Understanding Juvenile Reentry as More than a Public Safety Issue

November 1, 2011

National Forum on Youth Violence Prevention

Thomas Murphy

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention

Office of Justice Programs

U.S. Department of Justice

1

Reentry Defined

Prepare out-of-home youth for reentry into specific families and communities

Establish the necessary arrangements & linkages with full range of public & private sector and individuals in the community that can address known risk & protective factors

Ensure the delivery of prescribed services and supervision in the community

As this definition implies, both the residential facility and the community have a critical role to play in reentry.

OJJDP’s Investment in Juvenile Reentry (Aftercare)

Intensive Aftercare Program

Serious and Violent Offender Reentry Program

Juvenile Reentry and Family Strengthening

Tribal Detention Green Reentry Initiative

Second Chance Act

Multiple inter-agency projects with Department of Labor

Youth Demonstration Initiative

Civic Justice Corps

OJJDP has been involved in reentry since the late 1980’s.  

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Strategies for Improving Youth Reentry – Intensive Aftercare Program

Evidence-based, research-driven treatment modalities

Structural characteristics and features for reentry delivery of services (Reentry Continuum)

Personnel/leadership/training issues

Case management framework (elements for informed decision making, continuity and consistency)

Requirement for multi-agency/systems collaboration

IAP has set the foundation for all the reentry initiatives that have followed, including the SCA.

4

Intensive Aftercare Program (IAP)

Placement Phase – facility placement (confinement and pre-release planning)

Transitional Phase – transitional placement & transition to community aftercare (point of reentry)

Family & Community-Based Phase – community aftercare & off community aftercare (normalization) (balance of supervision, treatment & services)

Started in the early 1990’s as a literature review and design of a new model to transition youth back to the community

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Program Design Features
| Placement                                                            | Transition                                                                                  | Community Follow-up                                                     |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| 1. Pre-release planning                                              | 1. Testing & probing of reentry prior to placement in community                         | 1. Engagement of family & pro-social network                        |
| 2. Involvement of outside agencies & individuals in institutions | 2. Structured step-down process using residential placement or intensive day care treatment | 2. Provision of multi-modal treatment services                          |
| 3. Targeted community activities during confinement                  |                                                                                             | 3. Discrete case management services                                    |
|                                                                      |                                                                                             | 4. Use of graduated sanctions & incentives                          |
|                                                                      |                                                                                             | 5. Provision of surveillance and supervision beyond ordinary work hours |
|                                                                      |                                                                                             | 6. Reduced caseload size & increased frequency contact              |
|                                                                      |                                                                                             | 7. Multi-stage decompression process                                    |

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The Decompression Processin Reentry

Structured Transition Phase

Point of Community Reentry

Decreasing Emphasis on Formal Mechanisms

 of Social Control by Juvenile Justice

Increasing Emphasis on Informal Mechanisms

of Social Control by the Community

Termination of Formal Aftercare Status

Community Involvement*

*When community is referenced, it includes a network of community supports and most importantly, family.

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Risk and Protective Factors: Seven Domains

Housing – family and other

Peer groups and friends

Mental, behavioral, and physical health

Substance abuse

Education

Workforce

Leisure time, recreation

Evidence-Based Building Blocks

Continuity of Care

Cognitive-Behavioral Approach

Staffing, training, and quality assurance

Overarching case management

Continuity of Care Components – each linked together in practice

Continuity of Control

Continuity in Range of Services

Continuity in Service & Program Content

Continuity of Social Environment

Continuity of Attachment

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Continuity of Care – orderly sequenced process in which each step is linked to both the preceding and successive steps. 

Control – gradual transition process with decompression built in. – step down, day treatment, phased reduction 

Range of Services  - should continue at same level from facility to community, but know this doesn’t always occur – need to create new partnerships and tap into other funding if possible.

Service & Program Content – criticial when it comes to education, vocational, skills-training, treatment, medications and special needs – focus on the criminogenic needs of the offender – anti-social attidues, feelings and values, skill deficiencies, impulsivity, and poor self control.

Continuity of Social Environment - means finding a good fit in the community, home and school – family focused 

Continuity of  Attachment - means  the presence of positive caring, nuturing adult – mentor, family member, teacher, faith based

Cognitive-Behavioral Approach and Skill Building

Seeks to develop pro-social patterns of reasoning by maintaining focus on:

Managing anger and handling conflict pro-socially

Assuming personal responsibility

Taking an empathetic perspective

Solving problems & setting goals

Acquiring life skills

Aggression replacement training

Reasoning and Rehabilitation

Moral Reconation Therapy

Multi-systemic Therapy

Functional Family Therapy

Motivational Enhancement Therapy

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Leadership and Training

A key dimension of promising practices

Need to develop qualified trained staff who have the leadership and support at the highest levels of the organization

Cross-training among disciplines is useful

Direct service staff should work in teams

Five Components of Overarching Case Management – Bridging Residential and Reentry Services

Assessment and Classification

Individual Case Planning

Surveillance/Service Mix

Incentives and Consequences (Graduated Responses)

Brokerage and Linkages

Identify the appropriate offenders who will participate in the different levels of aftercare

Determine and integrate the services and supervision to be provided at both the facility and community

Promote consistensy and continuity through a collaborative team incorporating facility and aftercare staff

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Five Guiding Principles

Progressively increased responsibility and freedom in the community

Facilitating youth-community interaction

Working with both the offender and targeted community support systems

Developing new resources where needed

Monitoring & testing youth & community

Obstacles to Case Management

Inadequate funding

Institution based resources

Large case loads/Low staffing

Established work hours and habits

Poor supervision standards

Insufficient attention to pre-release issues

Distance

Organizational rigidity

Crisis-driven management

What do we Know about Juvenile Reentry

Psychological development is critical to understanding the reentry process for adolescents.

Must look at prior criminal involvement & lifestyles, education, mental health, and continuity & change in social relationships.

Employment, family structure are just as relevant

Three age groups of adolescents; all different in their needs and environment

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Federal Funding Opportunities for Reentry

Designated State Agencies & the Juvenile Justice Specialist

Title II – B – 35 program areas

Juvenile Accountability Block Grant – 17 purpose areas

Second Chance Act – demonstration, planning, and mentoring (OJJDP), Reentry Courts, & Co-occurring Disorders

Discretionary Funding – Green Reentry Initiative with Tribes

Second Chance Act

FY 2011 - $83 million total (17% decrease from FY 2010)

OJJDP awarded over $11 million in FY 2011 – Funded 32 new and continuation projects

Planning, Demonstration and Mentoring

BJA has additional solicitations for adult and juvenile focused reentry activities

Strong support to appropriate some level of funding in 2012

Working Groups

Federal Interagency Reentry Council

Staffing Working Group to Council

Juvenile Justice Sub-Committee to Council

Working Group of the Coordinating Council (sunset)

OJP Reentry Working Group

Reentry Core team in OJJDP

Resources

www.ojjdp.gov/mpg

www.crimesolutions.gov

www.findyouthinfo.gov

www.nc4yc.org

www.nationalreentryresourcecenter.org

Thomas MurphyGrants Program Specialist/Second Chance Act Juvenile Lead202-353-8734thomas.murphy@usdoj.govwww.ojjdp.gov

Thank You!

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