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| Center Aims to Keep Status Offenders Out of Courts |
| By jjie.org - Gary Gately |
| Published: 12/13/2013 |
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In Florida, a statewide network of nonprofits working seven days a week, 24 hours a day provides community-based help for families of teens in crisis. In Clark County in Washington state, students who skip school must attend a truancy workshop where they learn consequences of not attending and sign a statement pledging to improve their attendance. In Calcasieu Parish, La., a one-stop “Multi-Agency Resource Center” under the Office of Juvenile Justice Services serves as a centralized intake point for families in need of services. Such interventions are part of a growing effort to keep youths out of court for “status offenses” such as truancy, violation of a curfew, running away from home or drinking alcohol. Now there’s a vast new online resource for jurisdictions seeking alternatives to the courts for status offenses. The Status Offense Reform Center, launched Friday by the Center on Youth Justice at the nonprofit Vera Institute of Justice, brings together step-by-step guides to the reform process, case studies from the field, advice from experts on handling status offenses, a huge online library and other resources. The center details ways for jurisdictions to implement, sustain and monitor system changes designed to keep juveniles out of court for status offenses. The center, supported by funding through the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, reflects the realization that families and community-based resources, not the juvenile justice system, are best-equipped to deal with status offenders. Read More. |
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