Juvenile Justice System Reform Training and Technical Assistance

The Council of State Governments (CSG) Justice Center—in partnership with the Center for Juvenile Justice Reform at Georgetown University and the University of Cincinnati Corrections Institute—will provide training and technical assistance (TTA) to assist states to develop and implement research-based, data-informed policies, practices, and resource allocation strategies that reduce recidivism, reduce racial and ethnic disparities, and improve outcomes for youth in the juvenile justice system. To accomplish this goal, the CSG Justice Center and partners will develop, implement, and disseminate TTA that supports states to achieve their reform objectives and realize costs savings that can be reinvested into system improvements. TTA will focus on ensuring states involve a collaborative set of stakeholders to oversee and guide the identification of consensus-based system improvement strategies. CSG and partners will conduct case level data analysis, focus groups with system stakeholders, and directly engage with youth and families impacted by the system to inform states' priorities for reform. The TTA will help states to establish detailed implementation plans, and adopt the policies and procedures, funding strategies, and structured decision-making tools needed to implement reforms in key areas with fidelity. Tools will include diversion initiatives, risks and needs assessments, evidence-based programs, graduated responses, developmentally-appropriate supervision strategies, alternatives to incarceration, and justice reinvestment strategies. The TTA will also help states develop the performance measures, data collection processes, and analytic and reporting procedures needed to evaluate implementation progress and the impact of their reforms, and to use data on an ongoing basis to guide and sustain system improvements. To support this work, CSG will engage in monthly TTA calls with each state, quarterly progress reviews, and annual site visits. They will also provide direct training as needed for agency line and management staff, taskforce and working group meeting facilitation, support for formal peer learning exchanges within and amongst state grantees, and connect states to national experts and models along with a variety of distance learning resources. CSG will track, evaluate, and report progress on these activities through a sophisticated web-based data collection system.

The Council of State Governments (CSG) Justice Center—in partnership with the Center for Juvenile Justice Reform at Georgetown University and the University of Cincinnati Corrections Institute—will provide training and technical assistance (TTA) to assist states to develop and implement research-based, data-informed policies, practices, and resource allocation strategies that reduce recidivism, reduce racial and ethnic disparities, and improve outcomes for youth in the juvenile justice system. To accomplish this goal, the CSG Justice Center and partners will develop, implement, and disseminate TTA that supports states to achieve their reform objectives and realize costs savings that can be reinvested into system improvements. TTA will focus on ensuring states involve a collaborative set of stakeholders to oversee and guide the identification of consensus-based system improvement strategies. CSG and partners will conduct case level data analysis, focus groups with system stakeholders, and directly engage with youth and families impacted by the system to inform states' priorities for reform. The TTA will help states to establish detailed implementation plans, and adopt the policies and procedures, funding strategies, and structured decision-making tools needed to implement reforms in key areas with fidelity. Tools will include diversion initiatives, risks and needs assessments, evidence-based programs, graduated responses, developmentally-appropriate supervision strategies, alternatives to incarceration, and justice reinvestment strategies. The TTA will also help states develop the performance measures, data collection processes, and analytic and reporting procedures needed to evaluate implementation progress and the impact of their reforms, and to use data on an ongoing basis to guide and sustain system improvements. To support this work, CSG will engage in monthly TTA calls with each state, quarterly progress reviews, and annual site visits. They will also provide direct training as needed for agency line and management staff, taskforce and working group meeting facilitation, support for formal peer learning exchanges within and amongst state grantees, and connect states to national experts and models along with a variety of distance learning resources. CSG will track, evaluate, and report progress on these activities through a sophisticated web-based data collection system.