January 3, 2017 JDAI Committee Meeting

Audience

Illinois Juvenile Justice Commission JDAI Committee Members and Staff. The public is welcome to attend.

Date/Time

January 3, 2017

9:30a.m. to 11:00a.m.

Location

• ICOY Office: 333 S. Wabash, Suite 2750, Chicago
• DHS Office: 823 E. Monroe, Springfield
• Call In:  888-494-4032  Code-5329547331#

Agenda

1. Call to Order
2. Roll Call
3. Approval of Minutes
4. Chair's Comments
5. CY2015 Illinois Detention Report & CY2014 and Cy2015 Illinois Detention Data Comparison Summary Reports
6. Statewide Strategy Discussion
7. Next Meeting
8. New Business
9. Adjourn

Minutes

1. Call to Order 
   Meeting was called to order at 9:34 a.m.
2. Roll Call
   Chairman Rick Velasquez, George Hill, and Rodney Ahitow.  Guests: Peg Robertson, Melissa Parise, Stephanie Vetter, Susan Witkin, Karima Douglas, Wendy Nussbaum, Angelica Jimenez, Amanda McMillen, Peg Robertson, and Tamela Meehan.
3. Approval of Minutes
   Discussion and approval of the minutes from the December 6, 2016 JDAI Committee meeting was tabled as a quorum was not present.
4. Chair's Comments
   Chairman Velasquez noted that the main purpose of today's meeting is to continue the proposed statewide strategy discussion and try to determine next steps.
5. CY2015 Illinois Detention Report & CY2014 and CY2015 Illinois Detention Data Comparison Summary Reports
   Susan Witkin reviewed the 2014-2014 Comparison Summary and 2011-2015 Data Trends of Illinois Juvenile Detention Data (JMIS) report from the Illinois Juvenile Justice Commission and Center for Prevention Research and Development (CPRD) at the Institute of Government and Public Affairs at the University of Illinois-Urbana. She noted some important overall trends including a decrease in detention admissions. In 2014, there was an increase in the juvenile detention admissions though overall there has been a steady decline. There have been discussions regarding the reasons for the increase with some of the jurisdictions. Susan reviewed the comparison data with the Committee pointing out that in 2015, 917 youth were admitted to juvenile detention, an 8% decrease from 2014. For the age group of 10-11-year old's and 18+ year old's, that number increased.
   Susan also focused on juvenile detention admissions by race/ethnicity noting that admissions for African-American youth decreased by 11%. The only race/ethnic group that saw an increase was in the White, multi-racial non-Hispanic population which increased by 14% (this group represents 3% of overall population). Some of the offense groups that decreased in the number of juvenile detention admissions included contempts (decreased by 37%), status offenses (decreased by 22%) and warrants (decreased by 3%). Eight detention centers saw a decrease in their youth population, but there was a 38% increase in juvenile detention admissions in St. Clair County. Susan inquired to understand more about the possible factors that contributed to this increase. She learned that the juvenile judge in St. Clair County had been ordering that youth be detained for the weekend in an attempt to deter them coming into further contact with the juvenile justice system. Melissa Parise asked whether we should discuss the weekend detention stays which is increasing the recidivism risk for these youths. As far as we know, this practice remains in place. Karima Douglas, DMC Coordinator, discussed ways to address this issue noting that this is one issue the Committee can revisit.
   Chairman Velasquez discussed the need to compare Illinois' data with other comparable states and see where Illinois falls. Overall, the data shows that youth of color continue to be disproportionately represented in juvenile detention and the number of detentions for warrants is decreasing. The report is available on the website, and DHS will be printing and distributing those copies. Wendy Nussbaum, IJJC Executive Director, said they will mail the report with a cover letter that Chairman Timberlake approved. Chairman Velasquez asked whether they could add any language regarding offering technical assistance. That cover letter could also call attention to the success of counties like Cook that have seen consistent reductions in admissions.
   IJJC Executive Director, said she would check to see what other states Illinois could be compared with. Stephanie Vetter pointed out that a state like Missouri is very different from Illinois and that it is important to look at what characteristics are similar or different. She suggested the Committee review the report "The Comeback States" that compares a dozen states and classifies the types of reforms they implemented. Chairman Velasquez pointed out that Chapin Hall examined what happened to older youth who were in care, and that there is value in seeing what variables improve the outcomes for youth in detention. If we are looking state policy, then we should look at what other states are doing.
6. Statewide Strategy Discussion
   Karima Douglas stated we need to connect financial cost with a higher risk of recidivism and that the Committee can make both the moral and financial argument. Wendy Nussbaum noted that one significant challenge is that recidivism is not tracked and asked how can we show that a specific county's practice is ineffective. Melissa Parise shared that Cook County has experienced a decrease in detention through policy changes, having judges visiting IDJJ, and Judge Toomin starting to share data with the judges on a quarterly basis. The committee discussed that these points are the takeaways that should be shared with other jurisdictions and that data sharing with the judiciary is one key priority for the committee.
   Chairman Velasquez reported that the proposed statewide strategy plan was distributed and discussed during the Juvenile Justice Commission's Planning and Grants Meeting. At that meeting, Planning and Grants Chairperson, Lisa Jacobs stressed the conditions of confinement and who is checking in on the detention centers on how youth are being treated. She wondered if we could track how youth are being treated and how does it line up with Center for Children's Law and Policy standards. A few of the detention and youth centers previously used a self-assessment evaluation.  Chairperson Jacobs said it is also important to look at the DMC costs and video conferencing for youth report. The Fiscal Policy Center at Voices for Illinois Children is already tracking costs. IJJC Chairman George Timberlake acknowledged the importance of focusing on the legislative and executive branches within the counties, the use of short-term detention and messaging directly from detention staff. Karima Douglas asked whether we should request dollars from the Commission to support these efforts. JDAI Chairman Velasquez and Karima Douglas will work with Wendy Nussbaum to calculate those costs.
   The Committee reviewed the four-point statewide strategy plan and opted to focus on two of those items to provide further specificity and outline action steps over the next few months.
   1. Crunching the Numbers-- Committee members agreed to devote time during the March meeting to explore how to calculate the cost-savings data.
   2. Expands Efforts to the Legislature--Stephanie Vetter will share legislative language from other states. Wendy Nussbaum said there is currently a bill in the state legislature that addresses a screening instrument but that it was not supported because other items were tied to the bill. She will look for that drafted bill and share with the Committee. Stephanie Vetter noted that the National Association of Counties (NACO) just adopted their policy priorities for 2017 which includes supporting policies that promote criminal justice reform. This is an area where the Committee can drum up support, but we need to formalize that decision with the Commission.
   3. Outreach to Judiciary-The Committee discussed holding Cook County as an example as to how JDAI practices can be incorporated. Melissa Parise is doing a presentation on this topic. Karima Douglas asked about racial and ethnic disparities within the juvenile justice system. Melissa Parise noted that folks have a difficult time discussing racial and ethnic disparities per se, and the discussion is convened in broader terms. Cook County has that data and is exploring how to best use it especially considering that it is a majority minority county. Chairman Velasquez noted that the Leadership Council Diversion Committee members may be open to examining this issue. Their next meeting may be this May in Springfield, so we need to get approval from the Executive Committee meeting first. The Committee will tease out specific steps for the next two to three objectives and start planning what that would look like. Chairman Velasquez suggested that the authors of the detention report and Melissa Parise comprise a team to present to the council and discuss lessons learned.
7. Next Meeting
   March 7, 2017
8. New Business
   None Noted.
9. Adjourn
   Chairman Velasquez motioned to adjourn. Commissioner Hill seconded the motion. Meeting adjourned at 10:58 a.m.