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Reforming Juvenile Justice…One Kid at a Time
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The Harris County
Juvenile Probation Department is changing juvenile justice in Harris
County, saving taxpayers’ money
and redirecting juveniles away from crime. |
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With programs and
services at all parts of the system, from intake and pre-adjudication
through post-adjudication, Harris County seeks alternatives to
detention while keeping our community safe. Steps are being taken
to keep our youths in school. Educational supervision and counseling
are provided, as well as visits with therapists and mental health
professionals. Youths are tracked at home and school to ensure
compliance with conditions of release. Harris County has experienced
a reduction of juvenile crime, a drop in detention admissions,
and an overall drop in referrals to the Harris County Juvenile
Probation Department. |
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The Annie E. Casey
Foundation -
Harris County Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative |
Since 1992, the Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative
(JDAI), a project of the Annie E. Casey Foundation, has demonstrated
that jurisdictions can safely reduce reliance on "secure detention” through
a series of inter-related reform strategies while at the same time
reducing juvenile crime. (In "secure detention," youth
are locked down. In non-secure detention they are still not allowed
to come and go as they please but may, if progress indicates, be
allowed weekend passes to visit family. Youth in all facilities are
under 24-hour supervision.)
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In September 2007,
Harris County was selected by the Annie
E. Casey Foundation to
participate in JDAI, which is now being replicated in approximately
100 jurisdictions across the United States. JDAI's objectives include
eliminating inappropriate or unnecessary use of secure detention,
minimizing juveniles’ failures to appear in court, redirecting
public finances to reform strategies that work and improving conditions
in detention facilities. |
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The results are dramatic,
according to Tom Brooks, Executive Director, Harris County Juvenile
Probation. “Every day we are reminded our work matters when
we see fewer kids getting involved in juvenile probation and the
public feeling safer in their communities. JDAI has been a great
asset to Harris County, getting community stakeholders involved
and increasing transparency in our department,” Brooks said. |
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A look at progress
in the programs and services implemented by the Juvenile Probation
Department includes the following: |
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Risk Assessment Instrument (RAI) is used at intake to determine whether or
not a youth will remain in the juvenile detention
center before court or be allowed to go home to
a parent or guardian. Medium risk youth may be
released with conditions, which may include participating
in an alternative to detention program such as
the Juvenile Tracking Program. Use of the RAI has
resulted in a 19% decrease in the number of youths
detained since implementation in February 2009.
The Westside Detention Center closed because of
this decrease in detention population, creating
a significant savings to the county. |
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Mental
Health Docket, created by Judge John Phillips
in the 314th
District Court in response to the growing
number of mentally ill youth appearing before
him,
is a voluntary, specialized, diversionary
court program for families of youth with
mental health
problems who are involved in the justice
system. Eighty-six percent of youth in mental
health
court are staying out of trouble, getting
the help they need, and saving the county
money – approximately
$240 per day, per child. |
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Drug Court,
created in Judge Michael Schneider’s
315th District Court, is for juveniles
with serious
alcohol or drug abuse problems and focuses
on rehabilitation rather than punishment. |
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Deferred
Prosecution Program has saved the county an estimated
$1.5 million by diverting first-time offenders
who commit non-violent misdemeanor offenses into
community supervision programs. Since the program
began, thanks to District Attorney Pat Lykos,
more than 2,300 juveniles have been diverted
to either the 90-day or 180-day program with
a 90% success rate. |
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Evening
Reporting Center is an alternative to detention
providing educational and recreational supervision
along with counseling to probationers between
the hours of 3:00 and 9:00 p.m. The first Neighborhood
Evening Reporting Center was established with
state diversionary grant funds as another alternative
to costly detention. |
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Juvenile
Tracking Program, another alternative to detention
making use of state diversionary grant funds,
provides for monitoring of youth in their homes
and school with up to two contacts per day. |
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Functional
Family Therapy and Multi-Systemic Therapy are
two models of intervention and prevention treatment
implemented with state diversionary grant funds.
Functional Family Therapy is a model of intervention
working with the youth, their families, and other
community-based resources. Multi-Systemic Therapy
is designed to decrease family conflict, improve
school performance, decrease association with
negative peers and develop a natural support
network. |
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Kinder
Emergency Shelter is a collaborative effort with
Harris County Protective Services and provides
a community-based residential alternative to
detention for those youth whose significant family
conflict prevents immediate return home. |
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Attorney
Continuity allows for the defense attorney assigned
at the initial detention hearing to remain with
the youth throughout court proceedings. |
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JDAI
Self-Inspection Report is a corrective action
plan implemented to improve conditions of confinement. |
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Juvenile
Detention Programming involves 25 new programs
provided by community organizations, non-profits,
and volunteers to youth in detention at no cost
to the county. |
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Leadership
Academy replaces Boot Camp and focuses on redirecting
the thinking and behavior patterns of youthful
offenders. |
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The success is measurable.
From 2007 to 2009: |
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There
was a 24% drop in detention admissions.
The average daily
detention population in 2009 never exceeded
the state mandate of 250 – for
the first time since the opening of the
Juvenile
Justice Center. |
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Petitions
filed by the District Attorney’s
Office dropped by 24%. |
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With a 42% drop in out-of-home placements,
more post-adjudicated youth are remaining
in their homes with individualized and
stringent community supervision, saving
the county about $700,000 per month. |
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Because
juvenile judges commit fewer youths to the Texas
Youth Commission and use local resources to provide
services, there has been a 62% drop in commitments
to the TYC.
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Referrals
for juvenile crime are down: 44% drop in auto
theft referrals, 53% drop in felony drug referrals
and 31% drop in unauthorized use of motor vehicle
referrals.
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Prevention
and intervention programs throughout the county
have resulted in a reduction of 14% overall in
referrals to the Juvenile Probation Department.
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| Real
Lives - Real People |
The statistics are
important, but the numbers represent human lives and the hope that
youth who become involved with the juvenile system can become productive,
mature adults. |
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One youth whose life
has turned around because of his encounter with the Harris County
juvenile system is "David." David grew up in a single-parent
home with a physically abusive mother who often left him alone
with her various boyfriends, who also were physically abusive.
As David grew older, the physical abuse lessened, but he remained
an angry young man. |
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In an incident
last year, David's mother again began threatening him.
David picked up a kitchen knife, telling his mother he
would not be afraid of her any more. Law enforcement was
called, and David was booked for aggravated assault with
a deadly weapon. He was transported to the Harris County
Juvenile Department, where he was held for several days
and later released to his mother. |
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David was given
an alternative to detention. His probation included reporting
to a probation officer, attending anger management classes
with his mother, submitting to random drug screens and participating
in a mentor program. |
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The mentor program
offered David a male role model he could trust and confide
in. With the help of his mentor, David worked and saved to
enroll in a mixed martial arts program. His involvement in
that program helped teach him discipline, respect and how to
channel his anger into something productive. Anger management
classes and the support of his probation officer made a significant
impact on his life. His relationship with his mother has slowly
improved, and he says with absolute certainty he will never
resort to threats of physical harm again. David is an active
representative with the JDAI Youth Advisory Council and speaks
to young teenagers on the consequences of harboring anger and
the destructive path it leads to. |
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For a comprehensive
list of programs and services of the Juvenile Probation Department,
please click here. |
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