Illinois Juvenile Justice Commission
PLANNING & GRANTS COMMITTEE
August 20, 2010
10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Chicago Metropolis 2020
30 W. Monroe; 18th floor
MINUTES
I. Call to Order
Meeting was called to order at 10:10am.
II. Roll Call
Commissioners: Planning and Grants Chairman Lisa Jacobs, Rick Velasquez, Esther Franco-Payne, Debra Ferguson, Roseanna Ander, Randell Strickland and IJJC Chairman George Timberlake. Quorum not present.
III. Overview
At the July 28th Commission meeting, the Planning and Grants Committee was asked to develop a range of possible strategies and recommendations to advance implementation of the Commission's values, principles and goals. All Commissioners were welcomed to participate in this discussion. The Committee did not have a quorum of Planning and Grants Committee members present, and did not have funding decisions or other recommendations before them. Instead, the discussion was intended and structured as a discussion of possible system improvement strategies and activities for consideration by the Commission as a whole.
IV. Analyze Funding, Outreach, Training, Data Analysis and other Strategies
Meeting Goal:
To identify targeted activities and funding strategies which:
- Ensure compliance with the core requirements of JJDP Act; and
- Fulfill our obligations and charges under Illinois statute and the JJDP Act; and
- Advance the values and principles of an effective juvenile justice system, as articulated by the Commission.
Recommendations:
Commissioners present agreed that we would benefit greatly from a structured strategic planning process if it is facilitated by a skilled, experienced strategic planning professional and structured to help develop strategic, effective plans for our mid- and long-term activities.
Our ultimate goal is to develop a strategic plan which can help ensure that 5, 10 and 20 years from now, the needs of juvenile-justice-involved youth are priorities in state, federal and local policy, programming and funding decisions and that Illinois is making continual progress toward a model juvenile justice system. To accomplish this, we envision the Commission playing a central role in serving as a "clearinghouse" for innovation, collaboration, communications, data, policy development and funding decisions.
While the mid- and long-term strategies are in development, Commissioners present also identified shorter-term strategies and activities to capitalize upon emerging system improvement momentum, meet existing needs and fulfill our state and federal obligations.
Possible Short Term / Immediate Strategies:
Services (Community-Based and Placement-Based):
- Pilot or expand high-level / high quality clinical services for high-need youth in placement and in the community.
- Pilot services / approaches which provide youth meaningful opportunities for positive youth development, not just "clinical" improvement.
- Improve QA (quality assurance) capacity and sustainability of EBPs in Illinois. Consider an EPB "institute" or entity to enhance in-state capacity to implement, utilize and measure high-quality evidence-based practices.
- Pilot strategies to increase community capacity to provide high-quality services and support to youth at risk of entry / leaving juvenile justice system
- Pilot or expand gender-specific services to youth on probation, parole or in custody.
Community-Based Supervision Models:
- Pilot evidence-based community supervision strategies (probation and parole) for older youth involved in the justice system. Could include a pilot of the Ohio EPICS model with DJJ and identified probation departments.
Maximize Funding:
- Explore partnerships with other funders, foundations, etc. to maximize funding available.
- Ensure that JCEC and ICJIA are actively engaged as partners in juvenile justice system improvement efforts and maximize use of all available federal funds to advance juvenile justice system improvement
Detention Alternatives and Reform:
- Increase capacity of detention facilities to assess and improve conditions of confinement.
- Increase opportunities for detention leaders to learn from one another and collaborate effectively to implement best practices.
- Enhance prosecutor and defender roles in detention alternatives and detention reform.
Governance / Partnership with Stakeholders:
- Increase outreach and coordination with local governments and decision makers who make policy and funding decisions may not understand JJ issues in the same way service providers and jj practitioners do, including county boards, states attorneys, public defenders. Could include local summits.
- Increase outreach to state legislators to foster understanding of juvenile justice issues. Could include legislative summits, briefing sessions, etc.
Community & Family Engagement:
- Create web-based and other resources for families and communities to understand and access juvenile justice system and services info.
- Pilot or expand strategies for targeted family engagement with system involved Youth
- Pilot or expand strategies for engaging faith communities in system improvement
Education:
- Pilot approaches to increase access of jj-involved youth to meaningful education and vocational opportunities - such as the Cook County electronic high school, partnership with colleges and community colleges, etc.
Data:
- Improve local data capacity and utilization, including JWatch expansion and diffusion.
- Implement available data templates, including the Burns Institute expanded data template, the Connecting Pathways local data template to drive decisions regarding local and state policy improvement efforts. Maximize use of JMIS detention data by Commission and other decision-makers.
Other / Miscellaneous:
- Explore implications of specialty courts - including drug courts - for good juvenile justice practices
- Support motivational interviewing training, including "train the trainer" approaches
- Expand professional education resources for juvenile justice practitioners. One option may be brown bag" or more formal CLE opportunities, in partnership with ISBA. Explore use of technology, including "webinars" to maximize impact.
- Analyze impact of all current funding activities and identify policy and practice implications.
V. New Business
No new business noted.
VI. Adjournment
Commissioner Jacobs moved to adjourn the meeting. IJJC Chairman Timberlake seconded the motion. Meeting adjourned at 1:00pm.
