OJJDP Family Listening Sessions: Executive Summary - Office of ...

“When you get into trouble, your friends won’t help you or visit you. You need to keep your
culture in your heart. Pray to the sun every morning.”
Were you included in decisions in programs/support for your child Were your opinions
heard and respected
His foster mother felt that there was some minor involvement; however, there was no
communication between the judge and the probation officer. Consequently, the probation officer
said many untrue things that caused her to spend substantial time researching through her
paperwork to prove he was, in fact, lying. Completing and delivering all of the required
paperwork also caused them to miss a counseling session, which was a violation of his probation.
Participant F’s Experiences With the System
First involvement with the system
This youth’s mother explained that her son was initially charged with truancy while attending
public school; however, she did not bother to communicate with the school because they would
have called the police and had her removed. Her son was also charged with DUI and smoking
marijuana on the school grounds, and currently he is on probation for 4 years.
What was the most helpful What was the least helpful
His probation officer told her about the Wichita Tribe Program for youth. She said that it is an
effective program that helped her son.
The youth said that when he was expelled from public school, he returned to the Indian school,
but they would not let him attend because of a (false) report stating he had stolen golf carts. He
reported that now he does not have any school he is allowed to attend, but he is working toward
his GED.
What was your family engagement while your child was in the system Were you able to
maintain a meaningful relationship with your child while the child was in the system
What ways did the system help (promote) or hinder your relationship with your child
The youth’s mother said the system did not help, but that their family was already close. There
were others who were supportive, she said, but not the juvenile system.
Were you included in decisions in programs/support for your child Were your opinions
heard and respected
The youth’s mother said that she tried to let her son make his own decisions; however, she
accompanied him to ensure he was not misled by the system. The youth said that he felt his
mother’s opinions were not respected or heard.