www.reclaimingfutures.org a model for judicial leadership leadership off the bench american...

www.reclaimingfutures.orgA Model for Judicial Leadership

Leadership Off the Bench

American Judges/NASJE ConferenceSeattle, WAOctober 7, 2015


Learning Objectives • Discuss the role of the judge as convener and collaborator in

system change.

• Identify strategies that engage courts, mental health, treatment and the community to build public trust and confidence, identify cost effective solutions, and help people to be successful.

• Focus on sustainability at all stages of implementation.

• Case Study: Recognize the scope of substance abuse and why there is a need for a different approach in the justice system.

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Setting the Stage

• Substance use disorder continues to be a leading factor in the criminal behavior of offenders.

• The judiciary has an ethical obligation to be a leader in system reform on and off the bench.

• Judges must become active players in a broader community effort to promote effective substance abuse treatment and positive development.


Children in Trouble• 1 in 20 arrests of

young people are for

serious, violent

crimes like murder,

rape or aggravated

assault. About 80

percent of those

taken in to state

custody are locked

up for drug offenses,

misdemeanors or

property crime.

• As many as four in five teens in

trouble with the law are abusing

drugs and alcohol. • Only 10 percent of youth with a

substance use disorder can

actually access treatment.


Adults in Trouble

• 80% of adult offenders abuse drugs or alcohol.• Almost 95% of these offenders will continue to

abuse drugs or alcohol after being released.• 60-80% will re-offend, typically drug driven.

The United States has the largest prison population of any developed county.

Over half of the Federal inmates sentenced to prison terms exceeding one year are incarcerated for drug related offenses.


Scope of the ProblemSubstance Use Among Youth and Adults

Alcohol Marijuana Any Illicit Drug (Past Year) (Past Month) (Lifetime)

Ages 12-17

Ages 18-25

Ages 26 and over

(Past Year) (Past Month) (Lifetime) (Past Year) (Past Month) (Lifetime)

24.6% 11.6% 30.8%

76.8% 59.6% 83.8%

69.6% 55.9% 87.3%

13.4% 7.1% 16.4%

31.6% 7.9% 51.9%

9.2% 5.6% 45.7%

17.2% 8.8% 23.3%

35.8% 21.5% 57.0%

12.3% 7.3% 50.2%


The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration released the National Survey on Drug Use and Health in June 2015. The latest survey revealed the data .


Courts in Trouble• Courtrooms are

full.• Court records

offices are severely behind managing court documents.

• When Courts are overworked, access to justice is delayed.

• Drugs are a much more prevalent part of our communities and Courts are beginning to realize that management practices that were sufficient twenty years ago are ineffective at addressing modern day problems.

New Strategies for Old Challenges


• Tangible outcomes

• Judicial authority and involvement

• Collaboration

• Non-traditional roles

• System change

The Problem-Solving Court


Resolutions and Court Rules Supporting Judicial LeadershipConference of Chief Justices/ Conference of State Court Administrators :Resolution 22

• Found evidence of broad support

for problem-solving courts

• Supported judicial leadership in integrating

treatment services with judicial case management

• Endorsed judicial collaboration with community-

based and government organizations


Local Ethical Considerations• In your jurisdiction, what court rules have been established

that defined judicial leadership beyond the bench?

What information do you lack about state specific court rules

and from whom will you gather this information?

• What conflicts exist between our discussion of judges’ roles

and your own state's rules? Where will you

get clarification?

• With whom will you speak to find out about other judges who

have initiated system reborn in your own state? What would

you do to find out more about what they are doing?


Questions for Community Change

• What do persons in trouble with drugs, alcohol and crime need to be successful?

• Can we create partnerships between communities and institutions to help them?

• How do we move the system in this direction?


Gaps in the System• No national standards for identifying these persons

and getting them service.

• Promising models in court are regarded as

“specialty” programs, such as drug courts or

veterans courts.

• Evidence-based practices for alcohol and drug

treatment are not being utilized.

• No standards to integrate care across justice and

treatment and other supports in the offender’s life.


Public Attitudes

• News coverage is incomplete and/or

misleading

• Advocates need to be more vocal about

getting offenders the treatment they need…

and how that reduces crime, lightens court

case flow concerns, saves money, and

builds safer communities


Opportunities and ChallengesAddressing substance abuse and court-involved persons in your community

1. What opportunities have been available in your community to

address these issues?

For example: resources such as grant money, new service providers, additional staff;

new partnerships with stakeholders; events that have drawn attention to substance abuse, or the

court in your community?

2. What challenges have you faced in your efforts

to address these issues in your community?

For example: policies, regulations or laws; community perspectives, community history

such as a failed initiative, a scandal or conflict.

Judges must use a shared leadership

approach with communities to improve

outcomes forcourt-involved

substance-abusing people and their

families.

Shared Leadership

Solutions


Why Judicial Leadership• Unique Position

• Effective Administration of Justice

• Convener

• Bridge Gaps

• Represent the Courts

• Citizen Involvement


• Relationship- The Judge should take the initiative to develop

strong, diverse bonds throughout the community, and continually

foster those relationships.

• Ownership- The community, as well as the bench, must

acknowledge the existence of the problem.

• Interdependence- All members of the team must rely on each

other’s strengths.

• Open communication- Encourage free flowing, dynamic

communication between not only the community participants and

the bench, but also the offenders you strive to assist.

A Shared Leadership Approach


• Mobilizing the community

to create recovery

networks and

opportunities for

offenders is of critical

importance.

• The community has

ideas, commitment, and

passion.

• The community can push

for changes that often

cannot occur from within

government systems.

Why Community

Involvement?


The Eight Stages of a Successful Change Process

1. Establish a sense of urgency

2. Form a powerful guiding coalition

3. Create a vision

4. Communicate the vision

5. Empower others to act on the vision

6. Plan for and create short-term wins

7. Consolidate improvements and produce still more

change

8. Institutionalize new approaches


• Who needs to be at the

table?

• Ensuring diversity and

inclusion

• Strategies for outreach

Convening Community

Leaders


Identifying Stakeholders and Collaborators

• Allies

• Critics

• Informants

• Decision-makers

• Leaders – formal and informal

• Connectors and

information collectors

• Insiders

• Other stakeholders


Ensure Diversity and Inclusion

• Recognize institutional

racism and its impact

on inclusion

• Economic strata

representation

• Gender representation

• Sexual orientation

• Disability

• Age – youth, adults, and the

elderly

• Neighborhood representation

• Frontline workers

• Other ?


Engaging the Community in Systems Change• Process for creating a shared vision

• Define success and success indicators:

outcomes and incremental change

• Asset approach to problem-solving

• Celebrate success


Elements of a Shared Vision• Drives entire planning process

• Expresses possibility – ideal future state

in 10 – 15 years

• Serves as a foundation underlying goals,

plans, and policies

• Focuses on people and quality of life

• Uses language easily understood by all

• Is reached by consensus


Imagine 10 years into the future and your community has taken all the steps needed for its offenders to remain crime drug free.

1. What words do you want your grandchildren to use to describe the people and families in your community?

2. If the very best quality of life existed in your community, what would be happening with people and families?

3. What common values exist across all perspectives and interest within your community, and how they manifest themselves? What is unique to your community that no other community has, and what does it look like 15 years from now?

Creating a Shared Vision


Define Success and Develop Success Indicators• Identify gaps and resources

• Develop outcome statement

• Define success

• Determine success indicators

• Develop measurable goals

• Determine objectives for each goal


Develop Outcome Statements and Determine Goals Outcome: We will have a substantial increase in the number of law-abiding, drug-free citizens in Montgomery County.Goals:• All persons who come in contact with the court

are screened for substance abuse problems.

• All who screen positive receive a comprehensive assessment.

• Based on assessment, evidence-based treatment is initiated within 14 days.

Example


Asset Approach to Problem-Solving• Uncovers community assets and strengths.

• Uses their assets to move toward desired

outcomes.

• Reframes problems as opportunities.

• Inspires community to mobilize around common

vision.

• Builds relationships for problem-solving.


Deficit Approach to Problem-Solving• Community members see themselves as needy.

• Outsiders see a picture of a broken

or problematic community.

• Needy people become consumers of services.

• Creativity and energy become focused on dealing

with the system.

• Cycle of dependency is deepened.


Celebrate Success!

• When a major or even

minor goal is accomplished

• When your collaborative is

working hard toward

reaching your goals

• When the media presents a

positive story or article

about the court

• When your collaborative

receives a grant, an award,

or contribution

• When the efforts of the

court are positively

recognized throughout the

community

• When a cost effective

solution is realized

• Your ideas

To Honor Their Souls

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The challenge is great, but we are here to help.


Anthony Capizzi, JudgeMontgomery County

Juvenile CourtDayton, Ohio 937-496-6600

[email protected]

Contact Information

mailto:[email protected]

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