Juvenile Justice

Topic:  Addressing Minority Male Juvenile Justice Involvement

 Minority Juvenile Justice

Problem:

Minority high school age students (mostly African-American males) school’s offenses are more likely to be elevated to criminal charges, that mandate court-appointed juvenile justice supervision.

National Average for Youths involved in the Juvenile Justice System: 18%
White American:-12% (38%-50%)
African-American Average: +11% (26%-15%)
Asian American Average: – 2% ( 3%-5%)
Hispanic American Average: -2% ( 23%-25%)
Native American Average: +1% (2%-1%)

Source:
Juvenile Court Statistics
Data Snapshot: School Discipline

Causes:

Poor school attendance (Non-parent involvement)

Poor Academic Levels (Entering High School with low Math and Reading skills)

Substance Abuse (Drugs and Alcohol usage).

Out of School suspension (Non-addressed family issues)

How the 100% Graduation Rate Program Address the Problem:

  1. We met with the student and their parent to sign a 4-year agreement to graduate on time.
  2. We schedule and met with our local Juvenile Probation Office.
  3. We met with student’s probation officer if they were on probation.
  4. We held 12 after-school training sessions on Economics and the US Legal System for 9th graders.
  5. We sponsored 3 annual field trips with the students and their rival high school program participants, starting from the 9th grade to the 12th grade.
  6. We met school officials if any student was suspended.
  7. We talked with student’s parents if students, developed a school lateness and absenteeism problem of 3 days or more.
  8. We held 18 after-school training sessions on Academic Preparation, Social Skills and Job Readiness for 10th graders.
  9. We help place students in summer job programs or help find them summer jobs from 9th grade to 11th grade.
  10. We met with student’s summer job employers and gave them our contact information.
  11. We attend court with the student and their parents for their first offense.
  12. We develop a support system with our local County Prosecutor’s Office.

100% Graduation Rate Program Results:

Camden, New Jersey – **Program Participants Group B (105) compared to Program Sample Group A (105)

The Male Program participants had a 25% lower rate of males Involved in the Juvenile Justice System. Compared to the City’s sample group of males – 34% (36 out of 105) to 9% (9 out of 105).

**Selection Process:
Each year, the City’s two largest high schools – Camden High and Woodrow Wilson – Guidance Departments selected 15 incoming high school freshmen for the program. These students were classified as at-risk, based on having grades below C in Math and/or Reading, or had a poor student behavior problem.

The students were then randomly assigned to a Program Group- A (Non-treatment) or Group B (Program Treatment) – based on their seating during the program’s orientation.

Our Recommendations:

School Districts should work with Family Courts, Police Departments, and Community Organizations to:

  • develop guidelines for school student conduct violations, which includes parent involvement.
  • coordinate community service merit projects.
  • mandate a 12-step angry management, problem-solving, and conflict resolution program.