions that were created or adapted to specifically 

target the thoughts, feelings, and behaviors associated with 

criminal recidivism. Sections address evidence-based 

criminogenic risk assessment, cognitive–behavioral therapy 

and adaptations for justice-involved populations, and 

motivational interviewing. This 2013 document was published 

by the Center for Behavioral Health and Justice 

Transformation (Delmar, N.Y.). 

Reentry Through Employment 

Council of State Governments 

The Council of State Governments' Justice Center developed 

The Reentry and Employment Project to provide 

policymakers and practitioners with the tools necessary to 

improve reentry and employment outcomes for individuals 

with criminal histories. Policymakers across the political 

spectrum agree that employment can be the gateway to 

successful reentry for persons recently released from prison 

or jail. However, the obstacles that millions of adults with 

criminal records face as they seek to enter the U.S. workforce 

are formidable. This 2013 publication was designed to help 

the corrections, reentry, and workforce development fields 

work together to navigate those obstacles. 

Oregon Males, Youths of Color Disproportionately

Suspended, Expelled

Regional Educational Laboratory Northwest 

Suspension and Expulsion Patterns in Six Oregon

School Districts, just released by the Regional Educational 

Laboratory Northwest, examines student exclusionary 

patterns in urban school districts in Oregon during the 2011– 

12 school year. The study examines exclusionary discipline 

by grade, gender, race/ethnicity, and special education status. 

Key findings: a) The number of students receiving 

exclusionary discipline was 2.5 times as high for male 

students as for female students. The percentage was higher 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

to school safety. Applications are due July 10, 

2014. 

Training Opportunities 

Law Enforcement Responses to

Adolescent Girls 

This no-cost, 2-day training will equip law 

enforcement first responders with effective 

responses to situations that involve contact 

with 12- to 17-year-old girls who may be 

suspects, offenders, or victims. The training— 

sponsored by the International Association of 

Chiefs of Police and the Office of Juvenile 

Justice and Delinquency Prevention and 

hosted by the Rochester (N.Y.) Police 

Department—is specifically designed for law 

enforcement officers in jurisdictions 

experiencing an increase in adolescent girl– 

involved delinquent behavior who have the 

ability to implement a proactive approach in 

their policies and practices. To attend the 

training in Rochester, N.Y., on June 23–24, 

2014, register here. Registration ends June 

11. 

Best Practices in Child Forensic 

Interviewing Webinar 

The Midwest Regional Children's Advocacy 

Center will host a Webinar to highlight the 

recently published 2012 APSAC Practice 

Guidelines on Forensic Interviewing in Cases 

of Suspected Child Abuse, discuss the 

evolution of child interviewing methods and 

models, and indicate emerging areas of 

agreement and change related to best 

practices in child forensic interviewing. The 2-

hour Webinar will be held on June 26, 

beginning at 1:00 p.m. To participate, register 

here. 

Evidence-Based Practice Academy 

The MacArthur Foundation is providing 

support for state or local jurisdiction policy 

teams to participate in a special EvidenceBased Practice (EBP) Academy. The fall 2014 

EBP academy—to be held in Lafayette, La., 

Sept.10–12—is being planned and organized 

by the Institute for Public Health & Justice at 

Louisiana State University and by Advancing 

EBP. Participating teams will be selected on 

the basis of how well their applications reflect 

the involvement of key stakeholders and their 

commitment and capacity to bring evidencebased programs to scale in their jurisdiction. A 

maximum of 10 delegations will be admitted, if 

they can meet minimum requirements for 

team makeup. Priorities will be given to teams 

that show strength of leadership and diversity 

for American Indian, black, Hispanic, and multiracial students 

than for whites. B) The most common reasons for suspension 

and expulsion were physical and verbal aggression and 

insubordination/disruption. C) Nearly 40 percent of students 

who were suspended received more than one suspension. 

News 

Office of Justice Programs Releases Program Plan 

The Office of Justice Programs (OJP) has launched a new, 

searchable online document of current funding opportunities 

and new initiatives, the OJP Program Plan. It features the 

latest and most complete information regarding both 

competitive and noncompetitive grants, training and technical 

assistance, research, and other resources available to the 

justice community. The Program Plan is divided into 10 

thematically organized sections: 

Initiatives to Address a Wide Range of Criminal and

Juvenile Justice Issues 

Breaking the Cycles of Mental Illness, Substance

Abuse, and Crime 

Preventing and Intervening in Juvenile Offending

and Victimization 

Managing Offenders to Reduce Recidivism and

Promote Successful Reentry 

Effective Interventions to Address Violence, 

Victimization, and Victims' Rights 

Enhancing Law Enforcement Initiatives 

Supporting Innovation in Adjudication 

Advancing Technology to Prevent and Solve Crime 

Innovations in Justice Information Sharing 

Resources to Address Justice Issues in Tribal 

Communities 

Other Resources 

More than 1,500 communities and tribes operate a youth 

justice diversion program. These courts train teenagers— 

including former juvenile offenders—to be judges, 

prosecutors, attorneys, and jurors who handle low-level 

offenses, promote accountability, provide access to youth 

resources, and reduce and prevent juvenile crime. Global 

Youth Justice has recently launched 500 Web sites to 

promote juvenile justice diversion programs nationwide. 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

of roles in the juvenile justice system. The 

deadline for applications is 5 p.m. CDT, June 

30. To apply, follow this link. 

NCJFCJ Annual Conference 

The National Council of Juvenile and Family 

Court Judges will hold its 77th Annual 

Conference "From Surviving to Thriving: 

Healthy Families, Healthy Courts" in Chicago, 

Ill., on July 13–16, 2014. Topics include child 

abuse and neglect, trauma, custody and 

visitation, judicial leadership, juvenile justice, 

sex trafficking of minors, family violence, and 

drug courts. A preconference workshop will be 

offered to professionals working with juvenile 

justice–involved youths who have mental 

health, trauma, or substance abuse issues. 

Coalition for Juvenile Justice Youth 

Summit 

The Coalition for Juvenile Justice and the 

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency 

Prevention will cohost the 2014 Juvenile 

Justice Youth Summit Aug. 7–8, 2014, in 

Washington, D.C. The Youth Summit seeks to 

cultivate and empower a new generation of 

juvenile justice advocates. Youth participants 

will engage in skill-building, networking, and 

leadership development. Participants will learn 

the basics of juvenile justice and have the 

opportunity to delve into more detail on 

trending topics in juvenile justice reform. The 

event will also feature activities around the 

40th anniversary of the passage of the 

Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention 

Act. 

Int'l Police Chiefs to Host Leadership

Institute 

The International Association of Chiefs of 

Police will host a Law Enforcement 

Leadership Institute on Juvenile Justice on 

Sept. 16–18, 2014, in Seattle, Wash. As many 

as 30 law enforcement executives from across 

the country will be selected to attend this 

training program to learn strategies and tools 

for responding to juvenile offenders and at-risk 

youths. 

Int'l Police Chiefs' 121st Annual 

Conference, Expo 

The International Association of Chiefs of 

Police will hold its Annual Conference and 

Exposition in Orlando, Fla., on Oct. 25–28, 

2014. The conference will feature renowned 

keynote speakers, forums, technical 

workshops, and the largest exhibit hall of 

products and services in the law enforcement 

community. This event will provide a forum for 
 

 

 

 

learning, collaborating, and experiencing new
 

technology for thousands of dedicated law
 

enforcement professionals from across the
 

country and around the world.
 

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The National Forum on Youth Violence Prevention Newsletter 

is prepared under Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency 

Prevention (OJJDP) Cooperative Agreement No. 2012–MU– 

FX–K009 with Development Services Group, Inc. 

The views, opinions, and content of this newsletter do not 

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