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American Correctional Association Corrections Today September/October 2019 Vol. 81, No. 5

Features

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Getting the job done

44 Breaking the fishbowl

Getting the job done At the table with Randy Shively By Molly Law, M.A.

An interview with Jeffrey Carson, detention center superintendent for the St. Louis Department of Public Safety By Casandra DePalma

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An award-winning approach to wellness Prince George’s County Employee Support Unit’s holistic model of care receives nationwide acclaim By Robert Breckenridge II

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On TRAC to Rebuilding Themselves By Rachel Friederich

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We can do it! Women’s influence on the

Same name, new face ACA’s Program Book goes digital By Robert Breckenridge II and Molly Law, M.A.

corrections industry By Andria Warren, MPA

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Micromanagement: the enemy of staff morale By John A. Shuford

2 — September/October 2019 Corrections Today

Experience. Partner with At Wexford Health, correctional medicine is the only thing we do. For the past three decades, we have successfully managed offender health care programs at facilities of every size, mission, and security level. Let us apply our broad range of experience to help you deliver quality, cost-effective health care. Partner with experience. Partner with Wexford Health.

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News&Views

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From Jim’s Desk

6

In Memoriam

7

Correctional Chaplain Perspectives

10

Juvenile Justice News

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51 ACA Featured Departments

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Welcome New Members

52

Certification List

56

Bookshelf

60

Conference Recap

66

E.R. Cass Award Nomination Form

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Professional Development Update

72

Certification Spotlight

74

Corrections Calendar

76

Job Bank

78

Index to Advertisers/ Product Index/Job Bank

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4 — September/October 2019 Corrections Today

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OFFICERS President Gary C. Mohr, Ohio Immediate Past President Lannette C. Linthicum, M.D., FACP, Texas Vice President Tony M. Wilkes, Tennessee President-Elect Tony C. Parker, Tennessee Treasurer Denise M. Robinson, Ohio Board of Governors Representatives

Elizabeth F. “Beth” Arthur Derrick D. Schofield, Ph.D. Secretary James A. Gondles Jr., CAE, Virginia

EDITORIAL STAFF EDITOR-IN-CHIEF James A. Gondles Jr., CAE Managing Editor Floyd Nelson Associate Editor Molly Law, M.A.

Assistant Editors Robert Breckenridge II Alexander Carrigan GRAPHICS AND PRODUCTION STAFF Graphic Designers ADVERTISING AND MARKETING STAFF Director, Conventions, Advertising and Corporate Relations Kelli McAfee Production Coordinator Mary Misisco EPS/Printing Services MVP Press • Dulles, VA ACA Executive Office and Directors Executive Director James A. Gondles Jr., CAE Deputy Executive Director Jeffrey Washington Executive Office Director Debbi Seeger senior executive Assistant India Vargas Joe Broderick Carla DeCarlo

Article and photo submissions: Managing Editor, 206 N. Washington St., Suite 200, Alexandria, VA 22314; email submissions@aca.org. Articles must be in Microsoft Word. Please include all contact information. Unless expressly requested in writing, all photos and artwork submitted become the property of ACA and may be used in future ACA publications. Articles and photos will not be returned unless expressly requested by author. Microfilm: Corrections Today is available for electronic reproduction through ProQuest Information and Learning Co., 300 N. Zeeb Drive, Ann Arbor, MI 48106-1346; 313-761-4700.

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Statements contained in Corrections Today are the personal views of the authors and do not constitute ACA policy unless so indicated. ACA does not assume responsibility for the content of Corrections Today as submitted by contributors, reserves the right to edit all articles and, if necessary, condense them. The publication of any advertisement by ACA is neither an endorsement of the advertiser nor of the products or services advertised. ACA is not responsible for any claims made in advertisements. Mission statement: The American Correctional Association provides a professional organization for all individuals and groups, both public and private, that share a common goal of improving the justice system. Corrections Today (ISSN 0190-2563, USPS 019-640) is published six times a year in January/February, March/April, May/June, July/August, September/October, November/ December by the American Correctional Association, 206 N. Washington St., Suite 200, Alexandria, VA 22314; 703-224-0000. Periodicals postage paid at Alexandria, VA 22314 and additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Send address changes to Corrections Today, Attn: Membership Department, 206 N. Washington St., Suite 200, Alexandria, VA 22314. Subscriptions are included in annual membership dues. Nonmember subscription rates are $25 per year for Corrections Today ($36 value) or $6 per issue. Send change of address notice and a recent mailing label to Membership and Customer Service Department, ACA, 60 days before the actual change of address. ACA will not replace undelivered copies resulting from an address change. Printed in USA. Vol. 81, No. 5. Copyright 2019 by the American Correctional Association.

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Corrections Today September/October 2019 — 5

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From Jim’s Desk Protesting

B efore our country became an actual country, a foundation- al “right” for the colonies citizens was to protest against ac- tions by the crown in England. Of course, this “right” was not recog- nized by the crown, but it became a time-honored tradition of American life. That tradition is now guaran- teed by the First Amendment to our Constitution which states: “Con- gress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” While the actual word “protest” is not used in the Constitution, it has generally been held that peaceful protests are protected by the First Amendment. Americans protest nearly everything in our society you can think of today. Some persons protest pipelines being built, some

protest use of nuclear weapons, oth- ers protest issues on abortion, and the list goes on and on. Today, some in our country are protesting the use of incarceration. And those persons employed in corrections along with us at ACA, become the target of these protests. And, of course, those persons em- ployed in corrections understand that it is legislative functions that make laws, executive functions that sign laws, judicial functions that up-hold laws, law enforcement that enforces those laws, and judicial functions that carry out those laws. The correc- tion professional gets the “rap” for all other governmental functions that bring persons into the justice system. The irony of protesting ACA and corrections is that we have called for reductions in incarceration through the use of alternative sanctions, we have written expected practices and outcome measures for the reduction of restrictive housing. Our standards account for humane and considerate

treatment of those involved in cor- rectional systems. We have called for juvenile sanctions to not include life without parole, and our list goes on and on in restructuring of our justice system. Perhaps leaders of protests against ACA (like those in Boston both times we have met there) ought to take time to read our resolutions, policies and standards. Then maybe the protesters would find other tar- gets in which to effect their calls for change. But make no mistake about it, protests are as American as apple pie and the Fourth of July! We at ACA just wish that protesting was always peaceful and respectful of other viewpoints and was effective toward the correct audience.

James A. Gondles Jr., CAE ACA Executive Director

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In Memoriam

Photo courtesy American Correctional Association

E.R. Cass Banquet on Tuesday, Aug. 3, 2010 at the COC in Chicago. John (center-right) won the E.R. Cass Correctional Achievement Award in 1982.

John William Braithwaite March 5, 1930 — July 4, 2019

J ohn William Braithwaite, former ACA presi- dent and E.R. Cass Correctional Achievement

“Never a better example of a true gentle person than was John Braithwaite. He and Lorraine were great examples of dedication, leadership and care for persons less fortunate than they were. He truly cared for incarcerated persons never having to come back to prison. A Canadian through and through, he will be sorely missed by those who knew and loved him.” — James A. Gondles Jr., CAE

Photo courtesy Chuck Kehoe John William Braithwaite.

Award winner, passed away on July 4, 2019. He is survived by his wife and best friend, Lorraine, his five children and their spouses — John (Mary), Kevin (Kelly), Michael (Tracy), Janis (Larry) and Joan (Mark Paul). John was a proud grandfather to 11 grand- children and their spouses, and his eight great-grandchildren, whom he loved and was very proud of. A graduate of the University of British Columbia, class of 1956, he began his career in corrections in British Columbia where he became warden of the Haney Correctional In- stitute for nine years before becoming

a correctional planner in the newly formed Solicitor-General’s Depart- ment in Ottawa, later appointed as deputy commissioner of the Correc- tional Service of Canada. A long-time member of ACA, Braithwaite served as a link between members of the American Correctional Association in the United States and Canada. He served as vice president of ACA from

1966-1967, chairman of the Standards Committee to Examine the National Advisory Commission Standards and Goals from 1972-1973, president of ACA from 1974-1975, chairman of the Standards Committee from 1976-1978, distinguished commis- sioner of the Board of Commissioners of the Commission on Accreditation for Corrections along with numerous

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In Memoriam

other roles. Braithwaite showed great dedication towards improving the state of international corrections and did invaluable work on ACA’s International Affairs Committee. He retired in 1985 to continue to work as a consultant in the field and a lifelong volunteer in service of promoting a humane criminal justice system. John Braithwaite was a well- respected corrections professional, but most importantly a loving family man. He was a truly remarkable man who left an impact on anyone he came across. The American Cor- rectional Association is eternally grateful for his dedication and con- tributions to the field. Our deepest sympathies go out to the Braithwaite family. John’s celebration of life was on Aug. 8, 2019 in Victoria, British Columbia. Friends and family gathered to commemorate the life of a truly remarkable man. In lieu of flowers, you may wish to donate in his memory to the Gabriola Health Care Foundation, the John Howard Society of Victoria or to the charity of your choice. u

Reflections on John William Braithwaite

John Braithwaite was the quintessential Canadian gentleman and corrections professional whose tireless work in the corrections field crossed borders, generations and the lives of corrections professionals and offenders alike. His commitment to ACA and to correctional standards was unconditional. — Charles J. Kehoe ACA Past President (2002-2004)

James Azzat El-Shafey Nov. 20, 1992 — Feb. 22, 2018 C orrectional Officer First Class James Azzat El-Shafey of the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office passed away on February 22, 2018. El-Shafey was born on Nov. 20, 1992 in Virginia. He is survived by his wife, Jacklyn El-Shafey, his two daughters, Adriana and Amira, his parents, Tarek El-Shafey and Renee Ricci, his sisters Caiti El-Shafey of Frederick and Jenni- fer Barber and husband Chad, his brother Robby El-Shafey and fiancée Megan Bell. El-Shafey was a friend to many, who loved his job and co-workers, and will be missed by all. u The Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments listed James Azzat El-Shafey’s name incorrectly in their official program on Saturday, May 4, 2019. Here it is listed correctly. Of all the fine people I had the joy of knowing in ACA, John was a standout. I was a new member when he was honored with the E.R. Cass Correctional Achievement Award and I was frankly awed by the way he presented himself and the breadth of his knowledge. And such a gentleman, too. A gift from the north country. — Dennis Avery 1998 E.R. Cass Correctional Achievement Award recipient

Photo courtesy Frederick County Adult Detention Center

8 — September/October 2019 Corrections Today

Correctional Behavioral Health Training and Certification Program

Adult Correctional Officers • Juvenile Justice Professionals Allied Behavioral Health Staff • Community Corrections Officers

This program ensures a candidate’s knowledge of national expected practices and guidelines, legal and ethical principles and relevant security regulations. It also validates the role of correctional professionals associated with the provision of behavioral health services for mentally ill inmates or offenders in correctional settings.

“The CBHC training offered valuable perspectives for custody and health services staff working as a multidisciplinary service team.” —Terri L. Catlett, Deputy Director – Health Services North Carolina Department of Public Safety

“The program is a benchmark that targets specialized training needs for staff interacting with correctional behavioral health populations today. It promotes public safety and safer prisons by increasing the level of professionalism for our correctional officers as it builds knowledge, skills and abilities tomanage our growing behavioral health populations.” —Tony Parker, Commissioner Tennessee Department of Correction

“The American Correctional Association’s Correctional Behavioral Health Certification helps us reach the goal of successfully training our officers to be better at managing this difficult population.” —Daron Hall, Sheriff Davidson’s County Sheriff’s Office

For more information, email healthcare@aca.org

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Correctional Chaplain Perspectives

Chaplains and Restorative Justice Working toward healing and wholeness By Damon Wagner Fields

C haplains often hear stories of the life traumas of people who come to them in their institutions and communities. The people may have perpetrated violence or suffered at the hands of others through abuse, violence or negligence of individuals or bro- ken systems of care. Chaplains can be helpful, but an adequate overall response to these questions can be beyond the scope of their abilities, training or job descriptions in institutional settings. As they see inmates return to their com- munities, chaplains wonder where returning citizens can receive help and healing of their unresolved trauma. The correctional system, faith communities and community agen- cies are realizing that they need to work on transforming people and communities to move from trauma to healing by bringing people together and strengthening them for the welfare of all. This is restor- ative justice. Restorative justice is a theory that emphasizes repairing the

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victims to heal. 2 If chaplains are aware that such programs exist and are active in the local communi- ties, chaplains can provide referral information to those leaving prison to encourage establishing a positive connection. This will help returning citizens gain a feeling of acceptance in connecting with positive people in the community.

harm caused or revealed by criminal behavior. It is best accomplished through cooperative processes that include all stakeholders. 1 The restorative justice principles invite us to reconsider the nature of the crime and to move us away from warehousing offenders and toward a system that leads offenders to personal accountability and allows

10 — September/October 2019 Corrections Today

Correctional Chaplain Perspectives

Becoming whole Chaplains are often interested in the faith basis of programs. In his most recent edition of “Changing Lenses: Restorative Justice in Our Times,” Howard Zeher writes that restorative justice is set on founda- tions of shalom/salaam and justice. 3 Shalom/salaam is seen as health and wholeness of the whole being and the community. Wholeness and well- ness encompass all domains of one’s life: physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, relational and social. Key aspects include a sense of belonging, personal security and having basic necessities met. Part of having shalom/salaam in- cludes a sense of justice, that all are being treated fairly, and that when things go wrong in relationships and neighborhoods, they will be made right. In many faith traditions, com- munity members, including persons in leadership and power, are often called out to “make right” injustices they are perpetrating on others. The goal of restorative justice is dealing with the trauma of the victim, offender and community holistically so that the healing and restoration of relationships can take place in communities. The needs of all are to be met through com- munity intervention so that people have a greater sense of shalom and justice, leading participants to take responsibility for their actions and obligations. Wrongs are made right and then restoration occurs. Community-based programming A current and common theme in the criminal justice system is community-based interventions.

In order to make a transition to a more community-based correctional system from an institutional-based system, restorative justice programs have been proposed to prevent incarceration initially. The focus on interventions where healing the relationship between the offender and victim and their community are elevated in importance, with the community being more involved in restoring the offender to their community. The goal of restorative justice is dealing with the trauma of the victim, offender and community holistically so that the healing and restoration of relationships can take place in communities. Restorative practices have gener- ally started with the juvenile system of victim-offender programs as an intervention to avoid incarceration. Here, the victim’s position is heard by the offender and the offender ac- cepts responsibility and restitution. Conflict resolution, mediation and vi- olence reduction programs in schools

are promoted. Expanding this type of intervention into the community for adults is being suggested as a way to work through disputes and injury in lieu of incarceration. Chaplains can help with victim advocate programs in communities. These programs are an important step in supporting and encourag- ing those who are victimized and can help discourage the tendency of community members, including faith community members, to blame the victim when they are part of a marginalized group or disenfran- chised by the community. Such is the case where many are poor, homeless, people of color, LGBTQ and women. When the perpetrator of a crime is not found or cannot make restitu- tion, the community can consider ways to assist with restitution of the victims, like helping cover the costs of treatment and counseling, so they can feel that wrongs are being “made right” in some way. Victims and surviving family members also seek to understand why the offender did what they did and regain a sense of safety and security. Victim-offender conferences, which the chaplain can help facilitate, may help some people work through their struggle toward personal healing and transitioning from victim to “survivor.” Offenders usually do not feel included in this sense of shalom/ salaam as members of communities. Offenders living and growing up in their community milieu of violence and intimidation feel victimized by individuals and groups, including the police and criminal justice system. When they are injured, they do not feel that anyone seems to go about “making right” their victimization.

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To overcome such hurt and pain will take time. Offering opportunities to share that pain and work through it with therapy and victim-offender discussion opportunities can be less expensive and more helpful than ad- ditional incarceration. Healing upon reentry Often people of faith in com- munities have a desire to help with welcoming and restoring returning citizens but do not understand how to become effectively involved. Toward that end, more communities are offering trauma healing workshops and other programs that can share needed insights among faith com- munity members. Programs such as Healing Communities have devel- oped trainings to help local faith communities intervene with their faith community members who are victims, offenders and their families. 4 These trained faith communities can learn to understand the needs of their people who have been traumatized and become a station of hope for those involved in the criminal justice process. This includes welcoming them and offering a place where they can grow into healing and transform- ing to wholeness. For example, the Harrisburg, Pennsylvania area is working on building a vibrant reentry community based on restorative justice prin- ciples. The local reentry coalition, Capital Region Ex-Offender Support Coalition (CRESC), includes a mix of non-profit, for profit and govern- mental organizations collaborating to meet the needs of returning citizens and the community. 5 The CRESC website lists numerous organizations in the coalition and opportunities

citizens may be easily misunder- stood, rejected and traumatized by community members and the system. Chaplains, alongside restorative justice advocates, can stand for mor- al and ethical programs which bring healing and wholeness to returning citizens, victims/survivors and the traumatized community. Chaplains can encourage faith communities to become educated in how to minister to people returning to their commu- nities in a compassionate, healing and accepting, yet accountable, manner. They can also encourage communities and legislators to con- sider greater support for restorative justice practices and programming. If people want a better place to live and grow where they reside, they have a responsibility to do what they can to restore broken relationships and help bring healing to the traumatized people who reside there. ENDNOTES 1 Center for Justice & Reconciliation, Prison Fellowship International. (2005). Restorative Justice Briefing Paper . Washington, D.C.: Author. Retrieved from http://www.d.umn.edu/~jmaahs/ Correctional%20Assessment/rj%20brief.pdf 2 Rea, L.M. (2012). Restorative Justice: The New Way Forward. Center for Christian Ethics, Baylor University. Retrieved from https://www.baylor.edu/ content/services/document.php/163073.pdf 3 Zehr, Howard, Changing Lenses: Restorative Justice for Our Times, Herald Press, Harrisonburg, VA, 2015, Chapter 8. 4 Healing Communities USA, www.healingcommunitiesusa.com, Philadelphia, PA. 5 Capital Region Ex-offender Support Coalition website is www.reentrynow.org, Harrisburg. Damon Wagner Fields is an associate chaplain at Dauphin County Prison and reentry staff person through Christian Churches United of the Tri-Counties, Harrisburg, PA.

offered by its various agencies. An initiative to have a one-stop reentry hub through the Christian Recovery Aftercare Ministry (CRAM) has become a reality with several reentry organizations having office space on location. CRESC office staff make referrals to various agencies in the community based on their specific needs. The reentry coalition also has a restorative justice committee that investigates ways to transition the criminal justice system, including the courts, into a more restorative justice practice. Several non-profit agencies have focused on mentoring and other supports, including AMiracle4Sure, Sound Community Solutions, The Program — It’s About Change, and others. Many of these organizations are founded and run by previously incarcerated citizens, and they are receiving contracts from state and county correctional institutions and state probation and parole agencies to provide services to prison resi- dents and returning citizens. Thirteen local churches have taken the Heal- ing Communities’ trainings. Evidence-based and faith-based programs in many communities are needed to help returning citizens re- ceive the care and healing they need as they try to become reestablished as productive, contributing mem- bers of the community. A restorative justice approach can be important to help provide a place where returning citizens are heard in their pain yet also are held accountable for their actions in making restitution. If their trauma is not healed appropriately, a returning citizen may more likely respond in an inappropriate man- ner. On many occasions, returning

12 — September/October 2019 Corrections Today

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Juvenile Justice News

Changing the face and culture of juvenile justice Making the shift towards treatment and rehabilitation By Ines Nieves, Joseph Tomassone, Ph.D., Sharon Harrigfeld and Mike Dempsey

and the developmental approach involving not only the offender, but also the family, victim(s) and their community. Research into the neuroscience of human development has provided a clearer understanding of the adolescent brain and has led to improved programming for justice- involved youth. 2 Research has also informed evidence-based programs and practices as well as the use of data-based tools, and an understand- ing of the effects of trauma has correspondingly helped guide decision-making and improve outcomes. Although these advances have been promising, challenges re- main in changing individual system cultures from a correctional model to a more therapeutic model. Change can be frightening and difficult for everyone in a well-established system. However, enthusiastic and data-driven leaders and reformers must be mindful of frontline staff as transformation occurs. Many of the same principles used to facili- tate change in youth can be applied to staff when system reforms are

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O ver the past two decades, there has been an enlight- ened call for national juvenile justice reform. For many states, juvenile justice system trans- formation has been both promising and challenging. The accumulated research and knowledge in the juve- nile justice field have strengthened the transformation from systems

based on correctional models to those focused on treatment and rehabilitation. In 1988, the Balanced Approach Model was introduced, providing guidelines to hold youth account- able for their actions, build their competencies and strengths and keep communities safe. 1 This model aligns itself with adolescent brain research

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Juvenile Justice News

undertaken. For example, helping people understand the reasons for change, being non-judgmental about resistances, permitting (and even en- couraging) the appropriate expression of concerns and subsequently address- ing them, are all ideas that are equally well applied to both staff and youth during periods of transformation. As a result of the many reform efforts over the last couple of de- cades, there has been systemic changes that have had major positive impacts within juvenile justice sys- tems. However, these reforms have also presented new challenges. In addition to system change, a focus on reducing the number of youths being committed to short- and long-term se- cure facilities has been effective and resulted in a much higher concentra- tion of higher-need and higher-risk youth in the deep-end of the juvenile justice system. Thus, more young people entering the residential juvenile justice system have arrived with multiple challenges, includ- ing mental health issues, substance abuse, sexual harmful behaviors and developmental disabilities. Juvenile justice systems have unfortunately become the “last resort” for localities that lack the resources and services to meet the needs of these youth. These youth also frequently present with many other factors that further complicate their rehabilitation and successful reintegration to their home communities. Juvenile justice programs have realigned to make significant sys- tem changes to accommodate and treat this new population of youth. They have adopted trauma-informed treatment, and new adolescent brain development research has informed

their practices. Many residential programs are working to transform into trauma-responsive cultures and environments as the implications for treatment have changed. Jurisdictions have learned that institutional culture matters because cultural elements determine safety, goals and modes of operating. 3 Trauma models, such as the Sanctu- ary Model, represent a whole-system approach, designed to facilitate the development of structures, processes and behaviors for staff, youth and the entire community that can counteract the biological, cognitive, social and existential wounds suffered by youth in care. 4 This has contributed to the changing face of juvenile justice across the country. Many residential programs are working to transform into trauma-responsive cultures and environments as the implications for treatment have changed.

and leadership development for the administrators of juvenile systems. Juvenile justice issues and strategies are addressed through educational programs, research and technical as- sistance projects. CJCA partners with other organizations and advocates to transform and improve the practices in our juvenile facilities, and im- prove long-term outcomes for youth, families and communities. Introduction of evidence- based models and primary practices into juvenile justice care In conjunction with nationwide reforms of juvenile justice systems over the past 20 years, the number of youths in juvenile justice settings has steadily declined. Data from the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention show arrest rates for youth have declined over time, generally down each year since 1994, with a slight increase (2004- 06) and again down consistently since 2006. 5, 6 Reduced arrest rates have resulted in decreased residential juvenile justice placements and alterna- tives to detention placement have also increased over time, including community-based services and other alternatives to detention. 7 This has resulted in jurisdictions success- fully diverting many youths from long-term detention or residential placements into less restrictive settings, often closer to their home communities and families. Juvenile justice systems are tasked with assessing each youth for their risks and needs as well as for the strengths, resources and skills

The Council of Juvenile Cor- rectional Administrators (CJCA) has been at the forefront of this movement to transform practice. CJCA provides national leadership

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necessary to be successful in less restrictive settings. Assessments have provided practitioners with a clearer understanding of appropriate interventions and placements when necessary. In order to place less restrictively or to divert youth suc- cessfully, all of their strengths, needs and challenges must be considered, and only those youth who cannot be safely and effectively served in community-based programs should be considered for placement in resi- dential care. This resulting population of youth in secure confinement presents chal- lenges to juvenile justice systems of care due to their high needs and rela- tively low resources and skills. Many youths who are ultimately placed at these higher levels of care struggle with multiple problems including mental health issues, substance use and abuse issues and personal histo- ries of trauma. 8 Evidence-based and evidence- supported models have been developed and implemented to ensure that programs and services for justice-involved youth are effective, and that stated goals for youth are consistently obtained in an effort to address the needs of placed youth. 9 Goals for youth in these programs often include maintaining com- munity placement goals (low/no recidivism), achieving educational goals for both credits and credentials, gaining job skills and certifications and achieving employment goals. Programs use various approaches to youth programming including cognitive-behavioral strategies, skills-building programs, family engagement programs and mentor programs, among others. Programs

are evaluated and identified as evi- dence-based or evidence-supported based on the outcome data produced by the programs and the youth dur- ing and after care. As a result, the collection and analysis of data can drive decision making toward the most effective practices which con- sistently deliver positive results for youth in care. States have used a variety of strategies to bring about posi- tive outcomes for justice-involved youth. These strategies include front-end diversion to community- based programs as well as enhanced programming for youth who require higher levels of care. Many have also benefitted from legislative initiatives to enhance and restructure juvenile justice service delivery systems as well as fund programs which serve youth as an alternative to placement or incarceration. Recently, with an additional $1 million appropriation by the Alabama Legislature, the Alabama Department of Youth Services

increased the number of rural counties having access to a commu- nity-based diversion program, adding 13 additional counties in 2018. These programs have helped Alabama reduce commitments to state custody since 2010. Utah implemented broad reforms via juvenile justice legislation in March of 2017, with the goal of treating low-level youth offenders differently by providing more early intervention services upfront to keep them from penetrating deep into the system. Since then, Juvenile Justice Services (JJS) has implemented trauma-informed care in all fa- cilities, to include early intervention multi-use facilities, detention and long-term secure care. This includes creating visiting areas that are more home-like and working with fami- lies in the community through the Strengthening Families Program and focused resources on school-based outreach. During the same period, Utah has seen fewer youth entering the system, continuing a long-term

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trend that indicates that their juvenile justice laws are keeping communi- ties safer. Utah diverts low-risk youth from formal court process- ing and holds them accountable through swift, effective nonjudicial interventions, focusing juvenile court resources on cases that pose a threat to public safety. Nonresiden- tial programs such as substance use and mental health treatment are now available in more areas of the state due in part to reinvestment from our juvenile justice system. By working together across all three branches of government to implement their vi- sion for reform, Utah has kept more youth at home with their families while expanding effective services in the home and the community. Similar to Alabama and Utah (and many other jurisdictions nationwide), the Massachusetts Department of Youth Services (DYS) is keeping justice-involved youth in the community through diversion strategies via the Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative (JDAI) on the front end of system contact. This requires sustained collaboration between the Massa- chusetts DYS and the juvenile court, defense bar and law enforcement. Detention caseloads have dropped significantly since Massachusetts DYS engaged the JDAI process. Simultaneously, Massachusetts built a service continuum for youth who do get placed in detention that is based on the assessment of risk and includes options like shelter care and foster care — keeping lower risk youth out of secure facility placements. To enhance reentry coordina- tion, Massachusetts DYS built

out a network of small geographi- cally dispersed community offices where committed youth are con- nected upon release for support and services. Through recent Second Chance Act funding they have pi- loted a supervision approach that is anchored with a balanced response grid that includes incentives as well as sanctions. The early review of this process indicates that youth are sustaining longer in their commu- nity placements with this balanced approach. Many juvenile justice systems have developed or adopted trauma- informed and trauma-responsive the individual and systemic trauma experienced by youth in care and their families. models of care which consider One widely adopted perspec- tive which has influenced many programs and jurisdictions is the assessment of and intervention around trauma. Many juvenile justice systems have developed or adopted

trauma-informed and trauma-respon- sive models of care which consider the individual and systemic trauma experienced by youth in care and their families. This approach is ho- listic and requires an examination of the youth, their family circumstances and the environmental factors which have historically and continue to impact the youth. Several states are utilizing trauma-responsive treatment programs which have been empiri- cally validated for justice-involved adolescent populations. Such pro- grams often use cognitive behavioral strategies to teach youth emotional and behavioral self-regulations skills. Examples include the use of Dialec- tical Behavior Therapy (DBT) in the juvenile justice systems in Massa- chusetts, New York and Utah. The effective implementation of trauma-informed care includes both assessment and treatment interventions. 10 A thorough trauma assessment of the youth and their family will evaluate the existence and the impact of both individual and generational (or systemic) trauma. This assessment will examine both traumatic experiences as well as traumatic environments. Trauma- informed and trauma-responsive programmingwill typically include family and community engagement (treating youth in their community and family contexts), as well as individual interventions such as cognitive-behavioral and psycho- educational strategies. The inclu- sion of family and community resources can enhance individual youth interventions and outcomes as well as pave the way for more successful transitions from juvenile justice care to community care. →

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Trauma-informed and trauma- responsive program environments will also attend to the impact of trauma on program staff and address and meet their needs, to the benefit of youth in care. The Massachusetts DYS has trained staff to build skills in work- ing successfully with young people who have experienced trauma. They use DBT across all their programs to provide youth with the skills to soothe themselves, manage stressful situations and become more success- ful on an interpersonal basis.  A residual benefit has been that the direct care staff are also build- ing DBT skills which helps move that work from clinical groups into the life space. Massachusetts DYS has an external evaluation through Smith College that affirmed that youth are improving in several risk domains as a result of their DBT work. Additionally, over 10 years ago, Massachusetts DYS eliminated the use of room confinement for pu- nitive purposes. This has resulted in a dramatic reduction of time spent in rooms by youth who need skills and strategies to improve their decision- making and interpersonal skills not long periods of isolation where youth tend to get worse not better. The Oregon Youth Authority (OYA) also trains all incoming staff on trauma-informed care. Further- more, when a review of past data showed that about 20% of youth in its secure facilities were responsible for nearly three quarters of episodes of isolation and that many of these youth had suffered complex trauma, the agency created The University of Life, a specialized living unit for youth who are emotionally reactive

due to trauma. Staff have been trained to take a trauma-informed ap- proach modeling self-care and focus on teaching emotional regulation and management skills in the moment as opposed to pushing youth toward institutional compliance. After the program’s launch, OYA saw a 77% decrease in incidents and an 84% decrease in isolation for participating youth. Changing the culture and phi- losophy of a large and established juvenile justice system is chal- lenging, takes time and requires commitment and persistence. As part of the system transformation efforts in New York state, the state-run ju- venile justice system was downsized dramatically between 2007 and 2018. Even prior to that dramatic decline in juvenile population numbers, cultural and programmatic changes that were also happening in many other states were already in motion in New York. Since its origin (in the 1970s), the juvenile justice system in New York has focused on educational and voca- tional programming for youth (later adding specialty treatment services), with an eye towards rehabilitation and not punishment. In 2006 and 2007, the New York State Office of Children and Family Services (NYS OCFS) began to expand its mental health resources by hiring licensed clinicians to address the obvious needs of the youth placed by the family courts. Moving forward from that time, OCFS has developed and incorporated an overarching trauma- responsive model, The New York Model, which both identifies and treats the impacts of trauma on the youth in its care and custody. 11 The New York Model was developed and

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implemented to help change the cul- ture and to strengthen and improve treatment and conditions of confine- ment. Currently, the NYS OCFS provides a wide variety of services to youth. These include the historical programmatic “backbone” services of educational (including special education), vocational, recreational and spiritual services, and over the past 15 years have expanded to include mental health treatment (in- cluding psychiatry), substance abuse treatment services and treatment services to youth who have exhib- ited sexually harmful behaviors. In the absence of a residential juvenile justice system with enhanced and integrated services to address those needs, the only option remaining for many states is adult prison, which is demonstrably contrary to adolescent growth and development and may lead to lifetime patterns of justice system contact.

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