Success

Camden, NJ - We have been working with the Camden Disproportionate Minority Contact Committee and have achieved results in implementing a caller notification system that reaches youth to remind them of their court dates. This has resulted in 91% of youth contacted (message or live) by caller notification call appearing in court. The committee also compared the number of Bench Warrants issued for Failures to Appear (FTA) for April/May 2009 and April/May 2010. There were 35 FTA's issued during those two months in 2009; while only 19 issued in 2010 for the same two months. 

Baltimore County, MD - We worked with system stakeholders to develop policies that decreased the number of youth securely detained for failing to appear in court. The newly implemented strategies helped reduce the use of secure detention for African American youth failing to appear in court by nearly 50%.

Peoria County, IL - We reduced African American youth admissions to detention for aggravated battery (school fights) by 43 percent by developing a pilot restorative justice project to address "zero tolerance" policies in schools. We achieved better outcomes for youth of color while upholding public security.

Pima County, AZ – We worked with probation, courts and the community to develop alternatives to secure detention. We were able to significantly lower the average daily population of youth of color over the last five years by over half.

Santa Cruz County, CA - We worked intensively with probation staff to reduce the number of Latino youth detained by targeting the population of youth who were initially detained by probation, but then released by the judge at first appearance.

Testimonial presented at Dec. 5, 2008 meeting of the Core Working Group in Santa Cruz 

"'There was a sense of excitement and celebration aboard the cruise ship 
that night. Apparently earlier in the day, after the cruise ship had
 docked, an alarm bell clanged. A passenger had fallen overboard and was 
struggling in the water below. A large crowd gathered at the railing 
and watched in horror as the passenger frantically splashed in the
 water. Suddenly another figure was seen falling into the water. Apparently another passenger had seen what was happening and jumped in 
to rescue the fallen passenger. 

The captain decided to celebrate
 the day’s hero and an excited crowd gathered to honor the courageous 
rescuer. As the captain introduced the day's hero the crowd cheered and 
then grew silent as he stepped up to the microphone to make what may be 
one of the shortest hero speeches of all time when he simply said, 'I
 just want to know one thing. Who pushed me?'"

As you and your staff at the Burns Institute do your DMC work, I applaud
 you for going into jurisdictions around the county who need a "little
 push" in the right direction. As we in Santa Cruz do our work we hope 
we can provide you with the data and research that will help provide you 
with the information you need to share with the many jurisdictions who
 drastically need to change the way they are doing probation work.

I
 mentioned in the DMC meeting that some people based on the data and 
research will want to pursue it because they want to be PC or
 "politically correct" which is fine. But within those jurisdictions, 
for real change to take place you need people who have PC or "passion
 and courage." One thing that enables us at Santa Cruz County to move
 forward is the fact that we have supervisors who have "passion and 
courage" about what we are doing and are being allowed to ask and pursue
 ways to evaluate DMC. I, personally, am very proud of the work my 
fellow supervisors are doing.



Here's the thought that lingers in my mind:  "We will never know who the 
hero's among us will be...if it weren't for someone giving them a little
 push."

 Some jurisdictions just need to be given permission and the
 people within that jurisdiction with passion and courage will pursue it 
because they see it can be done.
 Other jurisdiction may need a little push and with that push
 they will move forward and produce meaningful change.
 But the reality is there are many jurisdictions that will dig in
 their heels and you and the Burns Institute have the responsibility of 
convincing them there is a better way. 



My thanks to you, Laura and Michael for the "passion and courage" you
 have regarding DMC. Bless you.

Robert Igarta

Santa Cruz County Probation
Juvenile Intake Unit Supervisor