INNOVATIONS IN
JUVENILE JUSTICE
JUVENILE SPECIALTY COURTS
HARRIS COUNTY JUVENILE GANG
COURT --GRIP
•Judge Glenn Devlin,
Presiding Judge,
th
313 District Court
GANG RECIDIVISM
INTERVENTION PROGRAM
Harris County 313th Gang Court
G. R. I. P.
Overview
• Began in October 2011
• 2nd of it’s kind in the nation
• 35 Juveniles referred
• 4 Juveniles rejected
• 17 Juveniles unsuccessful
• 10 Juveniles successfully discharged
Mission
• To reduce recidivism of youth
involved in gang activity
• To hold gang involved youth
accountable for their actions
• To redirect youth towards
healthy alternatives to gang
activity
Gang Court Team
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Glenn Devlin –Judge, 313th District Court
Stephen Newhouse –Associate Judge, 313th District Court
Tim Broussard –Deputy Director, Intake/Court Services
Terri McGee –Asst. Deputy Director, Intake/Court Services
Dena Fisher –Gang Court Ad Litem Attorney
John Liles –Gang Court Ad Litem Attorney
James Odom –Gang Resource Coordinator
Michelle Hoevker –Gang Court Clinician
Roniesha Parish –Educational Specialist
Martina Longoria, Chief Prosecutor, 313th District Court
Harris County Juvenile Probation Department –Gang Unit
Process
Juvenile
referred @
staffing
Case
evaluated for
acceptance
Juvenile &
Parent
attends
court
Caseplan
identifies
Goals &
Outcomes
Case
reviewed
for
progress as
needed
Gang Court
completion
after 3 – 6
months
Post completion
review &
Parent
Survey
Services
• Gang assistance
Renouncement, Intervention, Prevention, Mediation, Tattoo Removal
• Case management/Staffing
Monthly case review by court team and probation officers, postcompletion review
• Educational advocacy
@ School, in the community, and Education Transition Center
• Mentoring
Volunteer attorneys assigned to mentor youth in Gang Court
Services
• Mentoring
Volunteer attorneys & reVision/St. Luke's personnel
• Referrals to appropriate services
Drug/alcohol counseling, assessment, treatment, Multi-Systemic
Therapy (MST), MHMRA, MAGO, reVision
• Electronic monitoring
GPS monitoring as needed; Exclusion Zones
• Clinical assistance
Medication review and compliance, treatment plan, collaboration with
MHMRA services
Providers
ReVision
Defense
Bar
Alternative
Behavior
YOUTH
MHMRA
MST
MAGO
Cups 7
Gang Unit
Team
Attorney
Mentors
GANG RECIDIVISM
INTERVENTION PROGRAM
Harris County 313th Gang Court
G. R. I. P.
HARRIS COUNTY JUVENILE
DRUG COURT AND GIRLS COURT
•Judge Michael
Schneider,
Presiding Judge,
th
315 District
Innovations in Juvenile Justice:
Juvenile Specialty Courts
Judge Michael Schneider
315th District Court
Problem Solving Courts
• Innovative approach developed in 1980s-Replaces traditional adversarial model with
therapeutic focus on understanding and
addressing the root cause of problem
behavior
• Developed to address variety of social
problems—Substance Abuse, Domestic
Violence, Mental Illness
Goals Of Problem Solving Courts
• Provide intensive intervention aimed at addressing
underlying cause of offending
• Improve juvenile/family functioning—educational,
vocational, autonomy, self-worth, accountability
• Increase public safety through decreasing “revolving
door” justice
• Increase provider accountability through ensuring
service delivery
Non-adversarial Approach
• Interdisciplinary development of Treatment
Plan that meets therapeutic needs of
individual and accountability needs of court
• Interdisciplinary development of terms of
participation
• Recommend Reward/Sanction
Multidisciplinary Team
– Judge—Oversees work of the team and encourages collaboration; regular
interaction with court participant; actively supervises case from acceptance
through completion
– District Attorney—Reviews current and past conduct to determine suitability;
contributes to development of Treatment Plan
– Defense Attorney—Reviews whether participation and subsequent Treatment
Plan is in best interest of juvenile; represents juvenile through entire process
– Clinical Coordinator—Identifies appropriate candidates; develops Treatment
Plan and service recommendations; coordinates with service provider as
needed
– Court Case Manager—Coordinates administrative requirements; facilitates
and monitors treatment compliance
– Probation Staff- Provides community supervision with weekly face to face
visits
– Service Provider—Provides therapeutic intervention
Harris County Juvenile Drug
Court
Sobriety Over Addiction and Relapse
(SOAR)
Harris County Juvenile Drug Court
• Started in July, 2010
• Demonstrated Need
– Harris County Juvenile Probation Department—
2012 Data
• 70% Any substance related diagnosis
• 16% Substance dependency
• 62% Substance abuse
Mission Statement
• The mission of the Harris County Juvenile Drug Court is to
effectively address the underlying clinical cause of delinquent
behavior in substance abusing and dependent juvenile
offenders. Utilizing community based providers for intensive
outpatient intervention will provide an effective alternative to
institutional placement and treatment. The stringent
supervision and treatment requirements of the drug court will
emphasize personal accountability of the offender and their
family while ensuring community safety.
Harris County Drug Court Team
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Judge
District Attorney
Defense Attorney
Clinical Coordinator—Licensed Chemical Dependency
Counselor
Case Manager
Probation Officer—Specialized
Treatment Provider
Educational Specialist
Target Population
• Identified for BBRC Residential Substance
Abuse Treatment Unit
• Substance Abuse or Dependency Diagnosis
• Family willingness to pariticipate in an
intensive program for a minimum of 12
months
Exclusionary Criteria
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Sexually based offense
Violent offense
Significant gang involvement
Developmental Disabilities
Significant, untreated mental illness
Program Components
• Phase System
– Each phase consists of treatment objectives and supervision and court
appearance requirements
• Regular review hearings
• Multidisciplinary Team staffing
– Topics Addressed:
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Attendance and participation
Drug test results
School performance
Relevant family dynamics
– Team based recommendation on reward/sanction/Treatment Plan
modification
– Active participation by youth and family
• Frequent, random drug testing
– Utilized to monitor and supervise treatment
Court Process
 Comprehensive psychological and substance abuse assessment
 Appropriate cases are reviewed by the Court Coordinator and presented
to the team
 If accepted, an individualized treatment plan is created based on the
assessment of the youth and family, the case is docketed, and a referral is
made to an appropriate treatment provider
 The Drug Court utilizes a number of community providers including:
Turning Point, Unlimited Visions, Phoenix House, Center for Success and
Independence.
 In addition, juvenile probation department programs, like the
Multisystemic Therapy (MST) program are also used
 The youth and family must participate in the Drug Court for a minimum of
12 months
 Review hearings are scheduled a minimum of once a month
Outcomes
• Since inception the SOAR program has served
34 youths
• 73% Successful completion rate
• The program was recently expanded to serve
15 youth
Challenges
• Family’s willingness to participate in the
program
• History of multi-generational drug use
• Limited resources in the community
Harris County GIRL’s Court
Growing Independence Restoring
Lives
What is Human Trafficking?
• Also known as trafficking in persons (TIP)
• A form of modern-day slavery
• It is a crime under federal and international
law
• It does not have to involve some form of
travel, transportation, or movement across
state or national borders
Victims of Human Trafficking
• Under the U.S. federal law, victims of human
trafficking include:
– Children involved in the sex trade
– Adults age 18 or over who are coerced or
deceived into commercial sex acts
– Anyone forced into different forms of “labor or
services,” such as domestic workers held in a
home, or farm-workers forced to labor against
their will
What is Sex Trafficking?
• Sex Trafficking: the recruitment, harboring,
transportation, provision, or obtaining of a
person for the purpose of a commercial sex
act, in which a commercial sex act is induced
by force, fraud, or coercion, or in which the
person forced to perform such an act is under
the age of 18 years.
- From the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000
Statistic Snapshot
• Houston has been identified as a main hub of
human trafficking
• 1 in 3 runaway teens will be lured into
prostitution in the first 48 hours of leaving
home in the U.S. (150,000 kids each year)
• Average age of entry into prostitution in the
U.S. is 12 – 14 years old
• Estimated number of men that the victims
must have sex with is 1 – 15 daily
Creation of the GIRL’s Court
• The GIRL’s Court was created to address the
large number of domestic teen sex trafficking
victims
• The court began the summer 2011
• Associate Judge Angela Ellis conducts the
hearings
Court Features
• Individualized clinical approach
– Tailored programming developed by multidisciplinary team
– Direct linkage to community providers
• Wraparound services
– Individual and family therapy
– Educational testing, counseling and advocacy
– Transportation, housing, and financial assistance
GIRL’s Court Mission Statement
• The Harris County GIRL’s Court utilizes a
comprehensive strength based approach in working
with girls who are actively engaged in or at risk of
becoming involved in prostitution/human trafficking.
The Court employs a clinically driven multi-disciplinary
team to effectively address the underlying trauma
associated with the participants’ at-risk behaviors and
related delinquent conduct. Ultimately, GIRL’s Court
provides successful graduates with the opportunity to
seal their juvenile records and develop the skills
necessary to change the trajectory of their lives.
Court Features
Intensive Judicial oversight
Judge engaged in entire process from participant selection to discharge planning
Intensive supervision/monitoring
Specialized probation officer conducts weekly visits at home, school, placement, etc.
Regular review hearings
Review hearings progress along continuum based upon needs of each individual girl
Emergency review hearings available as needed
Multidisciplinary team
Judge
Legal representation
Team psychologist
Therapeutic provider
Probation officer
Educational specialist
CPS
Participants
• Pre & Post-adjudicated females
• Actively involved in prostitution/human
trafficking or at high risk of involvement
• Significant family dysfunction/possible CPS
involvement
• History of abuse/trauma
• Co-occurring mental health/substance abuse
disorders
Outcomes
• Since inception the GIRLS program has served
23 youths
• 64% Successful completion rate
• The program can serve up to 15 youth at a
time
• Length of time is 9-12 months
Challenges
• Youth do not always identify themselves as
victims and don’t want to be rescued
• Many are very attached to their pimps
• Limited or no family involvement
• No model for working with these girls
• Treatment can take a long time
QUESTIONS?
Contact CHILDREN AT RISK
Dawn Lew, Senior Staff Attorney
dlew@childrenatrisk.org
713-869-7740
Kavita Desai, Staff Attorney
kdesai@childrenatrisk.org
713-869-7740