Juvenile Court Array of Interventions

Fairfield County Array of Interventions

Interventions provided by Fairfield County Juvenile Court.

 

Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative (JDAI)

Fairfield County Juvenile Court made a commitment in 2021 to become a Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative (JDAI) court. In 2022, the Court began implementation of a variety of initiatives to provide or enhance the foundation needed for the national initiative. JDAI, supported by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, is one of the nation’s most successful and widespread juvenile justice system reform initiatives. The focus of JDAI is to reduce reliance on juvenile detention where youth have often been needlessly detained with long-term negative consequences for both public safety and youth development.

 

JDAI was created to significantly and safely reduce detention populations through appropriate screening, assessment, and placement into detention alternatives. While JDAI’s efforts are primarily focused on the detention phase, detention reform is a major catalyst for other changes in juvenile justice which include the following Core Strategies:

 

• Promoting collaboration between juvenile court officials, probation agencies, prosecutors, defense attorneys, schools, community organizations and advocates;
• Using data collection and analysis to guide decision-making;
• Utilizing objective admissions criteria and risk assessment instruments to reduce subjective decision-making regarding placement in secure detention facilities;
• Implementing alternatives to detention programs in lieu of locked detention;
• Instituting case processing reforms to expedite the flow of cases through the system;
• Reducing the number of youth detained for probation violations or failing to appear in court, and the number held in detention awaiting transfer to a residential facility;
• Combatting racial and ethnic disparities by examining data to identify policies and practices that may disadvantage youth based on race or ethnicity;
• Monitoring and improving conditions of confinement in detention facilities.

 

A critical accomplishment for the Court in 2022 was the development and implementation of the revised Detention Screening Instrument (DSI). Utilizing research-based criterion that supports the identification of youth who present a danger to the community or themselves as appropriate for detention, the tool provides an objective, standardized instrument to determine which youth should be placed in detention and which should be returned home or to community respite.

 

Outreach to engage community partners in the work of JDAI began in earnest in 2022. Partners from law enforcement, schools, Fairfield County Child Protective Services, community agencies, and youth and families began their collaborative work as they attended the November 2022 JDAI Kick Off and subsequently formed the JDAI Executive, Detention Utilization/Assessment Center, School Justice Partnership, and Community Education Sub-Committees.

 

Work has begun to identify and elevate shared concerns regarding high-risk youth and families in Fairfield County and to jointly develop shared strategies and solutions.

 

Assessment Center

The Assessment Center (AC) is now part of the Fairfield County Juvenile Court Resource Center located in Connexion West in Lancaster.

 

The AC provides individualized screening, processing, and referral of at-risk youth and juvenile offenders. Staff respond to immediate crises as well as ongoing needs of youth and their families while increasing law enforcement availability to the community through provision of timely service. The Assessment Center partners with community-based agencies to provide coordinated best-practice and cost-effective responses, services and resources to youth and their families — including screenings, assessments, and referrals.

 

The AC has a dual goal:

• Prevent the progression of behaviors that put the youth at risk of juvenile justice involvement.
• Prevent the use of secure detention for youth who can be safely served while maintaining family stability.

 

The AC has two tracks: one for law enforcement agencies and one for community-based referrals. The latter is called Community Request for Services (CRS). Both tracks strive to keep youth safely at home and out of the juvenile justice system—or at minimum reduce their juvenile justice system involvement as appropriate—by connecting families with supportive services to promote safe, healthy, and happy kids.

 

In the CRS track, young people receive early intervention screening and assessment to identify factors contributing to concerning behavior. These informal referrals are accepted from parents and other family members, as well as professionals—including law enforcement, school officials, and agency representatives. The Law Enforcement Assessment Track process begins with an officer bringing an at-risk youth to the Center. Parents/guardians are contacted to come in as well. As Resource Center staff begin their assessment, the Officer can clear the case and return to duty. The RC provides after-hours Assessment Services to law enforcement via phone through On-Call Services.

 

There are several possible outcomes of this initial referral, based on the screenings and interview:

• Youth returns home with parent/caregiver; or
• Youth stays with relative/other adult overnight; or
• Youth may be taken to detention by Court staff; or
• Emergency respite may be provided.

 

In late 2022, the Court applied for grant funding to make the fourth possible outcome a regularly available option. The proposed Low-Risk Youth Respite Program will provide short-term, safe stabilization for appropriate youth through temporary placement in certified foster homes.

 

The Assessment Center staff interact with the Fairfield County Prosecutor to determine if a case can be diverted, should be formally filed, or will be handled informally.

 

Originally funded by the Ohio Department of Youth Services, the Assessment Center’s Community Track began providing services July 1, 2019. The Law Enforcement Track began formal operations on January 20, 2020. However, the Assessment Center was significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Effective March 23, 2020, youth were no longer brought into the physical facility; a transition to remote (phone and virtual) interaction with youth and law enforcement began. In-person services resumed in spring 2021.

 

Informal Conferences

When a youth is referred to the Juvenile Court as the result of a citation issued by law enforcement, usually for a curfew violation or other minor misdemeanor (such as tobacco possession), a Court case manager meets with the youth and parent(s). Through a brief interview, recommendations can be made for preventive or other services, and the youth is admonished and released. Informal conferences do not become part of a juvenile’s record.

 

Diversion Services

Diversion Services incorporates a vast variety of diversion interventions that may be utilized both within the Court (General Diversion, Safe Harbor Diversion, School Attendance and Engagement, Mediation Services) and community as alternatives to formal case processing of a youth or family. The intervention utilized is dependent upon the offense, extent of harm to victim or community, and risk of the youth to reoffend.

 

Extensive research conducted during the past 25 years shows that juvenile offenders deemed at low risk for reoffending benefit most from minimal court intervention. Conversely, research indicates that providing intensive monitoring and treatment to low-risk youth can have a detrimental impact on them. Diversion Services accepts referrals directly from the County Prosecutor or from the Judge/Magistrate when a youth:

• Is alleged to have committed an offense that can range from a status offense to a misdemeanor*,
• Admits to the offense,
• Is deemed at low or moderate risk of reoffending as determined through administration of the Ohio Youth Assessment System (OYAS) questionnaire.

 

In a diversion case, the delinquency or unruly matter proceeds through informal processing as opposed to adjudication. (As of 2022, youth are no longer ordered to Diversion once they have entered the Courtroom.)  If a case is referred from the Judge or Magistrate, the matter has already been filed formally. The youth then enters an admission or is found delinquent or unruly; the disposition order is completion of Diversion Services.

 

Diversion also provides the youth and their family the opportunity to access needed resources, with the goal of preventing further involvement with the juvenile justice system while allowing the youth to acknowledge responsibility for their actions.

 

When a youth is referred to Diversion Services, a comprehensive interview with the juvenile and parent(s) is scheduled and facilitated by a Diversion Case Manager. During the assessment interview, the Diversion Case Manager gathers information regarding school behavior, academic challenges, peer relations, and family dynamics while also identifying the strengths of the youth and family. In addition, specific screenings are administered for mental health and substance abuse issues, as well as prior or current exposure to trauma. If concerns are identified that may indicate a need for intervention, the Case Manager refers the youth and

family to appropriate resources; these recommendations are included in the youths Diversion Contract.

 

Other terms of a youth’s Diversion Contract may include the completion of an apology letter, an essay relative to the offense, payment of restitution directly to the victim, community service, referral to mentoring opportunities, or referral to other programs offered through the Court or within the community. These terms are included within the contract as a means of restoration for a victim and to enhance the youth’s protective factors in the areas of work, education, relationships, community, health, and creativity.

 

Youth who are accepted into Diversion Services remain with the department until all terms of the agreed-upon contract are fulfilled. Upon Diversion completion, which averages 90 days, the youth is successfully terminated, and their record is sealed if formally filed. The amount of time between successful termination and sealing of a Diversion case depends on the level of the offense and whether the youth reoffends during a specified period of time. If a youth fails to complete the terms of the contract or commits a subsequent offense while in Diversion, the case can be terminated unsuccessfully and returned to the Prosecutor for formal processing or is returned to the Court for further orders if already adjudicated.

 

* In some cases, felonies are addressed through Diversion.

 

Safe Harbor Diversion Services

Human trafficking of women and children is a reality for the Fairfield County community. Trafficking in a rural setting may look different than it does in larger urban communities, but its prevalence is increasing.

 

University of Cincinnati researchers in 2019 identified 4,209 youth in Ohio at risk as victims of domestic minor sex trafficking. This staggering number affects every area of the state, including Fairfield County. In 2020, Fairfield County Juvenile Court saw an increase in the type of juvenile cases that exhibited red flags of human trafficking. In 2021, the Court identified five youth as high-risk for human trafficking and diverted their cases to Safe Harbor Diversion Services.

 

Ranging from the traditional out-of-state runaway arrested at an airport to young people living in hotels with no visible means of support or parent engagement, these cases were the impetus to a new initiative led by the Court and joined by these Fairfield County community partners: Child Protective Services; Community Action Homeless Youth Program; Family, Adult and Children First Council; and Gracehaven in Columbus.

 

The name Safe Harbor was taken from Ohio legislation that provides for special handling of these troubling cases. Safe Harbor automatically diverts some charges, such as prostitution and soliciting. In rural Ohio, juveniles are not typically receiving those type of charges. However, charges of truancy, theft, and runaway/unruly youth are red flags that human trafficking may be happening. National and other Ohio best practice protocols have been used to develop the Court’s Safe Harbor program.

 

Judge Vandervoort convened the Fairfield County Safe Harbor Initiative Advisory Board to begin development of a comprehensive county-wide approach. Advisory Board members researched and attended relevant training. Fairfield County Foundation Women’s Giving Circle provided funding for a community-wide training for Fairfield County child- and family-serving agencies.

 

Cases diverted through Safe Harbor receive behavioral health assessments and referrals, Child Protective Services involvement, skill-building, and empowerment/ support for the youth as well as support in addressing the charges they did receive. The youth, once confirmed into Safe Harbor, is considered a victim or survivor of human trafficking.

 

The Court’s Behavioral Health team developed a human trafficking screening protocol for all youth who interact with the Court, regardless of which pathway they come into the Court.

 

School Attendance and Engagement

Due to the April 2017 implementation of HB 410 school attendance (truancy) legislation, responsibility for early intervention for school attendance was assigned to the schools. The Court continues to partner with each school district to support individual youth school attendance intervention plans. Youth who subsequently receive truancy charges are served through the Court’s Diversion programs when at all possible.

 

As part of the Court’s 2022 implementation of Community-Based Diversion Services, a partnership with Fairfield County Family, Adult, and Children First Council was established to address school attendance issues. Through the partnership, a community-based school attendance intervention was implemented in October 2022. This partnership allows families challenged with school attendance issues to be diverted to the Council, where they are assessed to determine the needs of the youth/family and address underlying concerns that may be contributing to the youth’s lack of school attendance. This new intervention allows these vulnerable families to receive needed service linkage and collaboration of community providers without having to be under any form of Court supervision.

 

Mediation Services

Mediation is offered to youth who may otherwise incur a formal charge of disorderly conduct, misdemeanor assault, criminal mischief/damaging, menacing, or other misdemeanor offenses that do not pose a serious threat to the community or themselves. The Court developed the Mediation Program after researching best practices throughout the state and nation. A part-time certified Mediator is assigned to facilitate these cases. Mediations are conducted virtually via Zoom to be more accessible to the community.

 

Referrals to Mediation come from the Fairfield County Prosecutor’s Office, the Fairfield County Juvenile Court Judge or Magistrate(s), Court Services, or Diversion. Diversion staff may refer a youth on their caseload as an alternative to “bumping” that individual to Court Services, specifically in instances where a conflict exists (such as domestic violence, fighting, etc.). Court Services Case Managers may refer a youth on their caseload when there is indication of a conflict in the youth’s life.

 

Research has shown that youth who engage in physical conflict benefit from learning alternative ways to resolve issues with peers. It offers both (or additional) parties an opportunity to identify their conflict, own their own part in the conflict, and work toward an understanding of the other person’s point of view.

 

Mediation offers an identified victim a chance to ask questions that only the offender can answer—such as the how and why of the offense. Mediation is also an opportunity for the victim to express frustrations and concerns. Mediation gives the offender an opportunity to take responsibility for their actions by facing the victim and working together to create an agreement that is acceptable to all parties. The goal of the agreement reached through the process is to restore in some manner what was lost by the victim. The Mediation Agreement also makes the offender personally accountable for the loss, injury, or damage done against the victim.

 

Once a youth completes the Mediation process and, if they experience no further conflicts for a period of at least 30 days, the matter is closed successfully, and no formal charges are filed.

 

Community Control

Community Control, a general term for allowing the Judge or Magistrate to issue all other orders for disposition upon adjudication of a juvenile offender, involves less restrictive monitoring than probation. Youth placed on Community Control are given orders for specific consequences—such as payment of restitution, enrollment in a drug education program, fulfillment of community work service hours, or other orders that are monitored by Court staff through successful completion. For adjudicated youth who do not require the intensity of monitoring or treatment provided through Court Services, Community Control is imposed when a specific Court order must be completed.

 

Court Services

The Court Services department was created as part of the 2022 reorganization and designed to combine the services and functions of the former Intake and Assessment and Probation departments. The new structure allows youth facing formally filed delinquency charges to be managed in a single department. Additionally, that youth and family typically can work with a single case manager from the time the case is filed until the youth completes their involvement with the Court.   This structure has helped foster strong bonds between youth and Case Managers and has enhanced the ability to address any barriers to youth and family success.

 

Intake Services

Immediately following the formal filing of a charge by the Prosecutor, a Case Manager is assigned to evaluate the risk level and needs of the juvenile. As part of this process, the Case Manager contacts the family to gather preliminary information about family background, education, mental health and/or substance abuse issues, and pro-social activities. The staff member also meets with the family at the time of the initial hearing and provides a brief update to the Court during the hearing. In some cases, the judicial officer may find that no further formal Court involvement is necessary and order a Pre-Adjudication/Disposition intervention. Typically, however, the case will go through a lengthier formal process.

 

As the case moves forward through the formal legal process, the Case Manager continues to work closely with the youth and family, while also assessing the long-term needs of the youth. As part of this process, multiple evidence-based tools are used, including the Ohio Youth Assessment System (OYAS), the Massachusetts Youth Screening Instrument (MAYSI-2), and the Child Trauma Screen. Additionally, the Case Manager contacts collateral sources (for which releases of information have been signed by the parent) including schools, counselors, and others to gather more information.

 

In most cases, the information described above is compiled into a Pre-Disposition Report (PDR) which includes recommendations for further monitoring and intervention. The PDR is distributed to judicial staff, prosecutors, the attorney and guardian ad litem (GAL) for the youth, and typically guides the Court in making appropriate orders for the youth. Generally, the PDR will recommend one of specific interventions described in the Court Services Array of Interventions.

 

Detention

Research on the impact of detention on adolescent development and mental health indicates that its use increases the likelihood of recidivism and negatively affects future employment and educational opportunities. At Fairfield County Juvenile Court, detention is considered only after other graduated sanctions have been attempted. While placement in secure detention may be ordered for up to 90 days per charge or violation, it is used primarily as a short-term sanction when the youth is a danger to themself or the community, or when the youth is at risk of absconding.