Alabama

2016 DIV Sumter County, AL Team

Contacts:

Tammy Montgomery, SumterCounty District Court Judge, State of AL

Vanessa Fitch, Senior Judicial Assistant, Sumter County District

Cora Hutchins, Chief Juvenile Probation Officer, Sumter County District

Capstone Description:

To prevent youth from entering the juvenile justice system by enhancing and expanding the current prevention initiatives. These initiatives include providing a multi-tiered prevention and intervention program and developing partnerships with local community businesses and county agencies to fund and implement prevention programs.

2015 RED Jefferson County, AL Team

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

Capstone Description:

To reduce racial and ethnic disparities through family engagement and interagency collaboration. The main components of the project include a) developing a collaborative relationship with the local school districts, community partners, and law enforcement agencies, and b) developing and administering surveys for families to share their experiences and feedback with the court system.

Capstone 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.

2009 MSI Montgomery County, AL Participant

Contact:

Kathleen Rasmussen, Juvenile Justice Specialist Program Manager and Supervisor - Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs Law Enforcement and Traffic Safety Division

Capstone Description:

Develop a format whereby each of Alabama’s 67 counties can utilize their respective county children’s policy council (CPC) as the local-level Juvenile Accountability Block Grant Program (JABG) advisory board, which can then be consulted by the units of local government (ULGs) within that county who are applying for JABG funds to be expended on programs designed to address the special needs of youth, including the needs of youth in the foster care system (crossover youth), coming into contact with the juvenile court.