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prevention news!
News of Hope email. |
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This
summer, we have been privileged
to observe yet another program
worthy of highest praise and your
attention, as it may be just the
program to promote in your community.
Over the past few
summers, Legacy of Hope has been
presented to juveniles within
the juvenile justice system, youth
who have commit crimes and are
either on probation, serving out
sentences at the Youth Resource
Center or completing rehabilitation
through the Orange County Juvenile
Drug Court program. |
The
youth have responded to the Legacy
message as though it were of life
and death importance to
them.
Touched by the sincere desire
of some youth to rehabilitate
themselves, we decided to explore
the
juvenile drug court program as
it exists here in Orange County,
California. One of our summer
interns, Veronica Garcia -a junior
at Troy High School, and I interviewed
the Honorable Judge Robert B.
Hutson, administrator of the Orange
County Juvenile Drug Court, and
Dennis Forsyth, Supervising Probation
Officer. Both gentlemen displayed
great devotion to the juvenile
drug court system. They spent
considerable time explaining
the role the juvenile drug court
plays in redirecting and saving
the lives of select troubled
youth. Clearly, a youth that
applies his or herself to this
legal alternative are proving
juvenile drug court programs
do work and do change lives
for the better.
The statistics are proof of
the pudding: 89% of youth who
have graduated from the Orange
County Juvenile Drug Court rehabilitation
program are still alcohol, drug
and crime-free one year later.
This result is highly noteworthy
and an enviable recidivism rate.
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In
addition, the first-ever
report card on the effectiveness
of drug courts came out
from the White House Office
of National Drug Control
(ONDCP) and the National
Association of Drug Court
Professionals (NADCP) in
“Painting the Current
Picture: A National Report
Card on Drug Courts and
Other Problem Solving Court
Programs in the United States.”
The findings: an estimated
$1.74 in benefits is realized
for every dollar spent on
drug courts, from lower
prison costs resulting from
a reduced recidivism rate.
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According
to Join Together, drug courts
“increase access to drug
treatment, reduce criminal recidivism
and save states and local municipalities
money.”
This newsletter is dedicated to
all those involved in juvenile
drug court and adult drug court
programs across the country and
to the HOPE that more programs
will be implemented, more lives
redirected from crime and addiction.
Implementing, promoting, or enhancing
a juvenile drug court may be just
the HOPE you need for a troubled
youth in your home, classroom,
support group, counseling session,
police car, detention facility,
or child lodged in your mind and
heart.
Watch for more info:
Veronica and I will be returning
to the Juvenile Drug Court on
Sept. 30th to observe a Staffing
session followed by a live Juvenile
Drug Court. Staffing is the regular
meeting of the Judge, probation,
mental health services, and prosecuting
attorney to discuss individual
juveniles in program or under
consideration. This meeting will
highlight the different perspective
of each organization involved
and how they cooperate for the
well-being of youth. We hope to
observe the point-of-view of the
juvenile and the judge and how
they, too, seek best possible
outcomes during the court session.
Insights from this day will be
in the October or November newsletter.
Please feel free to email comments
on this topic to drugcourt@legacyofhope.com.
We would love to hear if a drug
court is working in your community
and any statistics from your
juvenile justice program. We
will share your comments in
an upcoming newsletter. |
| Orange
County Drug Court Website |
http://www.ocgov.com/probation/home/index.asp
The
Orange County Juvenile Drug Court
is a docket within the juvenile
court to which selected delinquency
cases are referred for handling
by a designated judge.
The youth referred to juvenile
drug courts are identified as
having problems with alcohol and/or
other drugs. The juvenile drug
court judge maintains close oversight
of each case through frequent
(often weekly) status hearings
with the parties involved. The
judge both leads and works as
a member of a team comprised of
representatives from the Health
Care Agency, the court, school
and vocational training programs,
the probation department, the
prosecution, and the defense.
Together, the team determines
how best to address the substance
abuse and related problems of
the youth. |
| To
enroll in the juvenile drug
court program, a referral
can be made by a probation
officer, a public defender/private
attorney or by the minor’s
own request. Any
juvenile between the ages
of 13 and 17 years who has
been charged with a crime,
other than a violent crime,
drug sale or sexual offense,
is eligible to be accepted
into the Juvenile Drug Court
Program. Juveniles are screened
for eligibility based upon
their need for treatment,
their commitment to the
program and their past delinquency
history. |
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| Candidates
who are accepted in the program
participate on a voluntary basis.
Should a juvenile fail to complete
the program, they must then complete
the original sentence for their
crime. If the minor successfully
completes the program, the charge
or charges are dismissed, probation
is terminated and previous jail
sentence is vacated. |
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The
juvenile drug court operates
in four phases plus an initial
30-day orientation phase
which will determine whether
minors will be able to abide
by the rules and guidelines
of the program. Phase One
is 60 days and Phases Two
through Four are each 90
days. During the first two
phases, the participant
receives intensive education
and therapy, along with
close supervision by the
court including frequent
appearances before the judge.
Probation monitors the juvenile’s
use through drug testing
three times per week during
the orientation and Phase
One. |
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testing continues and eventually
is administered on a random basis.
The juveniles must also abide
by specific curfews throughout
the program (8pm in the first
90 days, 9 pm in Phases Two and
Three, and 10pm in Phase Four).
The third and fourth phases focus
on the participant taking responsibility
for his or her actions which includes
being employed or enrolled in
a training-to-work program. The
youth must also be enrolled in
school throughout all four phases. |
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juvenile drug court program
is a comprehensive program
that also provides support
to the entire family.
Parents are encouraged to
participate in parent support
groups as well. There is
currently a Spanish-language
parent support group, Padres
Unidos. An English-language
parent support group is
also available. Probation
makes random home calls
to monitor probationers,
on occasion with the participation
from the Health Care Agency
to provide support and deal
with possible mental health
issues the minor’s
family may be experiencing. |
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To
learn more about how to implement
a drug court in your community,
visit the Orange
County Drug Court Website
http://www.ocgov.com/probation/home/index.asp
or
give us a call and let us network
you to folks who will be happy
to help! |
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| Bring
amazing insight and greater communication
into your home. Order motivational
books for teens, helpful and hopeful
tools to parent your teen, and
a copy of the entire LEGACY OF
HOPE show on VHS or DVD with questions
and answers. Share any or all
of these messages together and
create a connection between teen
and parent deeper and more harmonious
than ever before. Help the two
of you bridge the tough subjects,
like alcohol and drugs, teen sexuality,
feelings, violence, depression,
even suicide. You'll be very glad
you did! |
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LEGACY
ACCEPTS ALL MAJOR CREDIT CARDS
BOOK A LEGACY OF HOPE PROGRAM
FOR YOUR EVENT, COMMUNITY OR SCHOOL |
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If
you would like a LEGACY OF HOPE
program and would like to know
more about how this theatrical
presentation impacts positive
change in teens and adults,
please contact us with the link
below. |
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CONTACT
SUSIE NOW!! |
"When
will our consciences grow so
tender that we will act to prevent
human misery rather than avenge
it?"
-Eleanor Roosevelt
Wishing
you well,
All of us at LEGACY
Susie Vanderlip - Ken Vanderlip
- Veronica Garcia - Lauren Kopit
800-707-1977
Susie@legacyofhope.com |
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