CHINS report card : the unfinished agenda : a progress report on the implementation of reform recommendations

28 Pages·2000·1.8 MB·English

by  Citizens for Juvenile Justice

* UMASS/AMHERST *
312066 0367 3208
Citizens for Juvenile Justice
CHINS
Report Card:
The Agenda
Unfinished
A
Progress Report on the Implementation of
Reform Recommendations
KFM
2995
.C44
2000
CitizensforJuvenileJustice
Board ofDirectors
President
EdwardKelley
Vice President
DeborahMcDonagh
Treasurer
Jeanne Schuster
Clerk
EdwardStem
CitizensforJuvenileJusticeisastatewidemembership
RichardBamum,M.D. organizationofjuvenilejusticeprofessionalsand
PatriciaBarnwell organizations. Ourmissionisto strengthenthejuvenile
LaelE. H. Chester justicesystembyconveningdiversegroupsand
JoshDohan individualstoeducatethepublicaboutjuvenilejustice.
HalGibber Weadvocateforpoliciesthatensurethepublic safetyby
RonnJohnson supportingfamiliesandcommunitiesthroughthe
CarolynKeshian rehabilitationofyouth.
JohnJ.Larivee KFM 2995 .C44 2000
WilliamLyttle ISforJuvenileJustice,includingthe
DavidMasch CHINS report card noftheCHINSReportCard:
Marie"Sandy"Matava NDA, is supportedthroughgrants,
CathyNeidich duesandgenerousdonations
RebeccaPries PkATC niip mpeoplelikeyou.
WilliamRodriquez
LindaSmelstor KFM 2995 .C44 2000 Justiceisexemptfromfederaltaxes
KennethSmith CHINS report card ction501(c)(3)ofthe
RobertTurillo nalRevenueCode.
MargaretWitecki,Ph.D.
nsforJuvenileJustice
Founders montStreet, Suite705
Hon.JayD.Bhtzman -|)Ston,MA02108
ThomasE. Coury 617) 338-1050
TonyDeMarco 7) 338-6617 fax
HalGibber
www.cfjj.org
Hon.LesheE.Harris [email protected]
LisaHewitt
EdwardP. Kelley zensforJuvenileJustice
JohnJ.Larivee
WilliamLyttle
FrancineT. Sherman
JaneE.Tewksbury FRANKLIN LAW LIBRARY
SusanWayne MASS.TRIAL COURT
MargaretWitecki,Ph.D. GREENFIELD, MA 01301
Executive Director
JohnF. Gately
Project Intern
KimRavemer
Citizens for Juvenile Justice
CHINS
Report
Card:
The Agenda
Unfinished
A
Progress Report on the Implementation of
Reform Recommendations
FRANKLIN LAW LIBRARY
COURT HOUSE
GREENFIELD, MA.
SEP 2 ? 20(12
Acknowledgments
TheworkofCitizensforJuvenileJustice,including CHINSReportCard:
The UnfinishedAgenda,is supportedby theGardinerRowlandShawFoundation.
CitizensforJuvenileJusticegratefullyacknowledgestheauthorsofthefollowing
reportsandstudieswithoutwhomthisdocumentwouldnotbepossible:
TheCommissionerofProbation, InJeopardyandAtRisk: CHINS CasesinMassachusetts;
TheBostonBarAssociationTaskForceonChildrenInNeedofServices: ReportonTruancy;
ReportoftheGovernor's/MassachusettsBarAssociation'sCommissionontheUnmetLegalNeedsofChildren;
InTrouble: ChildrenandFamiliesinNeedofServices
FinalReportoftheSpecialLegislativeCommissiononChildreninNeedofServices;
andthe
SupremeJudicialCourtCommissiononJuvenileJustice.
We
alsoextendourappreciationtothefollowing
distinguishedprofessionalsfortheirtimeandexpertise:
JaneTewksbury
TheHonorableJamesCronin
BarbaraHildt
CitizensforJuvenileJustice
(
TableofContents
CHINS Report Card: The Unfinished Agenda
Whatare CHINS andWhoare CHINSYouth? 2
Part CHINS Report Card 4
I.
ReportoftheGovernor's/Massachusetts BarAssociation'sCommission 987) 5
(1
Special Legislative Commission on Children in Need of Services (1989) 7
Supreme Judicial Court Commission on Juvenile Justice (1994) 9
TheBostonBarAssociationTaskForceon Che^drenInNeedofServices (1998) 10
PartH. TheUnfinishedAgenda 14
System Accountability 14
Youth Accountability 17
Parental Accountability 19
Boston 20
Conclusion 20
PartHI. Sources and Footnotes 21
Whatare CHINS and who are CHINS youth? CHINS Behaviors Recognized byLaw
In 1973, the Commonwealth ofMassachusetts • Runaway -childbelowtheageof 17 who
decriminahzedfourdistinctjuvenilebehaviors:runaway, persistentlyrunsawayfromhome.
truant,stubbomchildandschooldisciplineproblem. The • StubbornChild- achildbelowtheageof17 who
Commonwealthalsoestablishedanewnon-delinquent failstoobeythereasonablecommandsofhis/
systemtoaddressthesetroubledbehaviorscalledCHINS herparents.
or"childinneedofservices." Thefundamentalprinciple • Truant- achildbetweentheages6and 16who
behind the statutory shift was the belief that CHINS persistentlyandwillfullyfailstoattendschool.
behaviors werenotoffenses against society, butrather • SchoolOffender- achildbetweentheages6and
behaviorsagainstayouth'sownselfinterest. 16whopersistentlyviolatesthelawfuland
Prior to 1973, runaway, truant, stubbom and reasonableregulationsofhis/herschool.
school discipline problem youth were considered Source: MGLChapter 119,Section39Ethrough391.
delinquentandsubjecttothe sameremedial andpublic
providingservicesinanattempttoceaseCHINSbehavior.
safety consequences as delinquent youth, such as
commitmenttoareformschoolorinstitution. TheintentwastoimprovetheUvesofCHINSyouthinthe
immediate future, deter them from opportunities for
Parents, legal guardians. Supervisors of
Attendanceandpolice wereempoweredunderthe 1973 delinquencyandallowthemtoleadproductivelivesas
adults.
lawtopetitionthecourtforservicesforachildinneedof
services. Asaresult, theuseoftheCHINS statutegrew Unfortunately, youth, parents and government
officials struggledailywiththepracticalworkingsofthe
rapidly. In 1999,ninethousand,onehundredandninety
(9,190)CHINSpetitionswerefiled. CHINSstatute. Thefrequentresultisdelinquencyoradult
criminalbehavior.
Congress joined Massachusetts in 1974 by
approvingdecriminalizationnationwidethroughtheJuvenile
Justice and Delinquency Prevention (JJDP) Act. The
The Commissioner of Probation's study In
federalActalsoprovidedfundsandencouragedstatesto
provideservicesforyouthcommittingCHINSbehaviors. JeopardyandAtRisk: CHINSCases inMassachusetts
TheJJDPActlinkedehgibilityforjuvenilejusticedollars (November 1998) serves as the basis for any factual
tothesuccessofastate'seffortstodecriminahzeCHINS discussion ofwho CHINS youth are and their risk for
behaviorsanddeinstitutionalizeCHINSyouth. priorandsubsequentdelinquency. Infact,theProbation
Consequently,theCommonwealth'sapproachto Departmentistheobvious agencytoconductaCHINS
thesebehaviorsshiftedfromacriminalpunitivereaction studyinMassachusetts,sincetheSupremeJudicialCourt
(delinquency) to a service delivery system (CHINS) learnedthat"themajorityof[CHINSl cases, some75%,
resultinginthesharedresponsibiUtyforCHINSbehavior aredivertedtoinformalprobation."
betweentheyouthandadultsociety. Specifically,society The landmark report, which tracked all 1994
assumed the responsibility of assisting the youth by CHINS cases(6,548cases)foundthatfifty-fourpercent
2 CitizensforJuvenileJustice
(54.3%) ofall CHINS youth were arraigned for adult a still unacceptable forty percent (40%) of girls are
criminaloffensesordelinquentoffenseswithinthreeyears subsequentlyarraigned.
oftheirfirstCHINSpetition. Overall,twenty-threepercent AstheCHINS statutenearsits30thyear.Citizens
(23.8%)ofCHINSyouthhadanarraignmentbeforetheir forJuvenile Jusfice questions the ability ofthe current
firstCHINS petition. Consequently, CHINS youth are framework to support youth and families, reduce
morethan twice as likelytobearraignedaftertheirfirst subsequentCHINSpetitions,andprotectthepublicsafety.
CHINS petifion than before (23.8% prior, 54.3% Four separate commissions have offered
subsequent).' recommendations to reshape CHINS policy in
Only 46% ofCHINS youth did not appear for Massachusetts. Areviewoftheseefforts, notingpolicy
arraignmentinjuvenileoradultcourtintheprecedingthree accomplishmentsandidentifyingareasofimprovement,is
years. the primary objective of Part I: CHINS Report Card.
Clearly, CHINS is afailing system. Reducing the percent of CHINS youth who are
CHINSyoutharedividedalmostequallybetween subsequentlyarraignedtozeromaynotbe possible,but
girls (49%) and boys (51%). Boys outpace girls in the adultsociety, atthefirst, holdsanobligationtodobetter.
stubborn,truantandschooloffenderclassificafions,but
girls account for nearly two of every three runaway
petitions. Fifty-threepercent(53%)ofallCHINS cases
are 14- and 15-year-olds. Most subsequent CHINS
petitions address repeat behavior, except for school
offenders who are more likely to have a subsequent
stubbornchildCHINSpetition.
TheProbationCommissioneralsofoundthat"an
overwhelming68.2%oftheboyswillcomebackbefore
thejuvenileordistrictcourtforanarraignment" [emphasis
notadded] suggestingastatisticalgendergap. However,
Number and Type of CHINS in Massachusetts
% %
Prior Delinquency and Subsequent Arraignment
1994 data, subsequent arraignment data based on three years ofcase tracking
Type ofCHINS Number Percent % Prior Delinquency % Subsequent Arraignment
Runaway 2750 39.7 24.6 53.9
Stubborn 1977 28.5 24.1 58.7
Truant 1870 27 20.5 47.1
School 332 4.8 33.4 72.3
TOTAL 6929 100 23.8 54.3
Source:OfficeoftheCommissionerofProbation.
CHINS ReportCard:TheUnfinishedAgenda 3
The chins Process: PartI.
Informal Probationand TrialontheMerits CHINS Report Card
TheCHE^^S statuteallowsfortwodistinct
avenuestoaddressCHINSbehavior: informal CitizensforJuvenileJusticeprovidesthefollowing
probationoratrialonthemeritsofthepetition. A CHINSReportCardas achartoftheCommonwealth's
preliminaryhearingwillbeheldtodeterminethe progresstowardpositiveCHINSoutcomes. Since 1987,
courseofthecase. However, aprobationofficer
mayconductaninvestigationpriortothepreliminary four commissions have reviewed the operation ofthe
hearingtodeterminewhatisinthebestinterestof CHINS statute and have offered general and specific
thechild.
recommendationsforexecutive, legislativeandjudicial
Typically,thepreliminaryhearingdetermines
thatinformalprobationwouldbestservetheyouth. policychange. Therecommendationsvarywidely, and
Indeed,theSupremeJudicialCourt'sCommission
severalarecontradictory, whileotherssimplyrestatethe
onjuvenilejusticein 1994"learnedthatthemajority
ofcases, some75%, aredivertedtoinformal opinionofapreviouspanel.
probation." We find the ability of the three branches of
Thepurposeofinformalprobation,
government and the non-profit sector to adopt these
accordingtoChapter 119, Section 39E, isto
"resolvethesituationwhichformedthebasisofthe recommendations, or some combination, an adequate
applicationorpetitionandwhichwilleliminatethe measure of society's attempt to correct the identified
needforajudicialtrialonthemerits."
Duringtheinformalphaseaprobationofficer shortcomingsoftheCHINS system.
may suggestawide, buthighlyfragmented, array Theratingsusedimplytheaccomplishmentofa
ofservices. However,theyouthandfamilymayor
specificrecommendationanddonotreflectaCitizensfor
maynotchoosetoparticipate. Servicesthatmaybe
availabletotheyouthandfamily(psychiatric, JuvenileJusticeassessmentoftherecommendationasa
psychological,educational,occupational,medical, proper public policy. Consequently, a panel
recreational,social,mediation)varywidelyamong
recommendation may receive a positive rating
courtjurisdictions,andtheprobationofficerwiththe
cooperationofthecourt"mustascertainwhether notwithstanding our subsequent critique of the
suchservices [andfunding] areavailable."
recommendationasanimproperpubUcpolicy. Analysis
OnlyinfrequentlydoesapetitionforCHINS
everproceedtotrial. "Inthemajorityofcases, andopinion,tothebestofourability,isreservedfor:Part
thereisnohearingandnoadjudication;childrenare II: The UnfinishedAgenda.
usuallyreferredtotheprobationofficerforinformal
assistance." Thefourreportsexaminedincludethe 1987Report
Often a delinquency charge, a Care and of the Governor's/Massachusetts Bar Association's
Protectionpetition (abuse andneglect) or the
CommissionontheUnmetLegal NeedofChildren,the
advancing age ofthe youth supercede afiill trial
on the merits. 1989 SpecialLegislative Commission on Children-in-
Ifatrialonthemeritsoccursandtheyouthis Need-of-Services,theFinalReportofthe 1994Supreme
found"inneedofservices,"thecourtmaydirect
JudicialCourtCommissiononJuvenileJustice, andthe
similarservicesasprovidedduringtheinformal
probationphaseorplacethechildinthecareofa 1998BostonBarAssociationTaskForceonChildrenIn
relative,aprobationofficeroracharitable NeedofServices: ReportonTruancy. Themajorityofthe
organizationandwithinlimitationstoastateagency.
recommendations arereprintedas stated in theoriginal
Primary Source: MassachusettsJuvenileCourtBench reports;however, fortheconvenienceofthereader, we
Book,Partn,CHINS. MCLE, 1998.
4 CrrizENSFORJuvenileJustice
Report of the Governor's/Massachusetts Bar
consolidated and reformatted a limited number of
Association's Commission (1987)
recommendations and provided a brief commission
CommissionSummary
summary.
The Commission offered four specific CHINS
Lastly, the CHINS Report Card charts the
recommendationsas partofalargerreportonthe unmet
progress of the implementation of reform
legal needsofchildren, includingthreeissues inherently
recommendations. Limited success toward
linked with child poverty in Massachusetts: 1) state
accomplishmentshouldnotreflectontherecommending
interventioninfamilylifefortheprotectionofthechild,2)
panel.
efficiency andfairnessofcourtfunctions, and 3) system
CitizensforJuvenileJusticereliedonawidearray
resources andtraining. The Commission did not make
ofsources, includingtheagencychargedwith initiating
detailedrecommendationsontheCHINSstatute,because
thesuggestedpolicy, todetermine specificratings.
theCommissionmembersrepresented"widelydivergent
We
establishedfiveratings:
viewsastohowextensivelythecourtsshouldbeinvolved
A. Outstandingforcompleteornearly
in CHINS-type cases, if at all." The Commission
completeaccomplishmentofacommission
acknowledged that the court can, in particular cases,
recommendation.
"nudge"disinclinedyouthandfamiliestosuccessfullyavail
B. Satisfactoryforconsiderableachievementofa
themselvesofservices. TheCommissionwasco-chaired
recommendation.
by the Honorable Sheila McGovem and S. Stephen
C. NeedsImprovementformeasurableprogress
Rosenfeld, ChiefLegalCounseltotheGovernor(1983-
withsignificantmarginforadditional
1987). TheMassachusetts BarAssociation underwrote
achievement.
theproductionofthereport.
F. Failure.
N. NotAccomplishedforrecommendationsthat
SpecificRecommendations
eitherbydateorcircumstancesitwould
#1 IntheinitialstagesofproceedingsinvolvingCHENS,
:
beunreasonabletoholdtheintended
thecourtshouldconsider,ontherecord,whetherthechild
agencyfullyaccountable. Forinstancethe
shouldbereferredto the localeducationalagency fora
performanceofanagencyfunctionmay
Chapter766 [specialeducation] Teamevaluation, ifthe
becontingentuponlegislativeaction.
factsindicatepossibleimpairmentofthechild'sabilityto
progresseffectivelyinaregulareducationprogram. Parents
orlegal guardians - orchildren themselves ifover 14 -
shouldbepartiestosuchconsideration. Inaddition,the
OfficeforChildrenshouldreceivefundstosupportresearch
andadvocacyrelatedtochildren'sspecialeducationand
otherneeds.
F. Failure. Special education evaluations are
conductedbyschooldistrictsonly. Thecourtmaysuggest
CHINS ReportCard:TheUnrnishedAgenda 5
thatadistrictconductanevaluationbuttheJuvenileCourt agencyvendorsprovidingforensicmentalhealthservices.
BenchBookmakesclearthatthediscretiontoconductan The bulkofthejuvenilecourtclinic caseloadinvolves
evaluationrestswiththeschooldistrict,notthecourt. CHINSanddeUnquentyouth,althoughinsomecounties,
Additionally, newly adopted Department of suchas SuffolkCounty, theclinicshandle asignificant
Education regulations effective September 1, 2000 numberofCare andProtection (abuseandneglect)case
eliminatedtruancyasaspecifictriggerforspecialeducation referrals. Theclinicsrespondtoformalforensicquestions
CMR
evaluations, according to 603 310. Equally fromthecourt,suchascompetencetostandtrialandoffer
important,eveniftruancywasaspecifictriggerforaspecial evaluationsthatmayincluderecommendationsforservices
education evaluation, state law defines truancy as a fromastateagencyorcommunity-basedresource.^
"persistent" absence from school. The CHINS statute
doesnotnumericallydefine"persistent,"andassuch,each #4: Increased funding should be made available to
schooldistrictisallowedtodefinetruancyonitsownterms. encourage expanded use of mediation by the courts -
TheOfficeofChildrenwasrestructuredin 1996(nowthe particularly inCHINS cases - asaninformalalternative
OfficeforChildCareServices),andseveralofitsfunctions forfamilies willingtotry mediationbeforeresortingto
wereeliminated. litigation.
B. Satisfactory. The SupremeJudicialCourt's
#2: The ChiefAdministrativeJudge oftheTrialCourt StandingCommitteeonDisputeResolutionhasapproved
shouldestablishacommitteetodevelopandpromulgate nine CHINS mediation programs serving youth in the
uniform, comprehensive, writtenrulesorstandards for followingcounties:Bamstable,Berkshire,Bristol,Franklin,
everyDepartmentoftheTrialCourt,includingProbation, Hampshire, Hampden,Middlesex,NorfolkandSuffolk.
governingchildreninneedofservices. However, Plymouth, WorcesterandEssex counties do
B. Satisfactory. The Massachusetts Juvenile nothave aCHINS mediationprogramaccordingtothe
CourtBenchBook, authoredby leadingjuvenilecourt StandingCommittee's 1999report.
judges,providesthejudiciarywithstep-by-stepprocedures
forCHINScasesbeforethecourt. In 1990,theProbation
CommissionerestablishedstandardsinCHINS casesas
directedbytheChiefAdministrativeJustice.
#3: Mentalhealthclinicsshouldbeestabhshed,underthe
aegisoftheDepartmentofMentalHealth,forallcourtsin
whichchildandfamilyissuesareheard.
B. Satisfactory. Undera 1999interagencyservice
agreement between the expanded Juvenile Court
DepartmentandtheDepartmentofMentalHealth,juvenile
courtclinicsfunctionineachcounty,staffedbycontracted
CitizensforJuvenileJustice