MacArthur Models for Change
MacArthur Foundation, Models for Change
http://www.macfound.org
The way in which young people are treated in the criminal justice system is often at odds with research findings about how and when children and adolescents develop mature moral, psychological, and cognitive capacities. Therefore, MacArthur supports research, model programs, policy analysis, and public education to promote a more effective juvenile justice system. “Models for Change” is a new effort to accelerate system-wide change in Illinois, Louisiana, Pennsylvania, and Washington, with the hope that the results will serve as models for successful reform in the juvenile justice systems in other states. In addition to helping states accelerate reform on local issues, the initiative is creating multi-state networks to examine mental health and racial and ethnic disparities.
There are five MacArthur sites in Louisiana: Caddo Parish (Shreveport), Calcasieu Parish (Lake Charles), East Baton Rouge Parish (Baton Rouge), Jefferson Parish and New Iberia Parish.
In Caddo Parish (Shreveport), the MacArthur Foundation awarded a $120,000 grant (over two years) to support of the development of a model for the identification and appropriate referral to treatment of youth with mental health and substance abuse conditions in contact with the juvenile justice system. In Caddo Parish, LJC is supporting the work of the public defender office, other court agencies, advocates and mental service providers to draft and implement a Memorandum of Understanding that allows for appropriate mental health treatment while zealously protecting the rights of the child. This Memorandum of Understanding will serve as a state model for other jurisdictions that are considering mental health assessments as part of their juvenile defense and/or advocacy efforts.
In Calcasieu Parish (Lake Charles), the Calcasieu Parish Police Jury (Office of Juvenile Justice Services) was awarded at $50,000 grant to support the activities of the Children & Youth Services Planning Board, which was created by an act of legislation a part of the juvenile justice reform act. The purpose of the Children & Youth Services Planning Boards is to assist in the assessment, alignment, coordination, prioritization, and measurement of all available services and programs that address the needs of children and youth. The boards are intended to encourage collaborative efforts among local stakeholders for assessing the physical, social, behavioral, and educational needs of children and youth in their respective communities and for assisting in the development of comprehensive plans to address such needs. LJC supports the Calcasieu Board through its training program with the Calcasieu Parish Public Defender Office and participation on the School to Jail Reform Coalition.
In Jefferson Parish, the MacArthur Foundation has invested $350,000 (over two years) in the Community Justice Agency as a demonstration site for the “Models for Change” program in Louisiana. LJC is working with the MacArthur facilitator in Jefferson Parish to develop research forms and policies for non-MacArthur sites to bring public defenders to the forefront of the campaign to eliminate racial disparity in Louisiana juvenile justice system and collect uniform data from diverse districts around the state.