Is Juvenile Justice the Right Place to Manage Drug Treatment for Teens?

December 6, 2007
9:00 - 10:30 a.m

Most publicly funded adolescent substance abuse treatment is provided and managed by the juvenile justice system, and juvenile courts and allied agencies are often the first responders to teen drug problems. But is this the right approach?

The juvenile justice system's fundamental goal is public safety. Are the missions of justice and treatment truly compatible, or will treatment be inevitably compromised when it is coordinated by the justice system?

Researchers and practitioners debate these and other issues in light of the recent findings of the Urban Institute/Chapin Hall national evaluation of Reclaiming Futures, an initiative of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to improve the integration of juvenile justice and substance abuse services.

Welcome
	Kathleen Courrier, Urban Institute
Opening Remarks / Overview
	Neely Tucker, The Washington Post
Presentations
	John Roman, Urban Institute
	Jeffrey A. Butts, Chapin Hall Center for Children
	Emmitt Hayes, Jr., Travis County (Texas) Juvenile Probation Department
	Heike Gramckow, National Center for State Courts
	Question and answer session
Complete Recording
	Download the complete recording here.

Resources

Speaker Bios

"Changing Systems: Outcomes from the RWJF Reclaiming Futures Initiative on Juvenile Justice and Substance Abuse"

Data on juvenile drug use and crime patterns

Substance Abuse Services Department flyer
Travis (Texas) County

"Snapshot of youth receiving substance abuse services from the Travis County Juvenile Probation Department"

European Monitoring Centre for Drug and Drug Addiction
"Annual Report 2007"
Chapter 2: Responding to drug problems in Europe — an overview

"Drug Court Evaluations: Looking at the Trend Line"