Kansans United for Youth Justice is a grassroots organization dedicated to decarceration of kids and investment in local intensive rehabilitation programs.
Kansas is rethinking our approach to kids who get in trouble. Our current juvenile justice system has become too reliant on incarceration and hasn’t done enough to support local programs that provide better outcomes for
kids and our communities. If we shift our policies and our budgets away from incarcerating kids and towards local intensive rehabilitation programs, we will keep our communities safer, our kids healthier, and our funding stronger.
Folkx in ! What are you doing September 7? Progeny and Root The Power are putting on an incredible day of building power at the Young Peoples Leadership Summit: Organizing & Advocacy. 💪🏿💪🏾💪🏼
The event is free and meals will be provided - See the event for more info: https://www.facebook.com/events/372311880034083/
Yesterday working with Kansas Appleseed’s Durrell Gilmore on the Youth Leadership Conference Sept 7th.
Never too young to be organized and empowered!
The fees harm rehabilitation and increase recidivism.
Thank for restoring $6M to the juvenile justice reinvestment fund!
As we look back the 2019 legislative session, one thing we can celebrate is the legislature's move to restore $6 million to the Evidence Based Programs Fund – which holds all funds for juvenile justice reinvestment – and was removed last year. These dollars are critically important to continuing to develop and strengthen the array of programs and services available to justice-involved youth and their families in our local communities.
Thank you legislator for supporting juvenile justice reform here: https://act.myngp.com/Forms/8597074389887944704
In addition to the restoration of funds, Kansas continues to see massive strides in reform efforts.
✅ Since 2015, Kansas has seen a 63% drop in youth confinement
✅ 99 of 105 counties now operate immediate intervention programs, which divert youth from being formally charged in the juvenile justice system.
✅ According to the 88 counties that reported data for 2018, 89% of youth successfully completed intervention programs.
Kansans United for Youth Justice was instrumental in the passage Kansas juvenile justice reform (Senate Bill 367), and a report from the Kansas Juvenile Justice Oversight Committee demonstrates clear, positive results.
"Research shows that the costly practice of confining juveniles tends to be no more likely to reduce recidivism than keeping them in their own homes for treatment. Confinement can actually increase the likelihood of certain youth reoffending. On the other hand, evidence-based, in-home treatment options, such as cognitive behavioral therapy, have been shown to produce substantial reductions in recidivism."
When Kansas embarked on a path to improve juvenile justice, state leaders, policymakers, and stakeholders looked to data and research to inform the legislation adopted in 2016. A little more than two years after enactment, the reforms are showing clear signs of progress.
Seriously, how cool is this?? Progeny, The Seed House-La Casa de la Semilla, and Youth First Initiative are doing incredible things for youth justice in Kansas.
Progeny is bringing the heat! 🔥
Members Taishma Owens-Council and Shaqiyla Banks write about the importance of providing justice-involved youth "with resources that would allow them to lead productive lives and avoid the pitfalls of the homeless-to-juvenile-justice pipeline in the first place. Housing and job training are two critical areas that help youth become self-sufficient."
This is why the Kansas Legislature must restore the $6 million it swept from the Evidence Based Programs Account last year.
Read more here: https://www.kansas.com/opinion/guest-commentary/article228279009.html?fbclid=IwAR20luRT7yq-rJjcLL5JXFXAgHriaVT2x8f1cqKMJlDNpJZ4JijUmAxL-oc =cpy
One solution is to provide Kansas’ youth with resources that would allow them to lead productive lives and avoid the pitfalls of the homeless-to-juvenile-justice pipeline in the first place.
We couldn't agree more with Progeny members, Tyler and Yusef.
Last year, swept $6M from the Evidence Based Programs Account, an account intended to be reinvested into evidence-based, community programs that get youth who have touched the juvenile justice system "back on track."
"Young Kansans, our families and our communities deserve to see this new vision for youth justice become reality. The Sunflower State already has significantly higher youth incarceration rates compared to other states. [Kansas Juvenile Justice Reform] focused reinvestment funds on two critical areas for vulnerable young people: restorative justice and healing-based programs. Restorative justice programs hold youth accountable while providing the attention and individualized care they need. It helps get them back on track while ensuring public safety at the same time, and in fact, this approach is overwhelmingly supported by victims."
https://www.cjonline.com/opinion/20190319/tyler-williams-and-yusef-presley-we-must-invest-in-kansas-youth
Youth justice in Kansas is at a crossroads. As young people who have directly experienced our broken youth justice system, we know its problems firsthand
Want to take your youth justice advocacy to the next level? National Juvenile Justice Network (NJJN) is now seeking applicants for its Youth Justice Leadership Institute. The year-long program is designed to develop the leadership skills of youth justice advocates of color successfully making system change across the country. Applications due on April 29. Learn more! http://bit.ly/YJLIFellow
The National Juvenile Justice Network's Youth Justice Leadership Institute seeks to clear a path for leaders of color in the field of youth justice transformation. Here's where you can learn more about how to apply.
Kansans United for Youth Justice released a report today on racial disparities in the Kansas juvenile justice system. Read it here: www.kuyj.org/resources
Racial inequity is a pervasive issue in the United States criminal justice system, and juvenile justice is no exception. Racial disparities in Kansas are higher than national averages in various stages of the juvenile justice system.
Kansas must address racial disparities in juvenile justice system. Read the report to also learn about KUYJ's recommendations for reducing racial inequities in the Kansas juvenile justice system. www.kuyj.org/resources
Communities and states across the U.S. are ready to reform the treatment of girls in the juvenile justice system. Though this commitment may not be reflected by the federal administration, advocates for reform will continue to press forward.
"[The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention] may have ended the National Girls Initiative, but the work to advance system reforms that reduce reliance on confinement and provide community-based supports and services continues to gain momentum, driven by on-the-ground advocates and youth leaders as well as state and local system actors. National Crittenton intends to find a way to continue the critical work of ensuring that the momentum for justice reform for girls accelerates rather than dissipates.
https://jjie.org/2018/10/19/ojjdps-actions-in-removing-data-guidance-about-girls-speaks-volumes/
The Trump administration removed the “Girls at Risk” page from the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention website, the Sunlight Foundation reported on Oct. 4. It included information about the work of the OJJDP-funded National Girls Initiative (NGI), which has been led in cooperat...
In 2016, Kansas took a strong first step toward improving its youth justice system. But, there is more work to do. Check out KUYJ's new resource on best practices for reducing youth incarceration and redirecting funds toward alternatives: https://bit.ly/2MwpNNa
Legislators and practitioners will benefit from exploring these practices, both within Kansas and other states, to guide the development and implementation of programs geared to reduce youth interaction with the justice system.
The number of incarcerated youth has been cut in half over the last 20 years, and many youth detention centers have closed their doors.
Check out this Urban Health Institute brief highlighting examples of how vacant centers can be transformed into sustainable entities designed to meet community needs from affordable housing to job creation and beyond.
Read more: https://www.urban.org/urban-wire/how-communities-are-reimagining-abandoned-youth-detention-centers
Due to steep declines in youth incarceration, hundreds of youth facilities have closed since 2000.
That’s the idea behind Caught, a new podcast from WNYC where young kids who have experienced arrest and detention tell their stories–and suggest ways to move beyond our current system.
Yesterday, Youth Justice Milwaukee, celebrated one-year since launching their campaign to close youth prisons. On their one-year-anniversary, the Wisconsin legislature sent a bill to Governor Scott Walker’s desk to be signed that will close these two youth prisons once and for all. https://bit.ly/2FYChy6
MADISON -- The state Assembly has put the final stamp of approval on a plan to close Wisconsin's troubled youth prison. The chamber passed an $80 million juvenile justice overhaul plan unanimously Thursday that calls for closing the prison outside Irma by 2021 and replacing it with smaller regional....
Today we remember that regardless of race, class, background, or situation -- we are all people.
Key Changes to the Kansas Juvenile Code: A Practical Review for juvenile Defense Attorneys
The National Juvenile Defender Center will provide a one hour training session for juvenile defense attorneys. This discussion will address issues related to juvenile court with some emphasis on the defense of children, particularly with respect to detention and disposition. One hour of free Kansas CLE credit has been applied for and is pending approval. Defense attorneys who represent youth in juvenile offender proceedings are welcome.
There are five training events scheduled:
Shawnee County March 27, 2018; 12:00 noon Jayhawk Walk; KS Dept. of Corrections
714 SW Jackson St, 3rd floor
Topeka, KS
Sedgwick County March 28, 2018; 11:45 am Juvenile Courthouse (18th JD Court)
1900 East Morris Street (CINC conf. room)
Wichita, KS
Wyandotte County March 29, 2018; 12:00 noon Wyandotte County Courthouse
710 N. 7th Street; 5th floor Law Library
Kansas City, KS
Douglas County March 29, 2018; 4:00 pm Douglas County Courthouse
1100 Massachusetts Street;
County Commissioner Room, 2nd Floor
Lawrence, KS
Johnson County March 30, 2018, 12:00 noon Johnson County Administration Building
111 S. Cherry Street; Room 200
Olathe, KS
If you have any questions or want more information, please contact Tim Curry, Director of Training & Technical Assistance at the National Juvenile Defender Center at [email protected].
In the US, African American youth are 5x more likely to be incarcerated than their white peers, even when charged with similar offenses.
Watch: TAG Youth First Initiative’s new short film to learn more about the extreme racial disparities in the juvenile justice system.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hgXWK7-1ZM
In the US, African American youth are 5x more likely to be incarcerated than their white peers, even when charged with similar offenses. Youth prisons are a ...
Judicial District #19, which includes Cowley County, was awarded $80,210 for family engagement programming, utilizing Common Sense Parenting, and including family collaborators to deliver programming and connect families to services; facilitating transportation to programs in Sedgwick County; and financial assistance for mental health and substance abuse evaluations for approximately 65 youth.
Information about the Kansas Department of Corrections reinvestment grants for 2018 is now available. KDOC awarded a total of 29 grants. These grants are made possible by the cost savings that have been put in place through Senate Bill 367 and are distributed via Judicial Districts.
For more information on the reinvestment grants: https://www.doc.ks.gov/juvenile-services/grants/FY18_Summary
Free Tennessee teen girl from solitary confinement by signing this petition and demanding the Shelby County Sheriff and Shelby County Mayor to release her immediately. http://bit.ly/2C68eh5
Tell Shelby County Sheriff: Free 16-Year-Old Girl from Inhumane Solitary Confinement Now
Judicial District #18, which includes Sedgwick County, was awarded $614,028 to fund a case expediter to assist with case processing and reduced detention days; clinical staff to provide MST, Seeking Safety, trauma-focused cognitive-behavior therapy; and financial assistance with transportation, and financial assistance for phone calls to family for youth in detention. Approximately 50 youth per year are projected to be served.
Information about the Kansas Department of Corrections reinvestment grants for 2018 is now available. KDOC awarded a total of 29 grants. These grants are made possible by the cost savings that have been put in place through Senate Bill 367 and are distributed via Judicial Districts.
For more information on the reinvestment grants: https://www.doc.ks.gov/juvenile-services/grants/FY18_Summary
Judicial District #16, which includes Clark, Comanche, Ford, Gray, Kiowa, and Meade counties, was awarded $107,692 to sub-contract with a consultant to monitor fidelity of programs and perform quality assurance checks, to perform immediate intervention program case management services, and provide financial assistance for substance abuse and mental health evaluations for approximately 100 youth.
Information about the Kansas Department of Corrections reinvestment grants for 2018 is now available. KDOC awarded a total of 29 grants. These grants are made possible by the cost savings that have been put in place through Senate Bill 367 and are distributed via Judicial Districts.
For more information on the reinvestment grants: https://www.doc.ks.gov/juvenile-services/grants/FY18_Summary
Judicial District #14, which includes Chautauqua and Montgomery counties, was awarded $82,040 to sub-contract with the community mental health center for intensive outpatient services for approximately 20 juvenile offenders with co-occurring mental health and substance abuse disorders. This includes family therapy in treatment, as well as Peer Mentors, depending on
availability of mentors
Information about the Kansas Department of Corrections reinvestment grants for 2018 is now available. KDOC awarded a total of 29 grants. These grants are made possible by the cost savings that have been put in place through Senate Bill 367 and are distributed via Judicial Districts.
For more information on the reinvestment grants: https://www.doc.ks.gov/juvenile-services/grants/FY18_Summary
Judicial District #13, which includes Butler, Elk, and Greenwood counties, was awarded $95,677 to provide transportation services to Sedgwick County for cognitive-behavioral programming, financial assistance for substance abuse and mental health evaluations, as well as academic and vocational education services to approximately 50 youth.
Information about the Kansas Department of Corrections reinvestment grants for 2018 is now available. KDOC awarded a total of 29 grants. These grants are made possible by the cost savings that have been put in place through Senate Bill 367 and are distributed via Judicial Districts.
For more information on the reinvestment grants: https://www.doc.ks.gov/juvenile-services/grants/FY18_Summary
Judicial District #12, which includes Cloud, Jewell, Lincoln, Mitchell, Republic, and Washington counties, was awarded $18,971 to provide enhanced programming for juvenile offenders, including positive action, life skills training, and mentoring to approximately 26 youth.
Information about the Kansas Department of Corrections reinvestment grants for 2018 is now available. KDOC awarded a total of 29 grants. These grants are made possible by the cost savings that have been put in place through Senate Bill 367 and are distributed via Judicial Districts.
For more information on the reinvestment grants: https://www.doc.ks.gov/juvenile-services/grants/FY18_Summary
Labette County, located in Judicial District #11, was awarded $54,090 to provide wraparound case management services,financial assistance with substance abuse and mental health evaluations, as well as transportation to approximately 150 youth.
Information about the Kansas Department of Corrections reinvestment grants for 2018 is now available. KDOC awarded a total of 29 grants. These grants are made possible by the cost savings that have been put in place through Senate Bill 367 and are distributed via Judicial Districts.
For more information on the reinvestment grants: https://www.doc.ks.gov/juvenile-services/grants/FY18_Summary
Crawford County, located in Judicial District #11, was awarded $116,470 to provide wraparound case management services for approximately 165 youth.
Information about the Kansas Department of Corrections reinvestment grants for 2018 is now available. KDOC awarded a total of 29 grants. These grants are made possible by the cost savings that have been put in place through Senate Bill 367 and are distributed via Judicial Districts.
For more information on the reinvestment grants: https://www.doc.ks.gov/juvenile-services/grants/FY18_Summary
In Judicial District #10 -- which includes Johnson County -- Day Reporting Center, in partnership with a local school district, was awarded $295,945 to provide on-sight tutoring and educational services, access to mental health services, and financial assistance for substance abuse and mental health evaluations and treatment to over 600 youth.
Information about the Kansas Department of Corrections reinvestment grants for 2018 is now available. KDOC awarded a total of 29 grants. These grants are made possible by the cost savings that have been put in place through Senate Bill 367 and are distributed via Judicial Districts.
For more information on the reinvestment grants: https://www.doc.ks.gov/juvenile-services/grants/FY18_Summary
Judicial District #9 -- which includes Harvey County and McPherson County -- was awarded $69,371 for restorative justice practices, including victim-offender mediation for youth in immediate intervention programs, financial assistance with mental health and substance abuse evaluations, as well as transportation assistance to approximately 200 youth.
Information about the Kansas Department of Corrections reinvestment grants for 2018 is now available. KDOC awarded a total of 29 grants. These grants are made possible by the cost savings that have been put in place through Senate Bill 367 and are distributed via Judicial Districts.
For more information on the reinvestment grants: https://www.doc.ks.gov/juvenile-services/grants/FY18_Summary
In Judicial District #7 -- which includes Douglas County -- Positive Direction After School Mentoring, Strengthening Families Program, and Youth Crossroads (cognitive-behavioral group) were awarded a total of $49,099 to serve over 70 youth.
Information about the Kansas Department of Corrections reinvestment grants for 2018 is now available. KDOC awarded a total of 29 grants. These grants are made possible by the cost savings that have been put in place through Senate Bill 367 and are distributed via Judicial Districts.
For more information on the reinvestment grants: https://www.doc.ks.gov/juvenile-services/grants/FY18_Summary
Judicial District #6, which includes Bourbon, Linn, and Miami counties, was awarded $90,152 to provide wraparound case management services for juvenile offenders and families including parenting classes, cognitive-behavioral groups for youth, and transportation assistance for youth and families. This grant is projected to serve approximately 40 youth.
Information about the Kansas Department of Corrections reinvestment grants for 2018 is now available. KDOC awarded a total of 29 grants. These grants are made possible by the cost savings that have been put in place through Senate Bill 367 and are distributed via Judicial Districts.
For more information on the reinvestment grants: https://www.doc.ks.gov/juvenile-services/grants/FY18_Summary
In Judicial District #5, which includes Chase County and Lyon County, the Spartan Explorers program, in partnership with Emporia High School, was awarded $19,647 to provide assistance for juvenile offenders in the area of academic levels and social skills. This grant is projected to serve approximately 20 youth per semester.
Information about the Kansas Department of Corrections reinvestment grants for 2018 is now available. KDOC awarded a total of 29 grants. These grants are made possible by the cost savings that have been put in place through Senate Bill 367 and are distributed via Judicial Districts.
For more information on the reinvestment grants: https://www.doc.ks.gov/juvenile-services/grants/FY18_Summary
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