Greg Cox, San Diego County Board of Supervisors - Support for the Juvenile Justice Comprehensive Strategy Task Force

DATE: February 28, 2006
TO: Board of Supervisors
SUBJECT: Support for the Juvenile Justice Comprehensive Strategy Task Force

SUMMARY
In 1993 the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) designed a conceptual model to coordinate and enhance youth-centered efforts in cities and counties across the nation. Known as the Comprehensive Strategy for Serious, Violent, and Chronic Juvenile Offenders, or simply as the Comprehensive Strategy, this model is predicated upon a philosophy of shared responsibility and coordinated action at the local level to assess factors and influences that put youth at risk of delinquency, determine available resources, and establish prevention programs targeted at juvenile delinquency and promoting the positive development of youth.

The Comprehensive Strategy, as implemented locally, has allowed the region to build a system of care for juvenile offenders and at-risk youth based on a foundation of services provided through a network of community-based organizations (CBOs) in conjunction with the County’s Probation Department, local law enforcement agencies and schools.

Community based organizations provide a critical link between the County’s Probation Department and juvenile offenders and their families. With a focus on prevention and education, our CBO partners have helped to ensure that offenders and their families exit the system with the tools they need to continue to lead productive lives free of crime, drugs, and gangs. It is essential that CBOs are provided an independent forum where they can convey their thoughts and ideas to not only their partners in the juvenile justice community, but also to Probation staff.

The Children’s Initiative has created a separate entity, the Juvenile Justice Comprehensive Strategy Task Force (JJCST), as a channel of communication to the County and subject matter experts in the area of social services to at-risk youth.

Today’s action will express the Board of Supervisors’ support for the efforts of this independent Task Force to work in partnership with the County of San Diego and the County’s Probation Department to continue this Board’s longstanding commitment to juvenile justice through prevention and education.

RECOMMENDATION(S)
Vice Chairman Ron Roberts and Supervisor Greg Cox

Authorize the Board of Supervisors’ support for the Juvenile Justice Comprehensive Strategy Task Force.
Authorize the Chairman to sign a letter to Sandra McBrayer, Executive Director of The Children’s Initiative and convener of the Juvenile Justice Comprehensive Strategy Task Force, supporting the Task Force’s vital role in helping to shape San Diego County’s nationally recognized juvenile justice system.

Fiscal Impact
There is no fiscal impact associated with approving these recommendations.

BACKGROUND
In 1993 the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) designed a conceptual model to coordinate and enhance youth-centered efforts in cities and counties across the nation. Known as the Comprehensive Strategy for Serious, Violent, and Chronic Juvenile Offenders, or simply as the Comprehensive Strategy, this model is predicated upon a philosophy of shared responsibility and coordinated action at the local level to assess factors and influences that put youth at risk of delinquency, determine available resources, and establish prevention programs targeted at juvenile delinquency and promoting the positive development of youth.

Under the leadership of Supervisor Ron Roberts, the County of San Diego was selected as a pilot site for the implementation of this new strategy, which developed as a region-wide partnership to develop healthy, responsible youth through prevention, intervention and appropriate sanctions.

Since that time, the OJJDP has highlighted San Diego County as one of the three most successful Comprehensive Strategy Pilots in the nation with regard to our "Best Practices" Strategic Plan. The Comprehensive Strategy, as implemented locally, has allowed the region to build a system of care for juvenile offenders and at-risk youth based on a foundation of services provided through a network of community-based organizations (CBOs) in conjunction with the County’s Probation Department, local law enforcement agencies and schools. Through our partnership with local CBOs, the County is preventing and reducing delinquency, allowing fewer youth to “fall between the cracks”, and is developing ongoing community support and partnership around delinquency prevention and intervention. Programs such as Breaking Cycles, Working to Insure and Nurture Girls Success (WINGS), and the Truancy Supervision Program, among others, have demonstrated outcomes with success rates in the 85-99 percent range. The implementation of the Comprehensive Strategy and its success in San Diego County can be credited directly to our partnerships.

To maintain the integrity of the juvenile justice system and San Diego County's success in implementing the Comprehensive Strategy approach to juvenile justice, The Children’s Initiative has created a separate entity, the Juvenile Justice Comprehensive Strategy Task Force (JJCSTF), as a channel of communication to the County with subject matter experts in the area of social services to at-risk youth. This feedback to the County and the Board of Supervisors is essential to ensure that the core principles and values of the Comprehensive Strategy remain embedded in services that San Diego County provides for at-risk youth and that the County continues to make progress in steering at-risk children away from a life of crime.

The Children’s Initiative, a local non-profit child advocacy agency, will staff and coordinate the activities of the JJCST. The Task Force has been charged with the following duties:

Serve as an advocate for comprehensive juvenile justice programs, services and policies
Educate, through periodic updates to the San Diego County Board of Supervisors and other elected officials, on the Comprehensive Strategy for Juvenile Justice
Conduct outreach to community stakeholders as well as local, state and national leaders
Monitor, engage in and facilitate legislative advocacy to pursue, promote and coordinate efforts to support legislation that benefits the San Diego Comprehensive Strategy
Research and facilitate partnerships for current funding sources (grants, foundations, legislation, and governmental budget sources)
Participate in community forums/events to elicit local support and community investment in realizing Comprehensive Strategy goals (activities may include public speaking, conference presentations, and education/training seminars)
Working in a collaborative manner with all Comprehensive Strategy partners (i.e. schools, municipalities, law enforcement agencies, and community-based organizations)
Advocate for future funding of programs that adhere to comprehensive strategy principles

Linkage to the County of San Diego Strategic Plan
This request supports the “Safe and Livable Communities” and the “Improve Opportunities for Children” Initiatives. The creation of the JJCSTF will provide a forum through which subject matter experts in the field of juvenile delinquency prevention and intervention may keep the Board apprised of the latest evidence-based practices, funding trends, emerging opportunities and risks. This will, in turn provide the Board with the information needed to help children and families in San Diego County to meet their full potential.

Respectfully submitted,

VICE CHAIRMAN RON ROBERTS
Fourth District

SUPERVISOR GREG COX
First District