The Effective Management of Juvenile Sex Offenders in the Community

1. The Effective Management of Juvenile Sex Offenders in the Community Section 6: Reentry

2. Goals • Examine three challenges related to juvenile sex offender reentry and aftercare • Over-reliance on the most secure placements • Insufficient reentry and aftercare planning • Fragmentation across the system • Clarify how these challenges can be addressed Section 6

3. Over-Reliance on the Most Secure Placements Section 6

4. National Statistics: Placement • More than 100,000 youthful offenders in placement released each year • Increase of more than 40% from 1990-1999 Section 6

5. National Statistics: Placement (Continued) • 1999-2003 • 11% decrease • 2000-2002 • 7% decrease • 36 states Section 6

6. Placement of Juvenile Sex Offenders • While over time numbers have decreased, juvenile sex offenders in placement have increased • 1997-2003 • 34% rise • 2003 • Approximately 8% (8,000) were sex offenders Section 6

7. Placement of Juvenile Sex Offenders (Continued) • Most (72%) of the nation’s specialized treatment programs are community-based • 28% are in residential or institutional facilities • But about ½ of juvenile sex offenders were treated in residential or institutional programs Section 6

8. Tendency to Over-Rely on Residential and Institutional Placements • Not all youth will benefit • No strong evidence to suggest that placements result in substantial reductions in recidivism • Interventions in a youth’s natural environment are more likely to result in positive outcomes • Not all juvenile sex offenders in residential or institutional facilities need to be there Section 6

9. Insufficient Reentry and Aftercare Planning Section 6

10. Getting In Is Easy, Getting Out Is Difficult • Compared to most other types of youthful offenders, juvenile sex offenders spend more time in placement • One reason is a lack of or insufficient reentry and aftercare planning • Tendency to assume that “more” is better Section 6

11. Consequences • Prolonged detachment from positive community supports and productive involvement in prosocial activities exacerbates reentry challenges • Potential negative outcomes when delinquent youth are placed together for the purpose of intervention • Maxing out with no aftercare programming or community supervision • Movement to “low” level of supervision or care, with no gradual reduction in aftercare services and support • Prevent early identification of needs and barriers Section 6

12. Fragmentation Across the System Section 6

13. Design of the System • Establishes a residential or institutional dimension and a community dimension that can be mutually exclusive • “In” or “out” • Consider • Treatment providers “in” and “out” • Institutional or residential caseworkers or managers “in” and juvenile parole officers “out” Section 6

14. Potential Solutions Section 6

15. Reasons for Over-Reliance • High stakes • Insufficient assessment data • Limited specialized management capacity • Lack of confidence in existing community resources • Negative community sentiment Section 6

16. Strategies to Reduce Over-Reliance • Assessment-driven decisionmaking at the point of disposition or sentencing • Building community capacity • Raising awareness and increasing confidence through specialized training and education • Juvenile and family court judges and prosecutors • The community Section 6

17. Insufficient Planning • Planning for reentry at the point of entry • Start at intake! • Early assessment is key • Anticipate needs that youth and the family have that may hinder reentry and aftercare efforts Section 6

18. Key Questions to be Answered • What issues, concerns, and barriers need to be addressed at some point during the reentry and aftercare process? • When must these be addressed? In the facility before release? When the youth is in the community? Or in both? • Who will address them? Section 6

19. Elements of a Comprehensive Reentry and Aftercare Plan • Specialized treatment needs • Mental health problems • Healthcare concerns • Family issues Section 6

20. Family Reunification Challenges • Limited placement options • Requests from family members • Concerns raised by victim advocates and service providers • Expectations of child welfare and social service agencies, and juvenile and family courts • Large caseloads • Limited long-term influence of involved agencies and the courts Section 6

21. Key Elements of Reunification • Victim safety • Early initiation of process • Gradual and deliberate • Out of home placement • Treatment interventions • Readiness assessments • Supervised contacts in clinical settings • Clarification • Supervised contacts in natural environments • Transition to family supervision • Return home • Flexible and responsive • Collaboration Section 6

22. Promoting Early Involvement of Families • Approach parents and caregivers as partners whose input is valued • Identify common ground and common goals • Make family therapy an expectation rather than an easy “option” to decline • Plan to incorporate therapeutic activities or assignments into visitation time • Create “after hours” parenting skills classes, and education and support groups • Plan to offer transportation Section 6

23. Elements of a Comprehensive Reentry and Aftercare Plan • Educational needs • Vocational needs • Life and independent living skills • Community supervision strategies • Community hostility concerns Section 6

24. Importance of Continuity of Programming and Services • Staff “in” and “out” must work together to ensure continuity of care • Services provided should anticipate interventions that are to come or build upon previous programs • Avoiding delays is critical • Schedule appointments in the community prior to release Section 6

25. Utilizing the Whole Continuum • Planning early to avoid “all or nothing” • Ideally, jurisdictions have a range of • Community-based options • Specialized supervision • Non-residential programs • Alternative living • Day treatment • Outpatient services • Residential and institutional programming • Group homes • Halfway houses • Transition or step-down Section 6

26. Responding when Problems Arise • Increasing supervision intensity • Imposing a sanction that is treatment-based • Requiring a temporary return to a residential or institutional placement Section 6

27. Critical Factors to Consider • Seriousness of behavior • Risk level • Degree to which community safety was jeopardized • Juvenile’s disclosure • Level of responsibility assumed by youth • Awareness and disclosure of behavior by parents, caregivers, other community support network members • Ability of parents/caregivers to provide structure and support • Presence of other assets or services to assist juvenile to maintain compliance Section 6

28. Fragmentation Across the System • Importance of collaboration • Inside • Outside • “In” to “Out” Section 6

29. Conclusion • To address over-reliance on the most secure placements • Specialized and comprehensive PSIs and PDRs, and psychosexual evaluations • Build community management capacity • Provide specialized training • Work proactively with the community • Think about “reentry at the point of entry” and initiate transition and aftercare planning at intake • Focus on youth, family, and other “environmental” considerations • “In” to “out” requires collaboration! Section 6

30. Intensive Aftercare Program Model • Individualized case planning • Continuity of care • Collaboration • Formal transition structures • Small caseloads • Balance • Supervision and control mechanisms • Range of programming • Graduated rewards and sanctions Section 6