New Report on the Cost of School Discipline in Texas
In spite of massive amounts spent on school discipline, disciplinary referrals have failed to decrease in 11 Texas school districts, according to a new report by Texas Appleseed, an NJJN member.
Texas Appleseed surveyed the cost of current disciplinary procedures in 11 school districts (a representative sample chosen because they educate about 25 percent of Texas' four million public school students each year).
In one school-year, the 11 school districts spent nearly $140 million combined on out-of-school suspensions, referrals to Disciplinary Alternative Education Programs (DAEPs), and discretionary expulsions to Juvenile Justice Alternative Education Programs (JJAEPs), not including the $87 million spent on security, monitoring services, and campus policing that school year. In Breaking Rules, Breaking Budgets: Cost of Exclusionary Discipline in 11 Texas School Districts, Texas Appleseed recommends strategies for cost-effective school discipline.
» Download Breaking Rules, Breaking Budgets.
National Research Council Calls for an Age-Appropriate Juvenile Justice System
A new report from the National Research Council calls for juvenile justice reform that takes into account the growing science of adolescent development. In Reforming Juvenile Justice: A Developmental Approach, the Council points out that juvenile justice policies that mimic adult criminal justice policies will only prevent the rehabilitation of youth in trouble with the law. Positive adolescent development requires a response that is tailored to each individual youth.
» Be among the first to read the report! Download the prepublication copy of Reforming Juvenile Justice.
Information Sharing Certificate Program: Apply Now!
Research continues to show that youth who get into trouble with the law in the juvenile justice system also tend to make contact with other systems of care— most frequently the mental health and child welfare systems. To encourage cross-system collaboration, the Center for Juvenile Justice Reform at Georgetown University's Public Policy Institute, in partnership with the Juvenile Law Center, has designed an Information Sharing Certificate Program, to be held on March 17-20, 2013.
The program is supported by the MacArthur Foundation's Models for Change initiative and is designed to enable leaders to overcome information-sharing challenges while respecting laws and other provisions that protect the privacy and other rights of youth and their families. The deadline for applications is December 20, 2012. Questions? Email the Center for Juvenile Justice Reform at jjreform@georgetown.edu.
» Learn more about the Information Sharing Certificate Program.
A New Policy Brief Series on Youth in the Adult Criminal Justice System
A new policy brief series from the Campaign for Youth Justice highlights the latest policy statements from juvenile and criminal justice system stakeholders, state policy reforms, and new opportunities for reform. It also goes into detail about reasons why youth should be kept out of the adult criminal justice system and showcases the latest data on youth in the adult system.
» Check out the new policy brief series!
A New Interactive Juvenile Justice Map from the Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice
The California Sentencing Institute, a project of the Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice (CJCJ), recently unveiled a great new tool for California advocates. The interactive map presents detailed crime and incarceration numbers, rates, and trends for California and each of its 58 counties. It is designed to provide comprehensive analysis of sentencing policies and practices across the state.
» Test drive CJCJ's new interactive map.