Juvenile and Family Court Journal最新文献

Though secondary traumatic stress has been researched extensively among professionals working with youth in diverse professions, there is limited information about judicial experiences working with trafficked youth. This qualitative study involves 82 interviews with juvenile and family court judges to understand the impact of indirect trauma exposure. Over 80% of respondents describe symptoms of secondary traumatic stress and countertransference responses. Notably, 20% with these symptoms also reported increased professional pride in their role performance with these cases. Implications for how judges can address the effects of indirect exposure are offered based on the literature and the recommendations of the respondents.

This study examined implementation of a 12-item questionnaire, the Emancipation Checklist, designed to help child welfare judicial decision-makers (JD) identify and monitor older youth achievement of milestones toward adulthood. Drawing on case file reviews, focus groups with professional stakeholders and young adults, and court observations, we found that stakeholders, including youths in foster care, viewed the EC as helpful in catalyzing conversation and follow up. Inconsistent use and documentation and ambiguity of some questions impeded its value. We provide recommendations for clear and consistent use, follow up, and further research to examine the impact of the EC on readiness for adulthood.

The COVID-19 pandemic and the rejuvenated movement for racial justice in 2020 have presented an opportunity to reimagine the roles, practices, and policies of juvenile and family court systems actors. In order to capture contemporary ideas about judicial practice and policy reforms, semi-structured interviews were conducted with Hon. Edwina Mendelson, Deputy Chief Administrative Judge for the Office of Justice Initiatives in New York State, and Hon. Steven Teske, Chief Judge of the Juvenile Court of Clayton County, Georgia. These interviews yielded several recommendations for judicial reform in youth justice (e.g., implement court-wide procedural justice practices, improve accessibility using technology). These recommendations can be used by systems actors across the country, particularly those interested in adapting their courtroom practices for a post-pandemic world.

This study aims to compare the applicability of the Social Disorganization Theory, General Strain Theory, and Social Control Theory in the exploration of violent delinquency in Chicago’s Southside. The study participants included 546 adolescents in Chicago. Descriptive statistics, bivariate correlation, and multivariate regression analyses were conducted. Supporting the Social Disorganization Theory, affiliation with delinquent peers mediated the association between poor neighborhood conditions and delinquency. Supporting the General Strain Theory, emotional distress mediated the relationship between peer victimization and delinquency. Inconsistent with the Social Control Theory, however, religiosity did not buffer the relationship between feeling disconnected from parents and delinquency.

Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) programs around the U.S. are searching for ways to increase the number of volunteers they can recruit and retain so more youth in care can be served. Through focus groups and interviews, study authors collected and analyzed qualitative data on the essential tasks of CASA volunteers, while also soliciting ideas regarding program expansion. Four themes were identified: (1) CASA volunteers do what others on the case can’t always do; (2) CASA volunteers make an impact on case outcomes; (3) Statewide structures and resources are essential to the program’s success; and (4) Program innovations that will improve CASA practice.

Although parental compliance with court orders in child welfare cases is key to achieving physical parent-child reunification and successful case closure, little research has examined how parent-child relationship-focused rehabilitative services uniquely influence case outcomes. This project fills this gap by investigating links between court ordering of and parental participation in Child-Parent Psychotherapy (CPP) with court outcomes. Data were obtained from court records of 448 court-involved parents. Hierarchical regressions revealed that greater participation in CPP led to reunification and successful case closure but not faster case closure. Courtroom professionals should consider parent-child relationship-based therapies as tools for achieving child welfare goals.

For 83 years the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges (NCJFCJ) has provided judicial officers, courts, and court-related agencies nationwide with the education, technical assistance, and research they need to improve the lives of those who seek fair, equal, effective and timely justice.

As the COVID-19 pandemic is changing the world, so is it changing the courts. Judicial officers, court staff, parties, subpoenaed witnesses, attorneys, and jurors must be healthy and safe in order for the courts to function. As trial court judges during this time of COVID-19, we have a responsibility to protect the health of those who enter our courthouses relying on our system of justice; to ensure they are safe and that our system remains fair.

We cannot ensure access to justice if we, people who work in the courts and people who appear in front of us, are ill or afraid coming to court will expose them to COVID-19. This is about community safety and access to justice, not politics. It is about ensuring a healthy and fair judicial system.

The NCJFCJ continues to support judges and court professionals through this pandemic. We also seek to prepare the judicial system for what comes next, so courts can ensure the needs of children, families, and victims are met, and that access to fair, equal, effective, and timely justice remains our priority.

Hon. Ramona A. Gonzalez President

Estimates suggest that upwards of 50% of participants in adult treatment courts (ATC) are parents. Previous studies point to negative impacts of unmet parenting needs on substance use treatment and criminal justice outcomes, and that family-centered practices such as parenting classes substantially reduce recidivism among ATC participants. Judges and team members interested in adopting family-centered practices in their ATC program may be unsure where to begin. One recent source of information regarding evidence-based, family-centered practices in treatment court settings is the Family Treatment Court (FTC) Best Practice Standards. The FTC Standards suggest adopting a family-centered mission, expanding partnerships with child- and family-serving agencies, discussing parenting and family roles during hearings, implementing family-centered case management, and considering the effect of therapeutic responses on children and families. Building on the ATC Standards, the flexibility inherent in voluntary court programs, and existing community partnerships creates a pathway toward family-centered practice in criminal settings.

This study examines the empirical research on legal representation in delinquency proceedings and situates it in the broader investigation of how states provide legal assistance to juvenile defendants. Our review of empirical studies found that attorney presence was an aggravating factor in dispositional decisions. After closely examining state statutory provisions on legal representation in juvenile delinquency proceedings, we suggest that the penalty effect of attorney presence is an artifact of the variation in state laws governing access and oversight of juvenile counsel. We conclude with suggestions for future research, policy, and practice.