Family and Community Engagement
Young people thrive in the context of supportive families and communities—which means the undoing of failed juvenile justice policy that severed these ties in a crude effort to steer young people away from negative influences. We’re working in Indiana, Virginia, and Sedgwick County, Kansas, to increase the involvement of supportive family members in the lives of detained youth, long before they are released—projects poised to expand the body of evidence that supports family engagement. Other work engineers community-based support—including a partnership in Illinois to strengthen aftercare.
Related Work
Girls Matter
Ending girls’ incarceration requires communities to treat girls fairly and with respect—that means eliminating reliance on law enforcement and the courts when girls run away, skip school, or disobey a parent.
Life in the Year After Prison
Professor Bruce Western on Reentry
Professor Bruce Western talks about the issues formerly incarcerated people face upon reentry, the role of family support after prison, and how trauma challenges the ethics of punishment.
"Bringing Light (Re-entry)” Groundswell © 2017
A Direction Home
In Recognition of National Reentry Week
Why Kids in Detention Deserve Access to Their Siblings
But a stint in jail is arguably one of the toughest times young people can go through, which means they need all the support they can get. Even if a detention stay is short (the average time kids stay in detention is about three days), it’s still a scary and stressful experience. Being able to hug their brothers and sisters or get their advice is ...
Blog Post
Ryan Shanahan
Cymone Fuller
Tough on Kids and Their Families
Whenever a family member is incarcerated, the entire family suffers. The May issue of The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science (the ANNALS) features a series of articles that shed light on the effects of criminal justice policy on families when an adult member enters the system. “Tough on Crime, Tough on Families?” does a ...
Blog Post
Cymone Fuller
Ryan Shanahan
Series: It Takes a Village
Collaboration is key when it comes to keeping kids out of the justice system
The title of our latest report on diversion strategies—“It Takes a Village”—is no accident. School administrators and teachers, law enforcement officials, service providers, and families all play key roles in keeping young people out of the juvenile justice system. Often, however, these groups are not effectively partnering with each other to find ...
Blog Post
Erin Dostal Kuller
Series: It Takes a Village
Closing the schoolhouse door to the juvenile justice system
Schools can be a critical diversion point for young people at risk of entering the juvenile justice system, as detailed in Vera’s recent report on diversion strategies for youth. Exclusionary school disciplinary practices, such as suspensions or expulsions, make it significantly more likely that young people will be arrested in future years. School ...
Blog Post
Erin Dostal Kuller
Series: It Takes a Village
Getting the word out about diversion programs
Diversion strategies that prioritize community- and family-based solutions over punitive measures can help young people avoid becoming involved in the justice system. Vera’s recent report detailed the important work of many organizations—from Nevada to Nebraska to Louisiana—who provide diversion programs for youth and their families. But developing ...
Blog Post
Erin Dostal Kuller
Series: It Takes a Village
How police benefit from diversion strategies
Vera’s recent report, It Takes a Village: Diversion Resources for Police and Families, details how diversion programs provide families and communities resources to keep young people safe, on track, and out of the criminal justice system. But young people aren’t the only ones who benefit from diversion strategies. Police officers experience benefits ...
Blog Post
Erin Dostal Kuller
Diversion Resources for Police and Families
Many communities are frustrated with how to respond to youth “acting out”—running away from home, skipping school, violating curfew, or disobeying adults—as well as how to respond to young people getting arrested for more serious actions like fighting and other events stemming from family conflict. This project describes new and exciting models for ...
Project
Karen Tamis
Series: It Takes a Village
It takes a village
Collaboration is key to keeping kids out of the juvenile justice system
15-year-old J.B. is involved in a minor scuffle at a park. Instead of arresting him, police call a local crisis response program to address the behavior. J.B. receives counseling and is enrolled in an action plan to improve his grades, joins an ROTC program, and begins working student concessions at basketball games. His academic and extracurricula ...
Blog Post
Erin Dostal Kuller
It Takes a Village
Diversion Resources for Police and Families
Police frequently encounter youth running away from home, violating curfew, skipping school, and chronically disobeying adults—misbehaviors that can often stem from family conflict and that do not require justice involvement. When alternatives are not available, however, these behaviors can lead to arrests or detention. Families dealing with diffic ...