In this Juvenile Justice Front Burner:
- Systemic Reform for Girls
- OJJDP Under Fire for Grant Award Process
- Watchdog Alert: Florida Contractual Issues Add to Rentention Woes
SYSTEMIC REFORM FOR GIRLS
Draft Girls Blueprint Document for Public Input
Children’s Campaign, Inc. is the catalyst and statewide voice for a juvenile justice reform movement that is reshaping Florida’s response to girls at-promise. Its Justice for Girls Initiative has culminated in the release of the draft document - Justice for Girls: Blueprint for Action -available for public review and comment.
The Justice for Girls Initiative was launched nearly two years ago to spearhead systemic reform. Almost one out of three youth referred to the Department of Juvenile Justice is a girl. Florida is neither equipped to address the multiplicity and intensity of behaviors and needs of girls currently in the system nor prepared to prevent girls from entering the system or divert them to more appropriate settings.
The Blueprint for Action includes recommendations developed with guidance from national experts, a diverse group of Florida stakeholders and in collaboration with multiple statewide and local entities as well as parents and girls. Two large-scale summits and a number of community briefings took place across the state in both large urban areas and smaller communities.
The situation compels us to immediate action. In Florida, the use of detention has increased even though a significant number of girls do not pose a public safety threat or flight risk. More troubling is the disparity in treatment. Girls are committed to state programs and placed in residential lock-ups for less serious offenses than boys.
Girls also rack up charges for bad behavior in programs that are determined later to be experiencing operational difficulties, where abuse of girls was perpetuated by staff, or at facilities that were closed or risk closure due to poor performance, a failed quality assurance review, and ineffective management. It does not appear that policies and practices are in place to revisit charges brought against girls when the problems at those facilities come to light.
Part of the increase in girls incarcerated for violent offenses (e.g. aggravated assault and battery) may result from the unintended effects of new policies on mandatory charging in domestic violence cases.
It would come as no surprise considering Florida’s state budget woes that the lack of appropriate funding and resources for gender-specific services are at a critical point and are negatively impacting the well-being of girls.
There is no single solution to effectively address the needs of girls in or at risk of entering the juvenile justice system. Significant changes are required in the following broad focus areas: (1) Legislation; (2) Policies; (3) Processes; (4) Services; (5) Programs; and (6) Training. As such, the Justice for Girls Blueprint for Action sets the agenda for systemic reform and provides a step by step progressive approach built on valid research, innovative solutions and statewide citizen engagement.
Please go to jjmatters.org to review and comment on the Justice for Girls: Blueprint for Action draft. Please leave a message for Dr. Lawanda Ravoira and Roy Miller. We welcome your feedback.
OJJDP UNDER FIRE FOR GRANT AWARD PROCESS
As reprinted from Youth Today, by Patrick Boyle
The head of the nation's juvenile justice office and his chief of staff helped favored organizations win competitive grants, pressured staffers to assist them, and decided on at least one of those grants before the bids were even reviewed, according to documents released Thursday by a congressional committee.
The chief of staff, Michele DeKonty, cited "her Fifth Amendment privilege against self-incrimination" in refusing to speak with investigators about whether the agency awarded competitive grants based on favoritism, according to a memorandum by the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, which held a hearing about the grants on Thursday.
J. Robert Flores, administrator of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), testified that he chose winners of the 2007 National Juvenile Justice Program grants based on merit and the agency's priorities, and that allegations about his selections are based on a misunderstanding of the grant process and opposition to Bush administration policies. Flores was the only witness; about 80 people attended.
Several longtime OJJDP staffers have charged that some of the 10 grant winners chosen from 104 applicants were organizations whose bids scored far lower on staff reviews than did dozens of bids that received no funding. The questioning and commentary from committee members split along party lines, with Democrats saying Flores abused his discretion and Republicans saying that some people are just unhappy with his choices.
The revelations and accusations at the hearing focused on the overall process and on several particularly controversial grants. For more on this story go to Youth Today .
Children’s Campaign Editor Note: One program adversely affected was the National Center for Girls proposed by the National Council on Crime and Delinquency, whose grant tied for fifth in national scoring but was not funded.
WATCHDOG ALERT: FLORIDA CONTRACTUAL ISSUES ADD TO RETENTION WOES
The Blueprint Commission addressed the issue of ensuring positive outcomes for youth through a stable and professional workforce. As quoted in the report, then Department of Juvenile Justice Secretary Walt McNeil said, “… I have concluded that high turnover is directly attributable to long hours, low pay, lack of career development, lack of leadership support and fear of punishment and high stress.”
In the aftermath of Florida’s budget cutting, workforce issues appear to be getting worse, not better. Now, the Children’s Campaign is advised that contractual and operational issues are aggravating the situation.
Attempting to stay the course while budgets are cut below the bone, many providers are learning that their multi-year contracts will not be renewed, but will be “rebid” instead. This will further erode the ability to retain staff at the program level as employees are subjected to new and unnecessary fears about their job security.
Other providers have reported that continuation contracts for the new fiscal year were slow to be finalized. Programs, again, felt the brunt. Affected juvenile justice personnel notified the Children’s Campaign about their need to seek other jobs when renewal contracts were not issued well in advance of the existing termination date.
Adding to the overall frustration is a move to alter provider contracts in what others are saying is a circumvention of administrative rule making. DJJ was taken to task by the legislature last year for similar actions. As an example, recent RFP’s have increased provider responsibilities to provide medical care despite no additional funding as well as requiring systems of care that exceed requirements set forth by the Joint Commission, a national accreditation organization. As a result, a legal challenge is in process, with a first meeting between DJJ and provider attorneys scheduled for Friday. If an agreement is not reached, the dispute is likely to move to a “120 Hearing” before an Administrative Judge.
Other legal challenges being contemplated relate to the issuance of new requirements and new expectations in an already seriously under-funded system.
This Front Burner was brought to you by:
Roy Miller, President,
Christen Smiley, Communications Coordinator