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Reducing Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Berks County, PA Coalition for Juvenile Justice May 4, 2009 Agenda Background on Models for Change and DMC Berks County’s data-driven approach Community Collaboration Detention Reduction Placement Reduction Where we’re headed Models for Change
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Reducing Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Berks County, PA Coalition for Juvenile Justice May 4, 2009
Agenda • Background on Models for Change and DMC • Berks County’s data-driven approach • Community Collaboration • Detention Reduction • Placement Reduction • Where we’re headed
Models for Change • Initiative of the John D. and Catherine T. Macarthur Foundation • The goal is to create a new wave of juvenile justice reform by producing system-wide change in multiple states that others will learn from and emulate. • Four core states, PA, IL, LA and WA. • Three Action Networks have added 12 more partner states.
DMC Reduction Work Supported by Models for Change • 8 counties and parishes in MfC core states • DMC Action Network • 12 sites, expanding in four new states • Peer exchange of ideas and strategies • Work in Strategic Innovation Groups • Common data collection and reporting • Detailed Performance Measures
DMC Reduction Goals • Reduce overrepresentation • Reduce racial and ethnic disparities • Prevent youth of color from unnecessarily entering and moving deeper into the juvenile justice system.
Work to reduce racial and ethnic disparities is not about: • A research project • Solving the problems of racism or poverty • The Blame Game – kids, parents, the community, music videos, television, the media, “the system” • “Gotcha” or finger pointing at public officials • The Abuse Excuse – poor, broken home, bad neighborhood, etc. • Holding youth of color less accountable
Why do racial and ethnic disparities occur? • Structural inequalities and inequities in our society • Differential offending rates • Juvenile justice policies that are fair on their face but have unintended negative consequences • Police responses to crime • Location of offenses
Why do racial and ethnic disparities occur? (cont.) • Conscious or unconscious use of racial/ethnic stereotypes • Policy based on anecdote or “gut feeling” • Inertia • Failure to use data to drive decisions • Failure to include all stakeholders in policy decisions
How do we reduce racial and ethnic disparities? • Develop oversight body of all stakeholders • Closely map juvenile justice process from first contact • Analyze data at all stages of the juvenile justice system • Identify gaps in the data and improve data availability and accuracy
How do we reduce racial and ethnic disparities? (cont.) • Identify specific decision points where racial or ethnic disparities exist or there is unnecessary youth contact with the juvenile justice system • Create interventions to reduce disparities or unnecessary involvement • Monitor implementation
Data-Driven Approach to Reducing Racial and Ethnic Disparities
Models for Change Statewide DMC work in Pennsylvania • Collaborate with existing DMC Subcommittee of the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency and its local committees. • Statewide guidance for race and ethnicity data collection. • Work with Juvenile Court Judges’ Commission to improve cultural competence of service providers.
Berks County at a Glance • Total population: 401,149 • Juvenile Population (ages 10 to 17): 43,844 • Includes City of Reading • Berks County Latino population: 12% • Berks County African-American pop: 5% • Reading School District Latino enrollment: 73% • Reading School District Af-Am enrollment: 13%
Berks County Juvenile Justice at a Glance • Youth Referred to Juvenile Court 2008: 1192 • Race and Ethnicity of Youth Referred 2008: • Hispanic/Latino 503 (42%) • White Non-Hisp. 482 (40%) • Black Non-Hisp. 192 (16%) • Other 15 (1%)
Berks County Racial and EthnicDisparities Reduction Project • Began project November 2005 • Steering Committee first met Spring 2006 • Qualitative and quantitative data collection • Data from available sources • File reviews for new information • Court and probation observations • Visits to schools, detention center and services • Interviews with wide range of stakeholders
Berks County Project, cont. • Active steering committee, under leadership of Judge Arthur Grim • Progressive leadership in Juvenile Probation • Stakeholders interested in and committed to reform • Formed task forces to address major areas of interest
Berks County Committee to Reduce Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Juvenile Justice
Detention • Developed Detention Assessment Instrument to guide probation officer decisions about detention. • Developed first pre-adjudication Evening Reporting Center in the Commonwealth. • The results: a 45% drop in Average Daily Population in detention.
Detention Assessment Instrument • Based on models from around the country • Refined and tested with consultant David Steinhart • Adjusted policy and practice based on his suggestions • Mandatory detentions for car theft contributed to overrepresentation of Latinos in detentions under DAI – policy eliminated. • Discretionary overrides were 40% of DAI detentions – staff hadn’t fully bought in. • First quarter 2009 discretionary overrides down to 14.5%.
Proportion of discretionary overrides by race and ethnicity compared with representation in the detention population – shows that discretionary decisions by POs were implemented without disparity
Bench Warrants • During Steinhart test period, 22% of youth detained under DAI were for bench warrants • Now bench warrants represent 12% of detained youth • Theory: better and more in-home services mean youth aren’t absconding from placement or home as much
Youth Detained under DAI * Mandatory overrides for absconds from home, failure to appear in court, detainers, firearms, placement failures, EM removal
Evening Reporting Center • Visited Chicago, Pittsburgh, Baltimore • Bids from two invited service providers • Opened doors late December 2008 • Located in 19604, one of most represented zip codes • Bright, sunny former catering hall houses day treatment rest of the day; beautiful gym • Starter funding from MacArthur Foundation but state funding begins July 1, 2009
Detention Reductions • Have allowed us to: • Eliminate 24 of 72 detention beds • Enlarge PREP, a post-adjudication local residential program • More PREP beds mean youth can return from out-of-county placements sooner for re-entry • Re-establish shelter care
Comparison of Youth Scored and Youth Detained under DAI, by Race and Ethnicity, First Quarter 2009
Placement Reductions • Introduced MST August 2007 • Program now has 6 therapists, 2 bilingual • Therapists each serve 6 kids at a time • Served 68 families so far • 83% of MST clients who completed the program did not recidivate and avoided further incarceration
Importance of Philosophy • Commitment to reduce out of county placements. • Jeff must approve all placements. • Management reinforces community-based philosophy. • At current rate, placement in 2009 is on track for a drop of 42% since 2007. • Violators of probation represented 38% of placements in 2007, but now represent 30%.
Berks County Out of Home Placements of Committed Youth *2009 projections based on data available through April 27, 2009.
Placements by Race and Ethnicity *2009 projections based on data available through April 27, 2009.
Where Berks County is headed • Graduated sanctions for probation violators • Examination of MST referrals • Post-adjudication longer-term treatment ERC • YouthBuild • Work with Reading School District on Positive Behavioral Supports, closer examination of alternative schools and discipline
Contact Us: Jeff Gregro, Assistant ChiefBerks County Juvenile Probation OfficePhone: (610) 478-3200, ext. 6407Email: jgregro@countyofberks.comJoseph Guillama, Site Coordinator Racial and Ethnic Disparities Reduction Project Phone: (610) 898-9688 Email: jguillama@hotmail.comLaurie Hague, Assistant ChiefBerks County Juvenile Probation OfficePhone: (610) 478-3200, ext. 6429Email: lhague@countyofberks.comDana Shoenberg, Senior Staff AttorneyCenter for Children’s Law and PolicyPhone: (202) 637-0377 ext.107Email: dshoenberg@cclp.org