Posted October 19, 2007

Lawmakers Visit Philadelphia for a "Juvenile Justice System Model Site Visit"

A group of 16 state legislators from 12 states took part in a "Juvenile Justice System Model Site Visit" in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on Sept. 23-25, 2007. The visit was planned and carried out under a partnership project with NCSL's Criminal Justice Program and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation of Chicago, Illinois. Legislators had the opportunity to meet with elected, agency and judicial officials in Pennsylvania and learn about state and local collaborations that have resulted in successful juvenile justice reforms. The first site visit took place in Seattle, Washington, in the fall of 2006.

The Philadelphia host team included: Senator Stewart Greenleaf, who represents the 12^th senatorial district in Pennsylvania; Jim Anderson, executive director of the Juvenile Court Judge's Commission; Judge Kevin Dougherty, administrative judge of the Philadelphia Family Court; Candace Putter, manager of the Philadelphia Reintegration Initiative; and Autumn Dickman, project manager of the Juvenile Law Center.

Lawmakers visited Philadelphia's E³ Center, which has had great success in comprehensive and collaborative reintegration initiatives. The center helps youth returning to the community from juvenile placement facilities. Five centers throughout the city offer skill-building experiences for disconnected juveniles, grounded in youth development theory and practice. The group visited the E³West Center on Lancaster Avenue, operated by "The Bridge," a subsidiary organization of the Philadelphia Health Management Corporation.

The reintegration initiative in Philadelphia includes as a “Welcome Home Center” within each of the E³ facilities. The centers provide a variety of mandatory services for young offenders with the greatest risk of recidivism returning to the community from juvenile placement facilities. Targeted youth range from 12 to 18 years of age, and are in placement between six to 14 months prior to release into the community. The centers provide reintegration services to youth onsite, as well as coordinating offsite activities required by the court.

The legislators' tour of the E³facility included observing children and teachers in the classrooms. Two students told the group of their success stories, answered tough questions about their troubled past, discussed their progress at the E³West Center and expressed their hopes for bright futures.

Another highlight of the trip included a bus tour of the Philadelphia Mural Arts Program (MAP). Executive Director Jane Golden joined the group on the bus and guided us through the city pointing out the beautiful murals painted by local at-risk youth on the sides of buildings. The colorful murals are an anti-crime initiative and include historic figures, victims of violence, the children themselves and their stories. They speak to Philadelphia's values and aspirations for youth once involved in high-risk behavior—misdemeanor crimes, vandalism, violence and substance abuse.

MAP started in 1984 as a part of the Philadelphia Anti Graffiti Network in an effort to redirect graffiti writers' energies from destructive graffiti to constructive mural painting. Since then, mural painting has provided a support for troubled youth to develop their artistic skills and empower them to take an active role in beautifying their neighborhoods and communities. The program has helped create more than 2,700 murals in every neighborhood in the city.

Other topics discussed during the site visit and related resources:

Pennsylvania' System & MacArthur's Models for Change: Pennsylvania was selected as the first of four Models for Change states because it is seen as a bellwether on juvenile justice with strong partnerships among juvenile justice stakeholders in the state. Lawmakers learned from Marsha Levick, legal director of the Juvenile Law Center and Jim Anderson, executive director, JCJC, about reform efforts to coordine the mental health and juvenile justice systems; the system of aftercare services and supports; and disproportionate minority involvement with the juvenile justice system.

Philadelphia's Reintegration Initiative: Following up on the morning visit to the E³ Center, a distinguished group of speakers informed legislators about the specifics of Philadelphia's successful reintegration initiative as part of successful juvenile justice policy reform in the state. Speakers included: Jim Randolph, deputy secretary of the Philadelphia Department of Human Services; James Sharp, chief juvenile probation officer, Family Court; Candace Putter, manager, Philadelphia Reintegration Initiative; Heloise Hughes, School District of Philadelphia; and Laura Shubilla, executive director, Philadelphia Youth Network. The group learned about the state's improvements in aftercare services for juveniles, as witnessed first-hand at the E³ Center earlier. The initiative includes interagency policy coordination, statewide monitoring and assistance in five counties in the state.

The Coordination of Mental Health and Juvenile Justice in Pennsylvania: Keith Snyder, deputy director of the Juvenile Court Judge's Commission; Lourdes Rosado, Sr., staff attorney of the Juvenile Law Center; and Autumn Dickman, project manager of the Juvenile Law Center spoke to legislators about how Pennsylvania is working to pair mental health and juvenile justice systems to address mental health needs of young offenders.

Lawmakers learned that Models for Change mental health activities are concentrated in three "model" counties in Pennsylvania: Alleghany, Chester and Erie. On a statewide level, a working group created a joint policy statement to inspire commitment to change in the mental health arena. The Mental Health/Juvenile Justice Joint Policy Statement was signed by the administrators of the following state entities working in juvenile justice in Pennsylvania: the departments of Public Welfare and Education, the Juvenile Court Judge's Commission, the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency, the Pennsylvania Council of Chief Juvenile Probation Officers, the Mental Health/Mental Retardation Program Administrators Association, and the Mental Health Association.

The statement serves as a blueprint for juvenile justice policy and programs in the state and commits to the goal of achieving by 2010 a model system that will: 1) identify youth with mental health needs; 2) provide timely treatment of youth with mental health needs within the juvenile justice system; 3) prevent unnecessary involvement of youth with mental health needs with the system; 4) engage families in the care and treatment of young people; and 5) coordinate services with multiple agencies.

For more information on products or services of the NCSL juvenile justice project with the MacArthur Foundation, contact Sarah Hammond.