Embedded Files
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April 2023 ARJE Williamson County Participant: Lorna Hermosura
Capstone Description: Lorna and her team at STEP UP Texas completed a Sequential Intercept Model Map to identify priority areas of improvement in the youth legal system. The team formed workgroups in each of these priority areas, each tasked with completing action items aimed at reducing racial and ethnic disparities as well as overall system contact.
Contact:
Lorna Hermosura, Project Director of STEP UP Texas & Assistant Professor of Instruction, The University of Texas at Austin
King County Team (April 2023 ARJE)
Capstone Description: The King County Team seeks to reduce racial and ethnic disparities for youth held on Robbery 1 charges in secure detention as well as reduce the length of stay for youth with serious offenses. To do so, the team will implement an electronic home monitoring program for youth in secure detention, allowing them to return home sooner and be connected with meaningful community supports.
Contacts:
Paul Daniels, Director, Juvenile Court Services (Juvenile Court Administrator), King County Superior Court
Coy Graham, Director of Operations, Progress Pushers
Katie Hurley, Special Counsel for Criminal Practice and Policy, King County Dept. of Public Defense
Celia Jackson, Director of Criminal Legal System Transformation, King County
Emily Johnson, Special Projects Manager, King County Department of Community and Human Services
Providence Kamana, Founder & CEO, Cocreative Culture
Matt Murphy, Restorative Dialogue Program Director, Collective Justice
Catherine Pickard, Interim Division Deputy Director; King County, Washington
Eddie Purpose, Founder & Executive Director, Progress Pushers
Ben Santos, Assistant Chief Deputy, Juvenile Division; King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office
Quanetta West, Interim Division Director, King County Department of Adult and Juvenile Detention
Melinda Young, King County Superior Court Judge, Chief of the Juvenile Division; State of Washington
Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice Team (Sept. 2023 ARJE)
Description: The Illinois team seeks to identify and address barriers to service utilization, for those services offered in our secure facilities and in the community. To this end, the department will solicit guidance and feedback from all parties involved in service delivery, including service providers, department staff, youth participants, and their families. The department recognizes the family's right as a decision-making partner in the care of their youth, and as a result, the Illinois team will first work to increase family engagement in the department, to increase family participation in family support meetings, family engagement committees, and in other opportunities.
Contacts:
Denzel Burke, Director of REAL Youth Initiative, Illinois Collaboration on Youth
Omar Jamil, Senior Policy Advisor, Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice
Kendle Jones, Assistant Superintendent of Operations, Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice
Christine Logan, Medical Assistant, Genesis Health System (Parent Representative)
Michelle Martin, Regional Administrator, State of Illinois
Eva Moore, Deputy Director, State of Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice
Cecilia Ruffin, Juvenile Justice Youth & Family Specialist Supervisor, Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice
Bexar County, Texas Team (Sept. 2023 ARJE)
Description: The Bexar County ARJE Committee, in partnership with Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute (MMPHI), seeks to reduce over-incarceration and racial disproportionality in the juvenile justice system by strengthening community-based systems of support for youth. Capitalizing on funded resources provided by the OJJDP Continuum of Care grant, the team aims to co-create an equitable continuum of care capable of meeting youth’s needs within their home communities.
Contacts:
Chellie Fernandez, Manager, City of San Antonio
Viviana Guillen, Youth Development Mentor, American Indians in Texas Spanish Colonial Missions
Adrienne House; Program Director; San Antonio Fighting Back, Inc.
Terry Hubbard, Outreach Worker, San Antonio Mental Health
Karl Johnson; Deputy Chief Juvenile Probation Officer, Bexar County Juvenile Probation Department
Oscar Leos; Assistant District Attorney, Bexar County Criminal District Attorney's Office
Jill Mata; Chief Juvenile Probation Officer; Bexar County, Texas
Doshie Piper, Associate Professor of Criminal Justice, University of the Incarnate Word
Holly Pompa, Step Up Texas: Training and Technical Assistance Professional and Trauma-Informed Program Manager, Bexar County Office of Criminal Justice: Policy Planning and Programs
Jacqueline Valdes, 386th District Court Judge, State of Texas
Ramon Vasquez, Community Engagement Manager, American Indians in Texas
Jeannie Von Stultz, Deputy Chief of Mental Health Services, Bexar County Juvenile Probation Department
Lancaster County, Nebraska Team (Sept. 2023 ARJE)
Description: The Lancaster County Team seeks to reduce disparities faced by youth of color at the system referral stage by expanding the reach and scope of Project Restore, a pre-arrest diversion program in the county. To do so, in partnership with community organizations like YWCA and The Mediation Center, the team will examine data from Project Restore and incorporate feedback from youth and families with the goal of expanding program eligibility criteria and programming and service options for participating youth.
Contacts:
Karen Bell-Dancy, Executive Director, YWCA Lincoln
Casey Karges, Executive Director, The Mediation Center
Remonte Green; Regional Director, Protection and Safety; Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services
Amy Hoffman, Juvenile Programs and Interventions Director, Nebraska Crime Commission
Elaine Menzel, Legal Counsel, Nebraska Association of County Officials
Vann Price; Associate Superintendent of Human Resources / Director of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion; Lincoln Public Schools
Christopher Reid; Chief Deputy County Attorney, Juvenile Division; Lancaster County
Shellie Sabata; Juvenile Court Judge, Separate Juvenile Court of Lancaster County, Nebraska
Jason Stille, Assistant Chief of Police, Lincoln Police Department
Laura Suhr, Assessment Specialist, Lancaster County Human Services
Arizona State Team (April 2023 ARJE)
Description: The Arizona State Team seeks to convene an organizing group of system representatives, including child welfare, the courts, youth justice, advocates, community partners, and the Department of Education, to develop technical education and training programs for their respective agencies aimed at improving how these systems serve communities of color in Maricopa County.
Contacts:
Roy Dawson, Executive Director, Arizona Center for African American Resources
Julie Hawkins, Executive Consultant, Arizona Department of Juvenile Corrections
Raymonda Matheka, Director of Clinical Services Bureau/Psychologist, Arizona Department of Juvenile Corrections
Amanda Parker, Judge, Maricopa County / State of Arizona
Steve Selover, Program Manager, Arizona Supreme Court
Crystal Singleton, Executive Consultant, Arizona Department of Child Safety
Jazmyn Taitingfong, Deputy Public Advocate, Maricopa County Office of the Public Advocate
Molly Vehon, Court Improvement's Program Development Specialist, Arizona Supreme Court Dependent Children's Services Division with the Administrative Office of the Courts
Rob Wyman, Senior Director, Casey Family Programs
Children's Law Center of California Team (April 2023 ARJE)
Description: The Children’s Law Center of California Team seeks to create a Youth Advisory Council to collaborate with and advise a variety of teams and projects at CLC with the ultimate goal of disrupting the movement of youth from entering the delinquency system from the dependency system.
Contacts:
Isabel Daniels, Staff Attorney, Children's Law Center of California
Jody Green, Director of Strategic Initiatives, Children's Law Center of California
Kaveh Landsverk, Staff Attorney, Pre-Filing Representation Project; Children's Law Center of California
Julie McCormick, Senior Policy Attorney, Children's Law Center of California
Gina Payne, Peer Advocate, Children's Law Center of California
Phyllis Stricklan, Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion; Children's Law Center of California
Travis County Team (April 2023 ARJE)
Description: The Travis County Team seeks to reduce racial and ethnic disparities in referrals from the Austin Independent School District Police Department to Juvenile Probation through creating a community resource catalog and, in collaboration with multi-system partners, expanding a school-based restorative justice diversion program that provides wraparound services.
Contacts:
Cory Burgess, Chief Juvenile Probation Officer, Travis County Juvenile Probation Department
Ali Crowley, Assistant District Attorney, Team Lead of the Juvenile Division; Travis County District Attorney's Office
John Hathaway, Retired Judge
Daniel Hoard, Deputy Chief, Health Services; Travis County Juvenile Probation Department
Rhonda Hurley, District Judge, State of Texas
Jasmine Jenkins, Racial & Social Justice Officer/Licensed Psychologist, Travis County Juvenile Probation Department
Tonya Mills, Director of IT and Research, Travis County Juvenile Probation Department
Julissa Muñiz, Postdoctoral Researcher, The University of Texas at Austin
Kim Patton, Executive Director, Life Anew Restorative Justice
Chris Sauceda, Division Manager Court Services, Travis County Juvenile Probation Department
Pablo Reynaga, Sergeant, Austin ISD Police Department
New Rochelle, NY Team (April 2023 ARJE)
Description: The New Rochelle Youth Justice & Equity Team (YJET) seeks to disrupt the school-to-prison pipeline and mitigate violent youth behavior, focusing on three pillars: interventions for high-risk, high-needs high schoolers; preventative strategies for New Rochelle’s middle schoolers; and anti-racism practices and trainings. Bringing together law enforcement, the judiciary, the New Rochelle school system, and community organizations, YJET seeks to work across systems to prevent and reduce violent behavior among New Rochelle’s youth.
Contacts:
Nate Adams, Program Coordinator, My Brother's Keeper; City School District of New Rochelle
Maria Almonte-Weston, Deputy Regional Director, Court Reform Programs; Center for Justice Innovation
Kevin Brickle, Youth Representative
Charles Fauntleroy, Probation Officer, Westchester County Probation Department
Robert Johnson, Detective, New Rochelle Police Department
Becky Mazzanobile, Chief Executive Officer, Boys & Girls Club of New Rochelle
David Peters, Owner, Self-Employed/Consultant
Jared Rice, New Rochelle City Court Judge, New York State Unified Court System
Philadelphia County Team (2021 PA RED)
Description: The Philadelphia Team seeks to reduce racial and ethnic disparities in front-end system involvement by implementing a pre-arrest/booking diversion program for youth apprehended in the community for misdemeanor behaviors. To do so, the Philadelphia team will build upon the Police School Diversion Program led by the Philadelphia Police Department in order to offer these additional diversion opportunities for youth.
Contacts:
Faustino Castro-Jimenez, Chief Probation Officer, First Judicial District of PA
Adara Combs, Supervisor of the Juvenile Division, Philadelphia District Attorney's Office
The Honorable Jonathan Irvine, Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas Judge, First Judicial District of Pennsylvania
George Mosee, Executive Director, Philadelphia Anti-Drug/Anti-Violence Network
Benjamin Naish, Deputy Commissioner, City of Philadelphia
Lauren Shallow, Juvenile Probation Officer, PA First Judicial District
Alaya Tyler, Community Crisis Advocate, Philadelphia Anti-Drug/Anti-Violence Network
Gary Williams; Deputy Commissioner, Policy Development and System Enhancement; Acting Deputy Commissioner for Juvenile Justice Services; Philadelphia Department of Human Services
Allegheny County Team (2021 PA RED)
Description: The Allegheny County Team’s Capstone Project seeks to address the disproportionate rate at which the Penn Hills Police Department arrests and refers Black youth to Allegheny County Juvenile Court through strengthening Allegheny County’s school-justice partnership and implementing new tools and programs to bolster diversion efforts.
Contacts:
Meghan Black, Deputy District Attorney, Office of the District Attorney of Allegheny County
Kimberly Booth, Assistant Chief Probation Officer, Allegheny County Juvenile Probation
The Honorable Judge Guido DeAngelis, Juvenile Court Judge, Allegheny County Family Division
John Fiscante, Assistant Chief Probation Officer, Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas
Richard Garland, Assistant Professor of Public Health Practice, University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health
Michael McNamara, Chief Operations Officer, School District of Pittsburgh
Jeffrey Williams, Sr. Director of Diversion Initiatives, Foundation of HOPE
Montgomery County Team (2021 PA RED)
Description: The Montgomery County Team seeks to reduce disparate minority contact within Montgomery County through expanded access and use of the Youth Aid Panel (YAP), which requires implementation of several systemic changes at Montgomery County Juvenile Court, Montgomery County Magisterial District Courts, and the Abington School District.
Update (2024): The Montgomery County Team originally asked three school districts to implement a school-based Youth Aid Panel diversion program to reduce suspensions, expulsions, and referrals to law enforcement, especially for Black youth. The team current has five schools districts implementing the School YAP program in their high schools, and one district will be adding their three middle schools in January 2025. In the 2023-2024 school year, 97 youth were referred to the School YAP program across the county; 56 youth completed the program, and 21 remained in progress/pending at the end of the school year. In addition, in that school year, only one youth was arrested for a school-based offense, and all other youth were referred to YAP, case management, EBPs, or supportive services.
Contacts:
Angela Bell, Assistant District Attorney, Montgomery County District Attorney's Office
Scott Bendig, Chief of Police, Montgomery Township Police Department
The Honorable Christopher Cerski, Magisterial District Judge/Adjunct Professor of Law and Public Policy, Pennsylvania Judiciary/Arcadia University
Nicole El, Chief, Juvenile Unit, Montgomery County Public Defender
Sharon Giamporcaro, Deputy District Attorney, Chief of Juvenile Division, Office of the District Attorney
Alana Hook, Chief of Policy and Social Services, Montgomery County Public Defender
Stephanie Landes, Director of Supervision Services, Montgomery County Courts
Thomas Nolan, Chief of Police, Upper Merion Township Police
State-Level Team (2021 PA RED)
Description: The RED State Team seeks to assist the seven counties participating in the Georgetown Reducing Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Juvenile Justice Certificate Program with achieving their county-specific goals. In addition, the State Team will promote and support programs that provide alternatives to arrest for law enforcement.
Contacts:
Francia Henry, President, MION Consulting
Chad Libby, Director, Dauphin County Probation Services
Roi Ligon, Executive Policy Specialist, PA Commission on Crime and Delinquency
Rhonda McKitten; Director PA DMC Youth/Law Enforcement Corporation, Juvenile Justice Consultant; PA DMC Youth/Law Enforcement Corporation
Royce Morris, Judge, Dauphin County Court of Common Pleas
Robert Tomassini, Deputy Director, Juvenile Court Judges' Commission
Lehigh County, PA (2021 PA RED)
Description: The Lehigh County team seeks to review the decision-making processes and practices associated with determining whether a young person is given an opportunity at diversion or if they are scheduled for court and recommended to be adjudicated delinquent and placed on official probation. The team will work with the juvenile probation department, district attorney’s office, public school system and staff from the school justice panels (SJP)/community justice panels (CJP).
Contacts:
Darian Colbert, Executive Director, Cohesion Network
Jeffrey Dimmig, Chief Deputy District Attorney, Lehigh County
Theresa Loder, Juvenile Court Hearing Officer, Lehigh County
Kevin Miller, Chief Juvenile Probation Officer, Lehigh County
Jessica Milton, Assistant Principal, William Allen High School
Shannon Semmel, Deputy Chief Juvenile Probation, Lehigh County
Courtney Wagaman, Executive Director, The IMPACT Project
Bill Williams, Sergeant, Allentown Police Department
Chester County, PA (2021 PA RED)
Description: The Chester County Team’s Capstone Project seeks to reduce the disproportionate number of youth of color referred to the Juvenile Probation Office from the Coatesville Area School District (CASD) through the utilization of restorative/conflict resolution strategies and diversionary practices.
Contacts:
Donald Corry, Chief Juvenile Probation Officer, Chester County Juvenile Probation
John Hall, Judge, State of Pennsylvania
Michelle Harris-Alexander, Casework Supervisor II, Chester County Juvenile Probation
Renée Merion, Deputy District Attorney, County of Chester, Chester County District Attorney's Office
Shaneen Paskings, Program Coordinator, Pennsylvania DMC Youth and Law Enforcement Corporation
Lila Singleton, Executive Director; Community, Youth and Women's Alliance, Inc.
Rosa M. Stokes, Deputy Director of Programs Children, Youth and Families; Chester County Government
Anthony Stukes, LCSW, Stukes Counseling/Pearls Academy
Lancaster County, PA (2021 PA RED)
Description: The Lancaster County Team’s Capstone Project seeks to create a sustainable, community-inspired diversion program for youth in Lancaster through the implementation of the Prodigy program and the creation of an asset map to build a more aligned approach to serving youth in Lancaster.
Contacts:
John Bey, Chief of Police, Lancaster City
Erin Conahan, Coordinator of School, Family, & Community
Partnerships; School District of LancasterLance Greene, Assistant District Attorney, Lancaster County District Attorney's Office (note: Mr. Greene is no longer in this position)
Joshua Hunter, Director, Community Action Partnership
Cheri Modene, Director, Lancaster County Juvenile Probation
Lisa Parker, Supermom & Volunteer, Crispus Attucks
Vanessa Philbert, CEO, Community Action Partnership of Lancaster
The Honorable David Workman, Administrative Judge Juvenile and Family Court, Pennsylvania Judiciary
York County, PA (2021 PA RED)
Description: The York County Team’s Capstone Project seeks to reduce disproportionality of youth of color who are placed in secure detention by reviewing three years of detention data and case files, conducting peer/community-facilitated focus groups with previously detained youth and their families, and evaluating outcomes when youth are connected to Project Future Focus (PFF) in lieu of secure detainment both pre- and post-adjudication or when youth are returning from secure detention.
Contacts:
Chris Batten, Officer, York County Police Department
April Billet, Chief Probation Officer, County of York
Amy Evans, Project Director, Community Action for Recovery and Diversion (CARD)
The Honorable Michael Flannelly, Judge, Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts
AliceAnne Frost; Executive Director; The PROGRAM, It's About Change
Stephanie Lombardo; Chief Deputy Prosecutor for Delinquency, Diversion, and Violence Prevention; York County District Attorney's Office
Joe Morales, Chief Opportunity Officer/Trainer, County of York, PA
Nevada (2019 RED)
Description: Recognizing that youth of color, particularly African American youth, tend to stay on parole longer than Caucasian youth, the Nevada team plans to create and implement a streamlined decision-making process to guide recommendations of termination of parole, and to examine how restitution is addressed as part of parole decisions.
Update (2024): The team continues to track data disaggregated by race related to length of stay on parole.
Contacts:
Sharon Anderson, Unit Manager State of Nevada, Youth Parole Bureau\
Alexia Benshoof, Management Analyst IV State of Nevada, Department of Health and Human Services
Leslie Bittleston, Social Services Chief/Juvenile Justice Specialist State of Nevada
Susan Miller, Deputy Administrator State of Nevada
Kathryn Roose, Deputy Administrator Division of Child and Family Services
Sara Velasquez, Training Officer, NV Div of Child & Family Services, Summit View Youth Center
Tompkins County, New York (2019 RED)
*Note: This project is no longer active.
Description: The team seeks to reduce racial and ethnic disparities using a two-fold approach. First, the team will create a Strengthening Our Students (SOS) program, with the goals of identifying minority youth exhibiting PINS-like behavior early and providing them with community-based intervention services to avoid official referrals to the PINS Diversion Program. Second, the team will work to reduce disparities within three specific child welfare categories: 1) Termination of Parental Rights, 2) Emergency Removals, and 3) Hotline Calls by working with the county Department of Social Services to provide training and develop an action plan based on data collected.
Contacts:
David Sanders, Criminal Justice Coordinator/Performance Measurement Coordinator, Tompkins County County Administration
Kennet Hansen, Caseworker, Tompkins County DSS
Amie Hendrix, Deputy County Administrator, Tompkins County
Carinn Hubbard, Peer Advocate
Paula Ioanide, Associate Professor, Ithica College
Gladys Larson, Senior Probation Officer, Tompkins County
Richard Wallace, Judge, Ithaca City Court
Winnebago County, Illinois (2019 RED)
Description: The team plans to address the “school-to-prison pipeline” and lower racial and ethnic disparities in school discipline through a tiered approach. First, in support of their overarching efforts, the team will provide cross-agency training such as trauma- and culturally-responsive techniques and family engagement approaches to organizations and community groups providing services to youth. Second, the team will revise and develop relevant policies and protocols to implement trauma screenings, an early warning system, and other diversionary programs to reduce the use of exclusionary discipline in schools. Third, the team will examine service gaps and bolster the county’s capacity to provide equitable, quality intervention services to students and their families
Contacts:
Patrick Bruce, Assistant State's Attorney, Winnebago County State's Attorney's Office
Jennifer Cacciapaglia, Manager, Mayor's Office of Domestic Violence and Human Trafficking Prevention, City of Rockford
Angela Hite-Carter, Executive Director of Student Services & Alternative Learning, Rockford Public Schools
John Johnson, Juvenile Justice Coordinator, 17th Judicial Circuit
John Lowry, Judge, Winnebago County
Lynette Pangburn, Assistant Superintendent of Programs, Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice
John Papiernik, Juvenile Probation Supervisor, Winnebago County
Diana Taylor, Assistant Public Defender, Winnebago County
William (Bill) Vedra, Superintendent of Detention, Winnebago County
Olivia Wilks, Director of Juvenile Justice Programs/DMC Coordinator, Illinois Collaboration on Youth
Pueblo County, Colorado (2019 RED)
*Note: This project is no longer active.
Description: The Pueblo County team seeks to reduce school citations for Hispanic students in Pueblo schools by utilizing a matrix that provides alternatives to citations, including school- and community-based supports. The project will include partners from Pueblo School District 60, Health Solutions, Department of Human Services, State of Grace, and Pueblo Municipal Court.
Contacts:
Michael Bayer, Director of School Culture Wellness and Safety, Pueblo City Schools D-60
Felicia Colorado-Ball, Crossover Liaison / Senior Caseworker, Pueblo County Department of Human Services
James Edgar, Supervisor Outpatient Services, Youth & Families Health Solutions
Suzette Keating, Child Welfare Program Administrator, Pueblo County
Kelsey Moore, Coordinator, Trestle, Inc.
Charlie Taylor, Police Captain, Pueblo Police Department
Steve Vigil, Probation Officer, 10th Judicial District, State of Colorado
Cheryl Vincent, High School Assistant Principal, School District 70
Erie County, New York (2018 RED)
Description: The team's Capstone Project is focused on decreasing the disproportionate rate of minority youth in out-of-home care for PINS (child welfare) cases through increasing the utilization of family and community resources to keep youth in their homes.
Contacts:
Felicia Beard, Director, Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo
Mary Carney, Erie County Family Court Judge, NYS Office of Court Administration
Janeen El-Amin, Child Protection Coordinator, Erie County
David Mann, Lieutenant, Buffalo Police Department
Aimee Neri, Liaison for NYS Child Welfare Court Improvement Project, NYS Unified Court system
Tiffany Perry, Court Attorney Referee, New York State
Delroy Pinnock, Attorney, Legal Aid Bureau of Buffalo
Whitney Walker, Executive Director, VOICE-Buffalo
New York City, New York (March 2019 RED)
Description: The NYC RED team is working to address racial and ethnic disparities through system collaboration and community engagement. More specifically, the key components of this Capstone Project include reconvening the quarterly multi-system stakeholder meetings to discuss RED issues, creating an MOA to standardize the racial/ethnicity data collection process, and exploring community-based services for justice-involved minority youth.
Contacts:
Nandi Dozier-Lewis, Program Manager, City of New York Mayor's Office
Vincent Lau, Director of Youth Justice Applied Research, NYC Administration for Children's Services
David Peters, Executive Director, Office of Equity Strategies, Administration for Children's Services
Ismelda (Izzy) Rosario, Director of Strategic Innovation, Administration for Children's Services
Cecilia Shepard, Deputy Chief of Staff, New York City Law Department
Gloria Vidal, Senior Research Associate, NYC Mayor's Office of Criminal Justice
Louis Watts, Assistant Commissioner, NYC Administration for Children's Services
Cecilia Williams, Senior Counsel/Director of Interagency and External Affairs, New York City Law Department
Contra Costa County, California (March 2019 RED)
Description: The team's main goals are to reduce disparities in school-based arrests, out-of-school suspensions, and expulsions. Their main strategies include reviewing current school discipline data, and developing an MOU between police, schools, and juvenile justice officials, with a focus on reducing arrests of students and strengthening restorative and trauma-informed practices.
Update (2020): While in the early developmental phase, the team has brought on additional partnerships to support their work. For example, the team has partnered with Impact Justice, the California Endowment, and Y & H Soda Foundation to support the team's data analysis and the development of a new discipline matrix for the West Contra Costa Unified School District.
Contacts:
Diana Becton, District Attorney, Contra Costa County District Attorney's Office
Donte Blue, Deputy Director, Office of Reentry and Justice Contra Costa County
John Ebrahimi, Probation Manager, Contra Costa County
Bisa French, Assistant Police Chief, City of Richmond
Venus Johnson, Assistant District Attorney, Contra Costa County District Attorney's Office
Robin Lipetzky, Public Defender, Contra Costa County
Stephanie Medley, Director of Education & Justice, RYSE Center
LaShante Smith, School Psychologist/Climate Coordinator, West Contra Costa Unified School District
LaPorte County, Indiana (March 2019 RED)
Description: To address racial and ethnic disparities in LaPorte County, the team plans to develop strategies to collect data on law enforcement stops, develop and implement a decision-making tool at the arrest decision point, and facilitate a law enforcement/youth training to build positive relationships.
Contacts:
Mary Lake, Deputy Prosecuting Attorney, LaPorte County Prosecutor
Caroline Maslankowski, NOVA Coordinator and Caseworker, LaPorte County Juvenile Service Center
Abagael (Abby) May, Development Manager, Michigan City Area Schools, Safe Harbor Afterschool Enrichment Program
Kris Pate, Executive Director, United Way of LaPorte County
Erika Stallworth, Executive Director, LaPorte County Juvenile Services Center
American University, District of Columbia (March 2019 RED)
Description: The AU JPO team aims to address racial and ethnic disparities in juvenile drug treatment courts through research-based onsite and remote training and technical assistance. Using a RED data collection tool developed by JPO, the team plans to support juvenile drug treatment courts to analyze RED data from their own program to reduce disparities in their specific jurisdiction.
Contacts:
Matthew Collinson, Senior Research Specialist, American University Justice Program's Office
Zoë Root, Senior Policy Counsel, American University Justice Program's Office
Megan Ward, Program Associate, American University Justice Program's Office
Alexandria, Virginia (March 2019 RED)
Description: The team seeks to establish a clear understanding of the city's juvenile justice system through disparity mapping across multiple youth-serving systems. From the data collected, the team will then create a "lessons learned" training to disseminate findings, educate their key stakeholders, and determine focus area for future RED work.
Contacts:
Uley Damiani, Judge, Juvenile & Domestic Relations District Court
Don Hayes, Police Commander, Alexandria Police Department
Jocelyn Jones, Director of Program Services, Northern Virginia Juvenile Detention Center
Dee Kirk, Regional Program Manager, Virginia Department of Juvenile Justice
Brian Luhman, Assistant Public Defender, Virginia Indigent Defense Commission
Mike Mackey, Court Service Unit Director, Virginia Department of Juvenile Justice
Victor Martin, Principal, Alexandria City Public Schools
Johnitha McNair, Executive Director, Juvenile Detention Commission for Northern Virginia
Michele Mintling, Program Manager for Foster Care and Adoption, City of Alexandria
Robert Strange, Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney, City of Alexandria
Loudoun County, Virginia (2018 RED)
Description: The team aims to increase diversion rates for minority youth through through identifying key decision points for diversion, establishing a collaborative engagement process, providing trainings to improve awareness of implicit bias, and improving the data management system.
Update (2020): The team is collaboratively working to develop a uniform definition of diversion across the local juvenile justice system. In addition, the team has won a Title II grant from DCJS to bolster their capacity to streamline and collect RED data and to create universal confidentiality releases to share data. The team has also made progress in terms of training. They have engaged several partnering agencies, including law enforcement and SROs, to complete implicit bias training.
Contacts:
Pamela Brooks, Chief Judge, Loudoun County Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court
Margaret Graham, Director, Loudoun County Mental Health Substance Abuse and Developmental Services
Ira Holland, Court Service Unit, Interim Director, Virginia Dept of Juvenile Justice
Alejandra Rueda, Deputy Commonwealths Attorney/Director of Victim-Witness Program, Loudoun County Commonwealth's Attorneys Office
Craig Schleiden, Captain - Assistant Division Commander, Loudoun County Sheriff's Office
Michelle Smith, Superintendent, Loudoun County Juvenile Detention Center Loudoun County
Valmarie Turner, Assistant County Administrator - Health and Human Services, Loudoun County Government
Jennifer Wall, Supervisor, Student Assistance Services, Loudoun County Public Schools
Arlington County, Virginia (2018 RED)
Description: The Capstone Project is focused on reducing the frequency and disproportionality of technical violation arrests. The team's main strategies include conducting a data analysis by race, ethnicity, gender, geography, and offense type; strengthening the use of incentives and sanctions as non-judicial tactics; revising current probation rules; and engaging system partners to improve communications and collaboration.
Contacts:
Brett Butler, Captain, Criminal Investigations Section Arlington County VA Police Dept.
Lauren Brice, Assistant Public Defender, Office of the Public Defender for Arlington County
Earl Conklin, Director of Court Services, Arlington County Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court
Tabitha Kelly, Director of Social Services, Arlington DHS
Laura Newton, Director of Student Services, Arlington Public Schools
Andrew Parker, Chief Deputy Commonwealth's Attorney, Arlington County Commonwealth's Attorney's Office
Robin Robb, Judge, Commonwealth of Virginia
George Varoutsos, Judge Virginia
Deborah Warren, Deputy Director, Arlington County Department of Human Services
Douglas County, Nebraska (2018 RED)
Description: The team seeks to develop an understanding of the status offenders placed on probation, with a particular focus on racial and ethnic disparities among this population. In addition, the team will help reduce minority youth's system entry by increasing public conversations, public awareness, and public action on DMC issues. The main component of the Capstone Project include conducting data analysis, engaging in information-sharing between key stakeholders, and creating policy and practice recommendations.
Contacts:
A'Jamal Byndon, Disproportionate Minority Coordinator, Douglas County Government
Scott Gray, City of Omaha Police Deputy Chief
Judith Gutierrez, Cultural and Community Liaison, PromiseShip
Shelly Hug, JDAI Coordinator State of Nebraska, Juvenile Probation
Mark Le Flore, Manager of Administrative Services, Douglas County
Paulette Merrell, Attorney, Douglas County Attorney's Office
Chris Rodgers, County Commissioner, Douglas County
Ryan Spohn, Director, Nebraska Center for Juvenile Research University of Nebraska-Omaha
Alameda County, California (2018 RED)
Description: The key focus of the Capstone Project is to identify and revise policies and practices that perpetuate racial and ethnic disparities, particularly those that contribute to the number of secure detentions for robbery among youth of color. The team will work closely with the RED committee and create a youth profile by analyzing data from the Oakland Police Department and Probation Department through case studies and youth focus groups.
Update (2024): The team partnered with Dr. Angela Irvine and Ceres Policy Research to study felony robbery and assault charges in Alameda County through a public health and youth development lens. The study found that there are large numbers of youth in Alameda County who are charged with assaults and robberies whose cases are ultimately dropped by the District Attorney and the Courts. This demonstrates the “urgent need for assessment and diversion programs,” particularly for Black youth that are overrepresented within the incident types explored in the report.
Contacts:
LeRonne Armstrong, Assistant Chief of Police Oakland Police Department
Laurel Arroyo, Deputy Public Defender Alameda County Public Defender
Esa Ehmen-Krause, Assistant Chief Probation Officer Alameda County Probation Dept.
Paulynne Jones, Division Director Alameda County Probation
Eileen McAndrew, Assistant District Attorney Alameda County
Carissa Pappas, Management Analyst Alameda County Probation Department
Jessica Selvin, Chair, Juvenile Justice Commission Alameda County
Scott Jackson, Superior Court Judge State of California
Wendy Still, Chief Probation Officer Alameda County Probation Department
Christian County, Kentucky (2018 RED)
Description: The team seeks to address the overrepresentation of youth of color that have been identified as having special education needs and/or services. Key strategies include developing and implementing trauma-informed care practices, enhancing efforts to engage families by using a culturally sensitive and multi-disciplinary approach, and providing wrap-around services.
Update (2019): Using Christian County as a pilot site, the Kentucky team has completed service mapping to identify resource and service gaps available for their target population. They have also coordinated RED and trauma-related trainings to school staff, law enforcement officers, and community members. Between 2018 and 2019, the team overall found a 15% reduction (368 in 2018 vs. 313 in 2019) in complaints filed against youth between January and June. In 2018, 38% (140) of the complaints were filed against white youth, and 51% (188) of the complaints were against African American youth. In 2019, there is a decrease in the number of complaints filed for both white and African American youth, but there is a greater reduction for African American youth - 42% (133) of the complaints were filed against white youth, and 46% (143) were filed against African American youth. Similar reduction in the representation of African American youth in detention is observed.
Contacts:
Rachel Bingham, Executive Officer Administrative Office of the Courts
Edward Palmer, Community and Youth Activist/Certified Diversity Trainer/Pastor
Muscatine County, IA (2018 RED)
Description: The Capstone Project is focused on preventing youth from entering the juvenile justice system by developing and expanding diversionary options for first time misdemeanor offenders. The team will develop a MOU with local law enforcement and Juvenile Court Services to divert youth, provide diversion training to law enforcement officers, and engage families in the diversion process.
Contacts:
Joan Black, Assistant County Attorney Muscatine County Attorney
Scott Hobart, Chief Juvenile Court Officer Judicial Branch, State of Iowa
Shauna Koppenhaver, Assistant Principal Muscatine Community Schools
Shawn Lucas, Juvenile Court Officer III State of Iowa
Nicole Mann, Eastern Iowa Decategorization Coordinator Scott County Kids
Whitni Pena, Police Officer City Of Muscatine
Mike Sterner, Bi-Lingual At-Risk Coordinator Muscatine Community School District
Kim Warren, Aligned Impact Muscatine Director United Way of Muscatine
Nassau County, NY (2018 RED)
Description: The team aims to decrease recidivism rates for Black and Hispanic youth in the Village of Hempstead during the Probation Intake Adjustment process by partnering with key stakeholders in the community. Key strategies include collaborating with families served to identify barriers to involvement, strengthening family engagement policies and services, and bolstering the referral and service matching process to meet youth and families' needs.
Contacts:
Erika Deans, JDAI Coordinator Nassau County Probation Department
Dana Boylan, Executive Director, Youth Services Nassau County
DS Brazley, Legislative Aid Town of Hempstead
Theresa Drye, Program Manager Nassau County DHS, Office of Youth Services
Aleisha Garvin, Probation Supervisor Nassau County Probation Department
Russell Harris, Police Detective Hempstead Village Police
Donna Raphael, Senior Director of Advocacy and Community Relations Family and Children's Association
Laqueta Robbins-Kennedy, Director, Juvenile Detention Center Nassau County Probation Department
New York City Law Department (2016 & 2017 RED)
Description: Ms. Wood and Ms. Ruiz from two cohorts of the RED Certificate Programs are collaborating on one Capstone Project. Their project aims to create and implement a structured decision-making tool to mitigate unconscious, implicit bias of prosecuting attorneys in the juvenile justice system of New York City.
Contacts:
Pia Wood, Assistant Corporation Counsel, NYC Law Department (2017 RED)
Jennifer Gilroy Ruiz, Family Court Deputy Chief, NYC Law Department (2016 RED)
Monongalia County, West Virginia (2017 RED)
Description: Developed as part of a Disproportionate Minority Contact (DMC) pilot project funded by the Morgantown Area Youth Services Project DMC grant, the project aims to reduce DMC in the Monongalia County juvenile justice system by developing a multi-disciplinary committee to oversee DMC reduction initiatives and implement culturally competent services for at-risk minority youth.
Contact: Danny Trejo, Director/Counselor, Morgantown Area Youth Services Project
St. Louis, Missouri (2017 RED)
Description: To establish multi-system collaborative group that will meet regularly to address racial and ethnic disproportionality and disparity. In particular, the group will systematically share and analyze RED data, and develop protocols for intervention and diversion processes for youth with behavioral health needs in the child welfare and juvenile justice systems.
Contact: Annette House, Regional Director, MO Department of Social Services, Children's Division
Virginia (2017 RED)
Description: To reduce the over-representation of minority youth referrals for school discipline matters and students' juvenile court involvement through working with system leaders to change policies and practices, as well as to increase community and staff awareness of racial and ethnic disparities issues.
Contacts:
Valerie Boykin, Deputy Director of Community Programs, Virginia Department of Juvenile Justice
Jenna Easton, State JDAI Coordinator, Virginia Department of Juvenile Justice
Edward Holmes, Juvenile Justice Analyst, Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services
Monica Jackson, Juvenile Justice Program Analyst, Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services
Rebecca Kahila, School Safety and Discipline Specialist, Virginia Department of Education
Susan Reese, Senior Assistant Director, Division of Family Services, Virginia Department of Social Services
Pinal County, Arizona (2017 RED)
Description: Reduce disproportionality for African American youth at the arrest decision point by working with the Pinal County Sheriff's Office to pilot a pre-diversion program, improve relationships between community members of color, law enforcement, and juvenile court, and provide youth with opportunities for pro-social engagement in San Tan Valley.
2019 Update: The team has strengthened their partnership with the Pinal County Sheriff's Office to move forward with their Capstone Project. Collaboratively, the team has developed a pre-diversion program and began its implementation in February 2019. As of October 2019, 30 youth have been referred to the program since February, and all 30 youth successfully completed the program with no reoffense. The team has also bolstered and expanded their mentoring opportunities and diversion programming in conjunction with the existing Redirection Program. The expanded curriculum includes topics on substance use, social media, goal-setting, etc. With the Sheriff's Office taking the lead, the team is also working with key stakeholders and community partners to hold community outreach events with the explicit goal of improving rapport between youth of color and justice staff. These events were well-attended with significant proportion of minority youth and families. Between 2017 and 2019, the team has observed a 15% decrease in the total number of arrests overall in Pinal County, and almost 30% decrease in the arrests on African American Youth (compared to 16% decrease of white youth). For their pilot site in San Tan Valley, the total arrest decreased by 27%, and about 38% decrease for African American youth (compared to 23% white youth).
Contacts:
Celena Angstead, Division Director, Pinal County Juvenile Court Services
Cory Jacobs, Research Analyst, Pinal County
Denise Smith, Juvenile Court Director, Pinal County
Daniel Washburn, Judge, State of Arizona
Massachusetts DYS (2017 RED)
Description: Reduce the overrepresentation and length of stay for youth of color in residential placement. More specifically, this effort will include: 1) Redesigning the agency's classification policies and procedures, 2) adapting a structured decision-making tool, 3) developing a training development team, and 4) developing reporting structure and supervision guidelines.
Update (2019): The team has conducted 12 focus groups across the state to collect feedback regarding the agency's classification policies from DYS staff, youth, and families. The team is currently drafting new policies based on focus groups' feedback, and the initial classification policy is set to complete by the end of 2019. The team has also partnered with UMMS and Dr. Gina Vincent to provide training and ensure implementation fidelity in using the YLS/CMI tool. In addition, training curriculum related to race and ethnicity, such as racial trauma and implicit bias, is in the process of being updated, and all DYS employees will be trained before July 2020. The team has collected baseline data based on their current classification policy, and they will continue monitoring the classification data once the policy is rolled out.
Contacts:
Christian Bijoux, Project Coordinator Consultant, MA Department of Youth Services
Lynsey Heffernan, JDAI State Coordinator, MA Department of Youth Services
Ruth Rovezzi, Deputy Commissioner, Department of Youth Services
Ja'Net Smith, Regional Director, Department of Youth Services
Minnehaha County/Sioux Falls, South Dakota (2017 RED)
Description: Reduce disparities for low-level juvenile offenders in Minnehaha County. Key strategies include:
Developing an MOU between schools, courts, law enforcement, and local government, which establishes standard institutional responses to behavioral incidents in schools.
Creating a Diversion Coordinator position to oversee the process of pre-arrest diversion and to connect families and youth to services.
Providing implicit bias training to local stakeholders and improving access to culturally informed programming for youth of color.
Update (2024): The team created a Diversion Coordinator position within the State's Attorney's office. This has helped to substantially increase the number of youth being diverted in the county, especially for youth of color.
Contacts:
Annie Brokenleg, REF Coordinator, Lutheran Social Services
Joni Cutler, Judge, Unified Judicial System
Carole James, Senior Deputy State's Attorney, Minnehaha County State's Attorney's Office
Jason Leach, Police School Resource Sergeant, City of Sioux Falls
Andrew Robertson, Senior Deputy Public Defender, Minnehaha County Public Defender's Office
Multnomah Education Service District & Oregon State Joint Project (2017 RED + 2017 LGBTQ)
Description: The two Capstone teams are collaborating to implement the Affirmation Creates Equity (ACE) Project, which focuses on connecting students to the most appropriate educational placement and services upon release from juvenile detention. Targeting students between the ages 11 to 21 in the MESD, the ACE Project aims to: 1) reduce racial and ethnic disparities, 2) support the well-being of LGBTQ+ youth, 3) ensure the timely and appropriate educational placement for students in special education, and 4) provide wraparound services for all youth leaving juvenile detention to assist with successful re-entry to community schools.
Contacts:
OR LGBTQ Team
MESD RED Team
Bobby Bridges, DMC Coordinator, Youth Development Council
Tim Logan, Agency Administrator, SoValTi
Joseph O'Neil, Lead Transition Specialist, Multnomah Education Service District
Scott Ryan, Student Services Coordinator, Multnomah Education Service District
Albany, New York (2017 RED)
*Note: The project is no longer active due to changes in staffing.
Description: To increase successful exits of youth of color and prevent further penetration of youth of color into the juvenile justice system in Albany County using a specific Voluntary Placement Agency as a pilot. The team will partner with key stakeholders in both the state and county levels to:
1. Conduct implicit bias training for the placement agency and county staff.
2. Implement objective decision-making strategies aligned with a Risk-Need-Responsivity framework.
3. Increase family engagement efforts to encourage family participation in youth's treatment.
Update (2018): The team began the pilot at LaSalle School and served the first eligible youth in June 2018. The team has put in place protocols and mechanisms for data tracking and analysis to assess the impact of the program. Members of the Capstone team have been meeting regularly to ensure that an Individual Crisis Management Plan is developed for each youth in care, and that LaSalle School staff provide Positive Behavioral Intervention and Supports (PBIS) through an equity lens. Working with key partners from NYS DCJS and NYS OCFS, the Capstone team collaborates with LaSalle School to provide staff trainings on PBIS, implicit bias, racial anxiety, and stereotype threat in October 2018. To engage youth and families in the treatment process, ACDCYF has contracted with Youth Life Support Network to provide reintegration services and work with families and youth through a community coach and a Parent Engagement Specialist.
Contacts:
Anne Moscinski, Associate Executive Director for Program Services, LaSalle School
Jamel Muhammad, Executive Director Youth LIFE Support Network, Inc.
Barbara Ray, Probation Supervisor Albany County Probation
Kathleen Schlegel, Senior Case Worker Albany County Department for Children, Youth and Families
Camela Steinke, Program Assessment & Effectiveness Research Specialist LaSalle School
Lynn Tubbs, Child Welfare Clinical Director Albany County Department for Children, Youth and Families
Nicole Ward, Executive Director Albany County Youth Bureau
Colorado (2016 RED)
Description: To reduce the overrepresentation of Latino youth committed to the Division of Youth Corrections by analyzing historical data, engaging families as well as the Latino community leaders, and supporting probation officers to develop rapport with at-risk youth.
Update (2019): The team has collected baseline data and will continue to analyze DYS data on a yearly basis. The commitment data from 2016-2017 showed that there’s a high RRI (overrepresentation) in the Latino population. As a result, the team and partnering agencies recruited bi-lingual/bi-cultural officers, case managers, and therapists to avoid the need for translators. Almost all the Probation staff are trained on the Strategies for Behavioral Change model, which aims to remove inherit bias from the decision-making process and encourage staff to provide rewards for positive behaviors. In addition, the team has continued to facilitate and participate in community events. One particular event, the Evening Charla with Juvenile Justice stakeholders and the Latinx community, was planned and presented by La Cocina in conjunction with the CO RED team, providing opportunities for community members and staff from the court, probation, DA's office, youth detention center, and child welfare to interact.
Contacts:
Bob Bauman, Coordinator, Senate Bill 94, 8th JD Weld Adolescent Resources
Troy Krotz, Principal, Poudre School District
Greg Otte, Deputy Chief Probation Officer, State of Colorado Judicial Branch
Carolyn Pannell, District Court Magistrate, State of Colorado, 8th Judicial District
Hava Simmons, Social Casework Manager, Larimer County Department of Human Services
Burleigh County, North Dakota (2016 RED)
Description: To reduce disproportionate minority contact in Burleigh County at the arrest decision point by developing a community care model focused on family/community engagement and creating a school-based diversion program using restorative justice practices.
Contacts:
Rhonda Block, Deputy Director, Child Protection Supervisor Burleigh County Social Services
Tami De Coteau, Licensed Clinical Psychologist, Self-Employed
Luke McKay, Youthworker Supervisor, City of Bismarck Police Department
Cory Pedersen, Director of Juvenile Court, Unit 3 ND Supreme Court
Blaise Reagle, Professional Youth Worker, Youthworks
Tamara Uselman, Superintendent of Schools, Bismarck Public Schools
Fargo, North Dakota (2016 RED)
Description: To reduce disproportionate minority contact at the arrest and detention decision by creating a pre-citation or citation level diversion program, engaging minority and New American families, and revising the current detention screening tool.
Contacts:
Joel Friesz, Restorative Justice Program Director Lutheran Social Services of North Dakota
Melaine Heitkamp, Executive Director Youthworks
Karen Kringlie, Director of Juvenile Court North Dakota Supreme Court
Kara Schmitz Olson, Cass County Assistant State's Attorney Cass County
Jeffrey Schatz, Superintendent of Schools Fargo Public Schools, District 1
David Todd, Chief of Police Fargo Police Department
California Board of State and Community Corrections (2015 RED)
Description: To address racial and ethnic disparities through changing the operations of BSCC. Main components of the project include:
1. Conduct a comprehensive internal agency evaluation through an outside expert to examine agency practices and policies.
2. Develop and administer a survey of BSCC staff and leadership regarding their perceptions and understanding of racial and ethnic disparities and service delivery.
3. Develop and provide racial and ethnic disparities training for all BSCC staff based on agency evaluation.
Contacts:
Brian Back, Judge, CA Board of State and Community Corrections (BSCC), State Advisory Committee on Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (SAC JJDP)
Colleen Curtin, Field Representative, CA BSCC
Shalinee Hunter, Field Representative, CA BSCC *NOTE* Shalinee is no longer with BSCC and is not involved in the Capstone Project.
Mary Jolls, Deputy Director, Corrections Planning & Programs, CA BSCC
Sandra McBrayer, Chief Executive Officer, The Children's Initiative
Alachua County, Florida (2015 RED)
Description: To reduce the number of arrest and increase the number of diversion referral for youth of color through several strategies that facilitate community engagement.
Capstone Update (2018): 1) The team has implemented the Students to Successful Citizens Program and developed an MOU with school board to handle school misconduct and misdemeanor offenses. A "Manning Center" was also established to provide in-school suspension. 2) To improve police-community relationship, the Alachua County team has implemented a Police/Student Dialogue program, where minority youth have the opportunity to discuss civic issues with police officers. The program survey showed improved perception and interaction of police and youth. 3) The team implemented a Communication and Self-Esteem Program, which resulted in lower recidivism rate for youth participated in the program. Together, these efforts resulted in lower arrest rates. In the 2013-2014 school year, there were 105 on campus juvenile arrests; these arrest rates has been steadily decreasing - For the Gainesville Police Department, there was 51 school-based arrests for 2014-2015, 10 arrests for 2015-2016, and 16 arrests for 2016-2017 school years. For the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office, the school-based arrests numbers have also been decreasing. There were 48 arrests in 2013-2014, 30 in 2014-2015, and 14 arrests for both 2015-2016 and 2016-2017 school years. Similarly, there has been a reduction in overall arrests for minority youth. There has been about 50 percent decrease in the number of minority youth arrested from 2013 (204 youth) to 2017 (105 youth).
Contacts:
William Halvosa, DMC Coordinator, Gainsville Police Department
Paul Pardue, RED DMC Coordinator, Alachua County Sheriff's Office
Donald Reed, ESE Supervisor, Alachua County Public School
Judge Cheryl Twombly, Community Development Administrator, Circuits 3 & 8, Department of Children and Families
Shawnta Walker, Juvenile Probation Officer, Department of Juvenile Justice
Jeffrey Weisberg, Executive Director, River Phoenix Center for Peacebuilding
Jefferson County, Alabama (2015 RED)
Description: To reduce racial and ethnic disparities through family engagement and interagency collaboration. The main components of the project include: 1) developing a collaborative relationship with the local school districts, community partners, and law enforcement agencies, and 2) developing and administering survey for families to share their experiences and feedback with the court system.
Update (2019): In 2016, the team organized a training seminar on implicit bias for probation staff, law enforcement, school officials, and service providers. Self-reported training evaluation suggested that the training was effective in raising awareness of implicit bias and its potential detrimental impact. The team has also developed and administered an "Exit Survey" for family court clients, and the feedback will help modify policies and procedures. The team has also been actively engaging the community thought hosting resource fairs, providing opportunities for parents and community members to share their opinions about the schools, and offering parenting skills training. In 2017, the team has identified additional areas of focus in reducing racial and ethnic disparities, including inadequate access to high-quality early learning programs and services, high rates of crime and unemployment, low school graduation rates, etc. The team also hosted the FIRST county-wide Truancy Intervention Program Conference in 2018 (and again in 2019). Despite personnel changes in their team, they continue to host local events, annual summits, and conferences to engage community members, stakeholders, and practitioners.
Contacts:
Angela Harris, Supervisor of Student Services, Jefferson County Board of Education
Vanessa Jones, Director of Intake and Programs, Family Court of Jefferson County
Devella Malone, Juvenile Probation Officer/Education Liaison, Jefferson County Family Court-B
Florida Department of Juvenile Justice (2014 RED)
Description: The team plans to reduce detention holds as a result of failure to appear (FTA) in the Duval Regional Detention Center, as Black youth make up a disproportionate amount of the detention holds for this specific technical violations. The main components of this project include:
Collect and analyze data on the reasons for youth to not appear in court
Develop strategies to prevent youth from entering detention as a result of FTA
Modify current warrant/custody order policy so that warrants for FTAs could be attached directly to detention alternatives rather than secure detention
Contacts:
Erika Gaeta, Government Operations Consultant, Florida Department of Juvenile Justice
Mark Greenwald, Director of Research, Florida Department of Juvenile Justice
Joshua Kuch, Statewide DMC, Florida Department of Juvenile Justice
Gwen Steverson, Chief of Probation, 4th Circuit
Craig Swain, DMC Specialist, Florida Department of Juvenile Justice
Orange County, CA (2014 RED)
Description: Reduce number of Latino youth referred to DA by initial case screener or by Non-Custody Intake Unit Deputy Probation Officer (NCI-DPO) (after given to them by the initial case screener), by: Expanding efforts to find contact information and get in touch with families (to reduce the number of cases referred to the DA because of being unable to contact the youth’s family); Implementing a community education campaign on the benefits of diversion (to reduce the number of cases referred to the DA because the family does not respond to correspondence); Training staff to better explain the benefits of diversion and create peer education program for parents (in which they can learn about diversion from other parents of youth who previously went through the program) (to reduce the number of cases referred to the DA because the family did not consent to diversion); Re-visiting policies on automatic referrals to DA for youth who have previously been wards of the court or who fail a diversion plan; Implementing the OYAS objective assessment tool (to reduce the number of cases referred to the DA because the youth has “multiple delinquency issues” and is “unsuitable for diversion”).
Update (2016): The team revised policies surrounding cases with inaccurate contact information, trained non-custody intake staff on effectively explaining the benefits of diversion, and provided training for staff on cross-over youth and the danger of detention. In addition, POs were given greater flexibility in handling first time shoplifting, marijuana possession, and school fight referrals. The team is currently exploring the use of OYAS as screening tool and just started data analysis due to the lack of resources.
Contacts:
Andy Hamer, Supervising Probation Officer - Orange County Probation Department
Catherine Stiver, Orange County Probation Department - Division Director
Doreen Lore, Orange County Probation Department - Supervising Probation Officer
Jennifer Pulliam, Orange County Probation Department - Supervising Probation Officer
Julie Stedman, Orange County Probation Department - Assistant Division Director
Nazly Restrepo, Orange County Bar Foundation - Associate Director
Cedar Rapids, Iowa (2013 RED)
Description: 1) Give community presentations on RED in Cedar Rapids to raise awareness of the issue. 2) Arrange trainings at local high school on restorative justice and motivational interviewing. 3) Start a mentoring program for students at 6th and 9th grade at local middle school and high school.
Contacts:
Bernie Bordignon, Juvenile Court Officer IV - State of Iowa 6th Judicial District
Karl Cassell, Executive Director - Cedar Rapids Civil Rights Commission
Christy Hamblin, Sgt. - Cedar Rapids Police
Paul Hayes, Learning Supports Facilitator - Cedar Rapids Community Schools
Casey Jones, District Associate Judge - State of Iowa - Judicial Branch
New Hampshire (2013 RED)
Description: Mapping out demographics of "unknown" racial backgrounds in the state women's prison.
Contact: Andrew Smith, DMC Coordinator - New Hampshire DHHS
Oregon (2010 Public MSI)
Description: Find and implement methods to reduce DMC in pilot counties in Oregon, including CYPM.
Contact: Anya Sekino, Juvenile Crime Prevention Manager, Juvenile Justice Specialist, State DMC Coordinator - Oregon Commission on Children and Families
California (2008 MSI CPI)
Description: Foster partnership between the state corrections standards authority and schools to educate and begin to address DMC.
Contact: Shalinee Hunter, DMC Coordinator/Corrections Consultant and JJ Specialists/Title II Lead - Corrections Standards Auth., CA Dept. of Corrections and Rehabilitation *NOTE* Shalinee is no longer with the department.
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