Success <strong>for</strong>Every StudentYoung PeopleMaking SmartChoicesChildren Safe inTheir Home, Schooland CommunityStrategies <strong>for</strong> Success: What will ittake to get us to where we want to be?In Fiscal Year 2007, the <strong>Collaboration</strong> <strong>Council</strong> updated its Planning Brighter Futures <strong>for</strong>Children, Youth and Families: A Five-Year Community Strategic Plan <strong>for</strong> <strong>Montgomery</strong> <strong>County</strong>,Maryland. The following strategies were selected as the most effective to make significantprogress in achieving The Children’s Agenda outcomes to address disproportionateminority contact (DMC).Strategy 1:Strategy 2:Strategy 3:Strategy 4:Strategy 5:Strategy 6:What We KnowInitiate regular data collection, analysis and reporting processes that guide DMCreduction strategies and assess progressIncrease parent and youth involvement in policy, program and services decisionsIncrease objective assessment and decision-making tools at the diversion andsecure detention decision-making points and monitor their implementationEnsure timely and fair case processingIncrease availability of culturally and racially competent community-basedalternatives to secure detention (ATD)Increase availability of culturally and racially competent effectivecommunity-based diversion options<strong>Montgomery</strong> <strong>County</strong> had over 100,000 youth ages 10 to 17 years old in 2005 of which47 percent were minority youth. Findings from the Relative Rate Index (RRI) show thatminority youth, and African American youth in particular, are more likely to be referred to theDepartment of Juvenile Services (DJS) Intake, though this trend has decreased since FY2002.Un<strong>for</strong>tunately, minority youth remain 1.5 times more likely to be given a <strong>for</strong>mal petition whichis a <strong>for</strong>mal charge brought by the State’s Attorney’s Office; they are also more likely to beadmitted to residential committed programs and less likely to be assigned communityprobation. The cumulative effect is that African American youth have a six fold rate of casespetitioned and are nearly nine times more likely than white youth to be committed to aresidential juvenile facility.Note: DMC funding sources are integrated with the Youth Development, Children With IntensiveNeeds, and Capacity Building sections.19
DMC REDUCTION COMMITTEEDolores Kozloski, DMC Interim Chair,Community MemberAyesha Bajwa,Maryland Choices, Inc.Joe Beach, <strong>Montgomery</strong> <strong>County</strong> Office ofManagement and BudgetMelissa Bonomo, Maryland Choices, Inc.Margaret Burrows, State’s Attorney’s OfficeLuis Cardona, <strong>Montgomery</strong> <strong>County</strong>Department of Health and Human Services,Youth Violence PreventionKatrina Colleton, Institute <strong>for</strong> FamilyCentered ServicesPaul DeWolfe, Public Defender’s OfficeTracy Ferguson, State’s Attorney’s OfficePat Flanigan, Maryland Department ofJuvenile ServicesDarrell Fleming, Community Detention/EMSupervisor, Department of Juvenile ServicesLeon Geter, Board Member,<strong>Collaboration</strong> <strong>Council</strong>Captain Russell Hamill, Board Member,<strong>Collaboration</strong> <strong>Council</strong>David T. Jones, Board Member,<strong>Collaboration</strong> <strong>Council</strong>Madeleine Jones, <strong>Montgomery</strong> <strong>County</strong>Circuit CourtJennifer Gauthier, Voices Versus Violence, MentalHealth Association of <strong>Montgomery</strong> <strong>County</strong>Linda McMillan, <strong>Montgomery</strong> <strong>County</strong> <strong>Council</strong>Pat Mosby, Maryland Coalition of Families <strong>for</strong>Children's Mental Health and Maryland Child andAdolescent Innovations InstituteDennis Nial, Maryland Department ofJuvenile ServicesRodolfo Nogales, Maryland Choices, Inc.Tammy O’Rourke, Hearts & Homes <strong>for</strong> YouthJeff Penn, Commission on Juvenile JusticeDjohariah Pfaehler, State’s Attorney’s OfficeCarmen Ramirez, Maryland Choices, Inc.Ron Rivlin, <strong>Montgomery</strong> <strong>County</strong> Department ofHealth and Human Services, Children, Youth andFamily Services, Juvenile ServicesCelia Serkin, <strong>Montgomery</strong> <strong>County</strong> Federationof Families <strong>for</strong> Children’s Mental HealthMary K. Siegfried, Office of the Public DefenderMelody Smith, <strong>Montgomery</strong> <strong>County</strong>Federation of Families <strong>for</strong> Children’s Mental HealthMichael Subin, Criminal JusticeCoordinating CommissionLeon Suskin, Office of the Public DefenderDiego Uriburu, Identity, Inc.Paul Williams, Maryland Choices, Inc.Ann Wilson, <strong>Montgomery</strong> <strong>County</strong> Circuit Court<strong>Collaboration</strong> <strong>Council</strong> Lead Staff:Carol Walsh, Chief, Planning, Policyand ProgramsJeff Williams, DMC Reduction CoordinatorHighlights of OurStrategic Plan’s ProgressStrategies of DMC focus on ensuringthat all youth receive equal and fairtreatment in the juvenile justicesystem regardless of race andethnicity. There are now alternativesto secure detention such as theAlternative to Detention Wraparoundprogram and the Caithness ShelterTraining Project. Families havelearned to better advocate on behalf oftheir children who are involved in thejuvenile justice system. From thesestrategies, per<strong>for</strong>mance measures areobtained to evaluate the progress on:• reducing the overrepresentation ofminority youth at all decision pointsin the juvenile justice system• increasing the parent/youthknowledge and engagement atsystem, program and case levels• increasing pro-social behaviors ofyouth so they will not reoffend.How Are We Doing?INCREASE AVAILABILITY OFCULTURALLY AND RACIALLYCOMPETENT COMMUNITY-BASEDALTERNATIVES TO SECURE DETENTIONThe Alternative to Detention (ATD)Wraparound Program is analternative to secure detention <strong>for</strong>pre-adjudicated youth awaiting trial.These youth received court orderedCare Coordination services throughMaryland Choices, Inc. that includebut are not limited to: mentoringservices, anger management, conflictresolution, behavior management,individual and family therapy.Per<strong>for</strong>mance Measures• This program served 37 of 40 youthwho were referred by the Departmentof Juvenile Services (DJS) andcourt ordered by the Circuit Court20
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