NCJ Number
250730
Date Published
2014
Length
5 pages
Annotation
After reviewing the data on the disproportionate representation of minority youth among status offenders (youth with problem behaviors that do not violate laws) and noting the increased risk for delinquency of being labeled and managed as a status offender, this report profiles the features of the Coalition for Juvenile Justice's (CJJ's) Safety, Opportunity & Success (SOS): Standards of Care for Non-Delinquent Youth Project (The SOS Project).
Abstract
The SOS Project engages multiple stakeholders in guiding States in the implementation of policies and practices that divert status offenders from juvenile courts and locked confinement to link them to family and community-based systems of care that can more effectively meet their needs. Under the SOS Project, CJJ connected with advisors from a variety of disciplines to develop the National Standards for the Care of Youth Charged With Status Offenses ("the National Standards"). The National Standards contain recommendations for system professionals intended to reduce racial and ethnic disparities in the labeling and management of status offenders. Among the policies contained in the standards are the collection and analysis of data at all decision points, so strategies can be developed to reduce racial and ethnic disparities; the use of culturally competent screening and assessment tools at appropriate points and throughout a status offense case; the implementation of practices that are culturally and linguistically competent; the use of family engagement and alternative dispute resolution with status-offense cases; and the provision of access to family-connected and community-based services in youths' home communities. Contact information for the SOS Project is provided.