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Division of Juvenile Corrections (DJC)
 

Juvenile Corrections Technical Advisory Committee

Meeting - February 14, 2003 - Madison

Minutes

Attending:

Members - Reggie Bicha, Pierce County; Randine Celusta, Dane County (for Dave Sarow); John Chrest, Wood County; Jerry Huber, LaCrosse County; Mary Jo Keating, Outagamie County; Charmian Klyve, Rock County; Kathy Malone, Milwaukee County; Beverly Marten and Tom Schleitwiler, Jefferson County; Jim Moeser, Silvia Jackson, Elaine Olson, Kris Krenke, Pam Eitland, and Shelley Hagan, WI-DOC-DJC; and Connie Klick (for Mark Campbell) and Diane Waller, WI-DHFS.

Others - Karen Buswell, Kate Elvidge, Janice Peters and Cari Todahl, WI-DOC; June Paul and Cindy Emerson, WI-DHFS; Sarah Diedrick, WI Counties Association; Charity Eleson and Mark Wehrly, WI Council on Children and Families

 

I. Discussion with new DJC Administrator Jim Moeser

Jim Moeser, the new administrator of the Division of Juvenile Corrections, told the TAC he is looking for ideas on how to build and improve all aspects of the juvenile justice system, from front-end services to corrections. Moeser explained that his juvenile justice background includes developing and overseeing a full range of services from prevention and early intervention to secure placement, so he is familiar with numerous issues confronting counties and state agencies regarding youth and families. He sees the current budget crisis as an opportunity to develop a stronger juvenile justice system.

TAC members were invited to mention the issues they see as particularly important to be addressed now, both through the TAC and through direct state-county collaboration. In brief summary, the issues included:

  1. Roles and relationships: DOC and WCHSA (Keating)
  2. Changes in institutional length of stay by county (Klyve, Malone)
  3. State-county collaboration on special projects, e.g. partner on services to youth at release (Malone)
  4. Collaborative work on Federal grant opportunities - state as catalyst to mobilize resources regionally, and develop capacity to make WI more competitive (Huber)
  5. Reconciling the 48-938 splits - philosophical, practice, data - through a focus on family-based services (Bicha)
  6. Guidance for counties on implementing juvenile justice aspects of ASFA (Bicha)
  7. Assessing the need to develop specific juvenile justice standards for services to youth and families under Ch. 938 (Keating)
  8. Collaborative efforts to promote and sustain the focus of BARJ and Wraparound models by developing local and front-end services. (Schleitwiler)
  9. Moeser should attend DHFS area administration regional meetings to meet county directors (Klick for Waller).
  10. Creating compatibility between juvenile justice data systems. (Keating)
  11. Building a useful partnership between DJC and OJA to focus resources on the most important local needs. (Keating)
  12. Restore balance to the "balanced approach" (Chrest, Moeser)
  13. Better collaboration between the state agencies that most affect children and families (Chrest)
  14. Examination of whether and to what extent juveniles should be ordered to register as sex offenders in WI (Keating)

It was noted that DOC Secretary Matt Frank and Jim Moeser will attend the WCHSA Spring conference, and that Frank has a strong interest in collaboration with counties on juvenile justice issues.

II. Updates

A. HSRS Juvenile Justice Data. As a follow-up to the November discussion, DJC sent a letter to DHFS Secretary Phyllis Dubé asking for the continuation of HSRS financial and core reporting on juvenile justice expenditures and clients, until such time as the state and counties would propose a viable replacement data collection system. A letter in response, signed jointly by division administrators Susan Dreyfus and Sinikka McCabe, stated that counties will continue to report expenditures on the 942/943 semi-annual reports, and will be able to collect juvenile justice client information in the HSRS core module. (Handouts) There was a brief discussion of how to best collect useful juvenile justice data without creating yet another stand-alone data system.

B. Minutes. The minutes of the November 1, 2002 meeting were approved as submitted.

C. Expulsion Study. On February 13, DPI's Deputy State Superintendent, Tony Evers, sent a letter to DJC in response to the January 8 request for collaboration on the proposed expulsion study. (Handouts) DPI cited three major concerns with the proposal:

  • Resource limits, including a new reporting burden for school districts, and lack of staff resources in DPI to assist in the study design and handle the confidential information on expulsions.
  • Low priority of the study, compared to other pressing needs such as implementation of the No Child Left Behind Act, absent a legislative mandate to perform it.
  • Unclear statutory authority for DPI to share confidential pupil information with academic researchers on behalf of the state.

Given these concerns, Evers recommended that DOC seek legislative approval and financial assistance for the study, to overcome the resource limitations, give higher priority to the issue of post-expulsion services, and clarify that confidential school records may be used for the research.

TAC members reiterated their interest in proceeding with the study and focusing attention on the problems faced by some expelled students. Jim Moeser will follow up with Evers to clarify the provisions of the proposal that gave rise to some of DPI's concerns, and assess whether DPI might be persuaded to support the proposed study. Jerry Huber pointed out that a statewide study may have limited relevance for some local agencies, as all school districts differ in their approach to expulsion. The possibility of local-level studies on a voluntary basis interested some TAC members, although John Chrest pointed out that statewide data would likely be necessary to influence the Legislature. Mark Wehrly reported that WCCF is very interested in seeing the study go forward, and offered help in finding a source of funding, as well as in exploring using existing local programs (e.g. CSTs and Wraparound) to work with schools to get information on expelled youth.

Other education-related issues mentioned by TAC members included possible statutory language changes in s. 120.13 (1) (f), which currently provides that no school board is required to enroll a pupil during the pupil's period of expulsion from another school district; and the possibility of changing the law so that state school aids "follow" a youth placed out of the district to help pay for services to the youth.

 

III. Sex offender management training

Silvia Jackson explained that DJC has had a planning grant to develop a more comprehensive approach to managing young sex offenders in the community. A steering committee made up of law enforcement, court, treatment agency and county representatives has guided the planning process. One outcome of the planning process will be an application to the federal Bureau of Justice Assistance for implementation funding of Wisconsin's plan. As presented by Karen Buswell and Cari Todahl of DOC, one aspect of the implementation proposal will be training for state and local staff and managers. The plan is to adapt the federal CSOM curriculum to include more information and considerations for managing youthful sex offenders, in order to be cost-efficient. DOC was cautioned to base the curriculum specifically on research and practice pertinent to juveniles, as they vary in important ways from adult sex offenders. Volunteers will be sought to help guide the development of the training curriculum. [Send suggested names to Silvia or Shelley.] Other resources such as the Training Partnerships also may be helpful.

IV. Going Home Project presentation

Kate Elvidge and Janice Peters of DJC presented the Going Home Project currently underway at DJC. (Handout) Along with 62 other state and local agencies nationwide, DOC-DJC is the recipient of a three-year federal grant to test the effectiveness of an offender re-entry model that focuses on bridging the divide between institution and community. Under the model, re-entry services begin while a person is still incarcerated, and continue after the person is released from community supervision. In Wisconsin, the Going Home project will target about 90 youth (mostly Serious Juvenile Offenders) being released from JCIs to community placement in Milwaukee and Brown counties, who are considered to be at high risk of reoffending. By adding Re-entry Case Manager staff, DJC will have additional resources to test the effectiveness of the Transition Phase in improving youths' success in community re-entry and reducing recidivism. The most effective elements of the Going Home Project will be integrated into the standard DJC institution and community programs, and training and technical assistance will be provider to interested partners.

V. Next Meeting

The next TAC meeting will be Wednesday, April 30, from 10:00 am to 12:30 pm in Madison. Agenda topics will include follow-up on the expulsion study as well as other items identified by TAC members.

 

DOC/DJC/OMB/SH