A national group of probation officers is recommending that juvenile justice leaders take 10 steps to break the cycle of teen drug use and crime. The officers, part of the Reclaiming Futures program funded by The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and housed at Portland State University, issued their call to action in a new report, Juvenile Probation Officers Call for New Responses to Teen Drug and Alcohol Use and Dependency.
The report, written by a group of juvenile probation officers with extensive experience in juvenile justice, outlines practical steps for other officers to follow in order to make changes in their own juvenile justice systems. The findings are based on the Reclaiming Futures model tested in 10 communities during the past five years. The ground-breaking approach screens each teen that enters the juvenile justice system for drug and alcohol problems, assesses the severity of their drug and alcohol use, and provides prompt access to a treatment plan coordinated by a service team. Reclaiming Futures also connects teens with employers, mentors, and volunteer service projects.
“This report is written by juvenile probation officers for other officers, treatment providers, family service agencies, policy makers and community leaders who work with teens in trouble with the law,” said Jeff Bidmon, a juvenile justice fellow for Reclaiming Futures and probation officer in Santa Cruz County Probation Department. “It draws on our success with Reclaiming Futures and is chock full of practical ideas and steps any community can use.”
To learn more, please visit www.reclaimingfutures.org.
