DJJDP’s Comprehensive Delinquency Prevention & Intervention Strategy Buddy Howell Pinehurst, NC buddyhowell@nc.rr.co

1. DJJDP’s Comprehensive Delinquency Prevention & Intervention StrategyBuddy HowellPinehurst, NCbuddyhowell@nc.rr.com

2. The Need For a Comprehensive Strategy • Poor matching of prevention programs with risk factors for delinquency • Poor targeting of serious, violent and chronic offenders • Little use of risk and needs assessments • Poor matching of offenders with the level of service • Over-use of detention and incarceration

3. NC’s Comprehensive Strategy for Juvenile Delinquency Problem Behavior > Noncriminal Misbehavior > Delinquency > Serious, Violent, and Chronic Offending Prevention Target Population: At-Risk Youth Graduated Sanctions Target Population: Delinquent Youth Programs for All Youth Programs for Youth at Greatest Risk Immediate Intervention Intermediate Sanctions Community Confinement Training Schools > > > > > > Aftercare Preventing youth from becoming delinquent by focusing prevention programs on at-risk youth Improving the juvenile justice system response to delinquent offenders through a system of graduated sanctions and a continuum of treatment alternatives

5. Integrated Prevention and Intervention Serious and Violent Juvenile Offending Risk/protective factors in the individual, family, peer group, school, neighborhood Conduct Disorder Early Delinquency Prevention Prevention Prevention Intervention Intervention Intervention

6. Comprehensive Strategy Mantra Research-based Outcome-focused Data-driven

7. Juvenile Offender Court Careers Chronic Serious 15% 34% Non-Serious Non-Violent Non-Chronic 64% C,S & V 4% Violent 8% Source: Snyder (1998) Maricopa Co. Study (N=151,209)

8. Pathways to Boys’ Chronic, Serious, Violent Delinquency Age of Onset Late % Boys Few Violence (rape, attack, strongarm) Moderate to Serious Delinquency (fraud, burglary, serious theft) Physical Fighting (physical fighting, gang fighting) Property Damage (vandalism, firesetting) Minor Aggression (bullying, annoying others) Overt Pathway Minor Covert Behavior (shoplifting, frequent lying) Covert Pathway Authority Avoidance (truancy, running away, staying out late) Defiance/Disobedience Stubborn Behavior Authority Conflict Pathway (Before Age 12) Early Many

9. Risk Factors for Delinquency Developed by the Jordan Institute for Families Risk factors, indicators, & data are accessible online: http://www.unc.edu/ncjcp/

10. Individual Risk Factors • Birth–6 7–11 12–16 • Constitutional Factors    • Behavior problems in school    • Academic failure    • Early conduct problems    • Gang membership 

11. Family Risk Factors • Birth–6 7–11 12–16 • Prenatal factors  • Family management problems    • Parent problems    • Family conflict & disruption  

12. Peer Group Risk Factors • Birth–6 7–11 12–16 • Peer rejection    • Peer delinquent behavior  

13. School-level Risk Factors • Birth–6 7–11 12–16 • School & classroom size    • Disruptive school environment 

14. Community Risk Factors • Birth–6 7–11 12–16 • Impoverished neighborhood    • Community drug & alcohol use  • Community crime & violence   • Presence of gangs   • Availability of guns 

15. Percent of All Serious Violent Offenses Committed by Gang Members Sample Offenses Rochester 82% 31% Sample Offenses Denver 79% 14% Sample Offenses (Robberies Only) Seattle 85% 15% Source: Thornberry, 1998

16. 8th Graders’ Position in the Gang 12% 17% 28% 23% 20% Source: Lynskey et al. (2000); NB: Ever or current members of a delinquent gang

17. A Graduated Sanctions Model Residential Placement Increasing Sanctions Decreasing Sanctions CB Resid. Intensive PS Day/Eve Report. Intensive PS Probation Probation Youth Court Group Counseling Mentoring Diversion

18. Structured Decision Making Tools • Detention screening instruments • Intake screening instruments • Research-based risk risk assessments • Objective assessments of youth and family strengths and needs • A placement matrix for recommending court dispositions • Standardized case plans • Routine assessment of case plan progress

19. Key DJJDP SDM Tools • DJJDP has a validated risk assessment instrument • DJJDP has a needs/strengths assessment instrument • The JJ Reform Act provided a Disposition Matrix • The Disposition Matrix and risk assessment instrument are functioning well in guiding offender placements

20. Disposition Matrix • A disposition matrix organizes sanctions and programs by risk level and offense severity. • It places offenders along a continuum of programs and sanctions • Research shows that a reliable risk assessment instrument predicts different recidivism rates at various risk levels.

21. Key Points of the Disposition Matrix • Low risk offenders are placed in community programs with minimal supervision • Medium risk offenders are typically placed in more structured community programs with intensive probation supervision • High risk offenders may be placed in Youth Development Centers

22. North Carolina Offender Disposition Matrix Risk Level Offense Low Medium High Violent Level 2 or 3 Level 3 Level 3 Serious Level 1 or 2 Level 2 Level 2 or 3 Minor Level 1 Level 1 or 2 Level 2 Level 1 Community Level 2 Intermediate Level 3 Commitment to Youth Development Center

23. Dispositional Levels Risk Level by Disposition Low Medium High Total % % % % Level 1 – Community 65% 31% 3% 100% Level 2 – Intermediate 27% 47% 26% 100% Level 3 – Commitment 7% 23% 70% 100% ProtectiveSupervision 47% 49% 4% 100% Total 49% 38% 14% 100% Disposition of NC Court Referrals by Risk Level

27. A Practical Approach To Evaluating and Improving Juvenile Justice Programs Utilizing The Standardized Program Evaluation Protocol The Lipsey-Howell Project

28. Participating Organizations • Department of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention • Vanderbilt Institute for Public Policy • This project is funded by the Governor’s Crime Commission & DJJDP.

29. Project Team • Dr. Mark Lipsey (Vanderbilt Univ.) • Dr. James “Buddy” Howell (NC) • Dr. Simon Tidd (Vanderbilt Univ.) • Mr. Ron Mangum, M.A. (NC) • Dr. James “Jim” Palmer (NC) DJJDP • Ms. Susan Whitten, State Administrator, Intervention & Prevention Division

30. Pilot Counties Robeson Rockingham Yancey Pitt Buncombe Guilford Nash Vance

31. DJJDP & JCPC Evaluation Requirements in 1998 Juvenile Justice Reform Act DJJDP & JCPCs have responsibility for evaluating JCPC-funded programs DJJDP has responsibility for identifying “best practices”

32. North Carolina’s Practical Approach to Improving Juvenile Justice System Programs Most juvenile justice programs reduce recidivism--at least slightly. The most practical and cost-effective approach is to improve existing programs. This can be done by applying research-based knowledge of the features of effective programs.

33. Standardized Program Evaluation Protocol Development: The Evidence Base Dr. Mark W. Lipsey Vanderbilt University

34. 1589 Observed Effects from 556 Outcome Studies

35. Four Main Characteristics Of Effective Programs 1. The Program Type (primary intervention) 2. Supplementary Services 3. Amount of Service 4. Characteristics of Clients

36. Number of Favorable Characteristics Distribution of Programs Percentage of Change in Recidivism Comparison of Programs with Varying Numbers of Favorable CharacteristicsProportion of practical programs with different numbers of favorable characteristics and associated change in recidivism rates relative to control group 0 7% +12% 1 50% -2 % 2 27% -10% 3 15% -20% 4 2% -24%

37. The Standardized Program Evaluation Protocol(SPEP) What is it? A practical method for evaluating juvenile justice and delinquency prevention programs against best practices The SPEP provides a scheme (protocol) for assigning points to programs according to how closely their characteristics match those associated with the best outcomes in research.

38. The SPEP cont’d How was the SPEP developed? Dr. Lipsey maintains and analyzes the only database of more than 600 evaluated juvenile justice programs. The SPEP contains the main features of effective evaluated programs that are similar to North Carolina programs. Point allocations are based on research results that are “standardized” across studies, showing the added increment of delinquency reduction each program feature produces, on average.

39. What the SPEP is NOT It is not a whole blueprint for a program. It measures only the delinquency reduction potential a program type has, on average, based on prior research. It will not provide a treatment plan for individual clients, only a framework within which treatment can be planned.

40. Primary Program Types for SPEPs (A separate SPEP for each) Individual counseling Group counseling Family counseling Parent training/counseling Restitution Interpersonal skills Tutoring/remedial education Mentoring Employment related Drug/alcohol therapy/counseling

41. Other Services that may Supplement Primary Programs Behavior management Life skills Intensive supervision Cognitive behavioral

42. Prevention Programs: Service Categories Effective, and above average Parent training/counseling Interpersonal skills training Tutoring Effective, and about average Group counseling Drug/alcohol therapy/counseling Employment-related Effective, but below average Individual counseling Mentoring Family counseling

43. Court Supervised Delinquency Programs: Service Categories Effective, and above average Family counseling Tutoring Mentoring Effective, and about average Parent training/counseling Interpersonal skills training Drug/alcohol therapy/counseling Effective, but below average Individual counseling Group counseling Employment-related Restitution

44. Three Sets of SPEPs for the NC Juvenile Justice Continuum Delinquency Prevention Court Delinquency Supervision Commitment Programming & Aftercare

47. Expected Recidivism with Features of Effective Prevention Programs Comparable Juvs not in Evaluated Program 30% Average Prevention Program in Database 27% Effective, Above Average Program (EAP) 25% EAP+Best Supplemental Service (BSS) 20% EAP+BSS+Optimal Service Amount (OSA) 17% EAP+BSS+OSA+Appropriate Clients 13%

48. Expected Recidivism with Features of Effective Court Delinquency Supervision Programs Comparable Juveniles not in a Program 40% Average Supervision Program in Database 34% Effective, Above Average Program (EAP) 32% EAP+Best Supplemental Service (BSS) 28% EAP+BSS+Optimal Service Amount (OSA) 24% EAP+BSS+OSA+Appropriate Clients 21%

49. PROGRAM IMPROVEMENT & CONTINUUM BUILDING PROCESS Behavioral Management Group Counseling Cognitive Behavior Drug Health Education Individual Counseling Academic Achievement Interpersonal Skills

50. Next Steps in thePilot Counties (September-October) • SPEP evaluation of individual JCPC programs using client tracking information • Engage service providers in making program improvements to conform more closely with best practices Program Improvement