NCJ Number
168006
Date Published
Unknown
Length
4 pages
Annotation
This document presents step-by-step instructions for use by community coalitions to implement a community-based curfew program through religious organizations.
Abstract
This approach recognizes that in many communities curfews have become a tool of coercion rather than a means to reinforce parental supervision and community accountability. The recommended approach blends the efforts of private and public organizations. The first step in implementing a curfew program is to understand why the community wants it. The next step is to involve the necessary community sectors. The coalition should use existing community resources to implement the strategy. The implementation steps include forming a curfew task force, reviewing and changing the curfew ordinance if necessary, considering a phased-in accountability mechanism that leads to a financial penalty to the parents, including provisions that allow youth to travel to and from work, to obtain agreement from religious leaders to provide lay people to do family-based interventions, and to have the juvenile judge issue a court order specifying all participating religious institutions as temporary holding areas between 1 a.m. and 7 a.m. on the weekends. Eight specific actions should follow a violation. Finally, the program should include an evaluation mechanism to measure results.