INNOVATIONS IN JUVENILE JUSTICE

J U V E N I L E S P E C I A L T Y C O U R T S

HARRIS COUNTY JUVENILE GANG COURT --GRIP

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Judge Glenn Devlin, Presiding Judge , 313

th

District Court

GANG RECIDIVISM INTERVENTION PROGRAM

Harris County 313 th G. R. I. P.

Gang Court

Overview

• Began in October 2011 • 2 nd of it’s kind in the nation • 35 Juveniles referred • 4 Juveniles rejected • 17 Juveniles unsuccessful • 10 Juveniles successfully discharged

Mission

• To reduce recidivism of youth involved in gang activity • To hold gang involved youth accountable for their actions • To redirect youth towards healthy alternatives to gang activity

Gang Court Team

• • • • • • • • • • • Glenn Devlin –Judge, 313 th District Court Stephen Newhouse –Associate Judge, 313 th District Court Tim Broussard –Deputy Director, Intake/Court Services Terri McGee –Asst. Deputy Director, Intake/Court Services Dena Fisher –Gang Court Ad Litem Attorney John Liles –Gang Court Ad Litem Attorney James Odom –Gang Resource Coordinator Michelle Hoevker –Gang Court Clinician Roniesha Parish –Educational Specialist Martina Longoria, Chief Prosecutor, 313 th District Court Harris County Juvenile Probation Department –Gang Unit

Process

Juvenile referred @ staffing Case evaluated for acceptance Juvenile & Parent attends court Caseplan identifies Goals & Outcomes Case reviewed for progress as needed Gang Court completion after 3 – 6 months Post completion review & Parent Survey

Services

• Gang assistance Renouncement, Intervention, Prevention, Mediation, Tattoo Removal • Case management/Staffing Monthly case review by court team and probation officers, post completion review • Educational advocacy @ School, in the community, and Education Transition Center • Mentoring Volunteer attorneys assigned to mentor youth in Gang Court

Services

• • • • Mentoring Volunteer attorneys & reVision/St. Luke's personnel Referrals to appropriate services Drug/alcohol counseling, assessment, treatment, Multi-Systemic Therapy (MST), MHMRA, MAGO, reVision Electronic monitoring GPS monitoring as needed; Exclusion Zones Clinical assistance Medication review and compliance, treatment plan, collaboration with MHMRA services

Providers

Defense Bar ReVision Alternative Behavior MHMRA YOUTH MAGO MST Team Attorney Mentors Cups 7 Gang Unit

GANG RECIDIVISM INTERVENTION PROGRAM

Harris County 313 th G. R. I. P. Gang Court

HARRIS COUNTY JUVENILE DRUG COURT AND GIRLS COURT

•

Judge Michael Schneider, Presiding Judge, 315

th

District

Innovations in Juvenile Justice: Juvenile Specialty Courts

Judge Michael Schneider 315 th District Court

Problem Solving Courts

• • Innovative approach developed in 1980s- Replaces traditional adversarial model with therapeutic focus on understanding and addressing the root cause of problem behavior Developed to address variety of social problems—Substance Abuse, Domestic Violence, Mental Illness

Goals Of Problem Solving Courts

• • • • Provide intensive intervention aimed at addressing underlying cause of offending Improve juvenile/family functioning—educational, vocational, autonomy, self-worth, accountability Increase public safety through decreasing “revolving door” justice Increase provider accountability through ensuring service delivery

Non-adversarial Approach

• • • Interdisciplinary development of Treatment Plan that meets therapeutic needs of individual and accountability needs of court Interdisciplinary development of terms of participation Recommend Reward/Sanction

Multidisciplinary Team

– – – – – – – Judge—Oversees work of the team and encourages collaboration; regular interaction with court participant; actively supervises case from acceptance through completion District Attorney—Reviews current and past conduct to determine suitability; contributes to development of Treatment Plan Defense Attorney—Reviews whether participation and subsequent Treatment Plan is in best interest of juvenile; represents juvenile through entire process Clinical Coordinator—Identifies appropriate candidates; develops Treatment Plan and service recommendations; coordinates with service provider as needed Court Case Manager—Coordinates administrative requirements; facilitates and monitors treatment compliance Probation Staff- Provides community supervision with weekly face to face visits Service Provider—Provides therapeutic intervention

Harris County Juvenile Drug Court

Sobriety Over Addiction and Relapse (SOAR)

Harris County Juvenile Drug Court

• • Started in July, 2010 Demonstrated Need – Harris County Juvenile Probation Department— 2012 Data • 70% Any substance related diagnosis • 16% Substance dependency • 62% Substance abuse

Mission Statement

• The mission of the Harris County Juvenile Drug Court is to effectively address the underlying clinical cause of delinquent behavior in substance abusing and dependent juvenile offenders. Utilizing community based providers for intensive outpatient intervention will provide an effective alternative to institutional placement and treatment. The stringent supervision and treatment requirements of the drug court will emphasize personal accountability of the offender and their family while ensuring community safety.

Harris County Drug Court Team

• • • • • • • • Judge District Attorney Defense Attorney Clinical Coordinator—Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor Case Manager Probation Officer—Specialized Treatment Provider Educational Specialist

Target Population

• • • Identified for BBRC Residential Substance Abuse Treatment Unit Substance Abuse or Dependency Diagnosis Family willingness to pariticipate in an intensive program for a minimum of 12 months

Exclusionary Criteria

• • • • • Sexually based offense Violent offense Significant gang involvement Developmental Disabilities Significant, untreated mental illness

Program Components

• • • • Phase System – Each phase consists of treatment objectives and supervision and court appearance requirements Regular review hearings Multidisciplinary Team staffing – Topics Addressed: • Attendance and participation • Drug test results • School performance • Relevant family dynamics – Team based recommendation on reward/sanction/Treatment Plan modification – Active participation by youth and family Frequent, random drug testing – Utilized to monitor and supervise treatment

Court Process

       Comprehensive psychological and substance abuse assessment Appropriate cases are reviewed by the Court Coordinator and presented to the team If accepted, an individualized treatment plan is created based on the assessment of the youth and family, the case is docketed, and a referral is made to an appropriate treatment provider The Drug Court utilizes a number of community providers including: Turning Point, Unlimited Visions, Phoenix House, Center for Success and Independence. In addition, juvenile probation department programs, like the Multisystemic Therapy (MST) program are also used The youth and family must participate in the Drug Court for a minimum of 12 months Review hearings are scheduled a minimum of once a month

Outcomes

• • • Since inception the SOAR program has served 34 youths 73% Successful completion rate The program was recently expanded to serve 15 youth

Challenges

• • • Family’s willingness to participate in the program History of multi-generational drug use Limited resources in the community

Harris County GIRL’s Court

Growing Independence Restoring Lives

What is Human Trafficking?

• • • • Also known as trafficking in persons (TIP) A form of modern-day slavery It is a crime under federal and international law It does not have to involve some form of travel, transportation, or movement across state or national borders

Victims of Human Trafficking

• Under the U.S. federal law, victims of human trafficking include: – Children involved in the sex trade – Adults age 18 or over who are coerced or deceived into commercial sex acts – Anyone forced into different forms of “labor or services,” such as domestic workers held in a home, or farm-workers forced to labor against their will

What is Sex Trafficking?

• Sex Trafficking: the recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, or obtaining of a person for the purpose of a commercial sex act, in which a commercial sex act is induced by force, fraud, or coercion, or in which the person forced to perform such an act is under the age of 18 years.

- From the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000

Statistic Snapshot

• • • • Houston has been identified as a main hub of human trafficking 1 in 3 runaway teens will be lured into prostitution in the first 48 hours of leaving home in the U.S. (150,000 kids each year) Average age of entry into prostitution in the U.S. is 12 – 14 years old Estimated number of men that the victims must have sex with is 1 – 15 daily

Creation of the GIRL’s Court

• • • The GIRL’s Court was created to address the large number of domestic teen sex trafficking victims The court began the summer 2011 Associate Judge Angela Ellis conducts the hearings

Court Features

• • Individualized clinical approach – Tailored programming developed by multi disciplinary team – Direct linkage to community providers Wraparound services – Individual and family therapy – Educational testing, counseling and advocacy – Transportation, housing, and financial assistance

GIRL’s Court Mission Statement

• The Harris County GIRL’s Court utilizes a comprehensive strength based approach in working with girls who are actively engaged in or at risk of becoming involved in prostitution/human trafficking. The Court employs a clinically driven multi-disciplinary team to effectively address the underlying trauma associated with the participants’ at-risk behaviors and related delinquent conduct. Ultimately, GIRL’s Court provides successful graduates with the opportunity to seal their juvenile records and develop the skills necessary to change the trajectory of their lives.

Court Features

Intensive Judicial oversight

Judge engaged in entire process from participant selection to discharge planning

Intensive supervision/monitoring

Specialized probation officer conducts weekly visits at home, school, placement, etc.

Regular review hearings

Review hearings progress along continuum based upon needs of each individual girl Emergency review hearings available as needed

Multidisciplinary team

Judge Legal representation Team psychologist Therapeutic provider Probation officer Educational specialist CPS

Participants

• • • • • Pre & Post-adjudicated females Actively involved in prostitution/human trafficking or at high risk of involvement Significant family dysfunction/possible CPS involvement History of abuse/trauma Co-occurring mental health/substance abuse disorders

Outcomes

• • • • Since inception the GIRLS program has served 23 youths 64% Successful completion rate The program can serve up to 15 youth at a time Length of time is 9-12 months

Challenges

• • • • • Youth do not always identify themselves as victims and don’t want to be rescued Many are very attached to their pimps Limited or no family involvement No model for working with these girls Treatment can take a long time

QUESTIONS?

Contact CHILDREN AT RISK Dawn Lew, Senior Staff Attorney [email protected]

713-869-7740 Kavita Desai, Staff Attorney [email protected]

713-869-7740