JUVENILE COURT2019

Washington State

PIERCE

All youth will be supported in an equitable

and fair system

✓ Develop Leadership

✓ Focus Efforts on Results

✓ Create Community Partnerships

✓ Educate Staff and Community

We want our community to be one that is safe and supportive, where all children are healthy and succeed in school and where all children grow up to be productive and contributing adults.

Creating the Vision in Pierce County

Introduction of JDAI

RED Reduction Plan

Probation Transformation

163 161

150147

108

8379 77

68

4946

3631 31 31

2622 20 22

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018

Overall African American Caucasian

Average Daily Population

65% Reduction in

Felony Petitions Filed

from 2000 - 2018

190

201

227

190

176

154 151

189

116

126

88 86

67

53

63

4541 42 41

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018

The number of commitments from 2000 to 2018 reduced by 78%

State Commitments

Probation Transformation Grant

2015 – Starts & Achievements• Lobby Surveys• Family Council Established• Alliances• Positive Youth Development outreach begins

2016 – Starts & Achievements• Purpose of Probation• Pathways to Success• Family First• System Assessment Completed

2017 – Starts & Achievements• Youth and Family Focus Groups• Opportunity Based Probation• Summer Pop Up Program

2018 – Starts & Achievements• Opportunity Based Expansion• Pre and Post Probation Youth and Family Survey• Prevent Out of Home Placement

TRANSFORMING JUVENILE PROBATIONA VISION FOR GETTING IT RIGHT

Justice for Families (J4F)

▪ Families Unlocking Futures: Solutions to the Crisis in Juvenile Justice Report released in 2012

The Fundamentals of Family and Youth Engagement

▪ Family Engagement is a meaningful partnership with families and youth at every level of the agency and system.

▪Meaningful engagement happens when families are truly valued, are appreciated as experts and critical stakeholders in shaping positive outcomes.

▪Not limited to families as experts on their own children, it also includes drawing on their experience and expertise throughout all the stages of system reform.

Core Concepts of Family Engagement

▪ Family Engagement is a mindset

▪Define Family broadly

▪Culture and context must be valued

▪ Self-examination and patience are key

Partnership Principles

▪ Power: Explore and acknowledge the inherent power dynamics between system stakeholders and family members.

▪ Patience: ‘These are lives. These are children. There needs to space for that.’

▪ Perspective: Membership diversity in regards to race, age, gender, sexual orientation, family relationship and socioeconomic status provide a variety of experiences that are key to analyzing and making quality recommendations

Steps to start a Family Council

1. Prepare for partnership

-What resources will be dedicated

-Staff commitment

-What amount of power and authority are you willing to share?

2. Inviting Family Input

3. Recruitment

4. Training

5. Determine Goals and Deliverables

6. System Support

Family Council Est. 2015

Mission: The Family Council empowers family and young adult voice to impact system change in partnership with the Juvenile Court.

✓ Creating partnerships

✓ Building relationships & trust

✓ Court system training

✓ Data sharing

✓ Created mission, goals and council structure

Family Council – 2015

Heavy emphasis on proper on-boarding to promote collaboration, reduce confusion/misinformation and build trust of the Family Council.

✓ Tackled “low hanging fruit”

✓ Tested the water – building trust

✓ Made recommendations

✓ Created parent information packet

✓ Provided feedback on new programs

✓ Conducted a family survey

Family Council – 2016

First full year focused on implementing changes based on the survey, reviewing new court programs, continuing to educate the council, building relationships and listening.

▪ Recommendations from the Family Survey▪ Accommodate working parents & reduce barriers to court participation

▪ Provide information for families new to the system (guidebook)

▪ Enhance the lobby environment (greeter, brochures, etc.)

▪ Program Feedback▪ Opportunity Based Probation

▪ Pathways to Success

▪ Alliances

▪ Looking ahead▪ Introduce Results Based Accountability framework

▪ Focus results on reducing system disparities

▪ Create a toolkit to institutionalize family engagement

Family Council

THANK YOU

✓ Empowering Youth

✓ Strengthening Families

✓ Investing in the Community