NCJ Number
199655
Date Published
January 2003
Length
57 pages
Annotation
This report presents the results of a national demonstration in 15 cities designed to assess the effectiveness of faith-based institutions in working with youth involved in the juvenile justice system.
Abstract
This report indicates whether small faith-based organizations can work effectively together, along with the benefits and challenges; difficulties in faith-based organizations working with juvenile justice agencies to form partnerships; and whether faith-based organizations and justice agencies make effective partners. The 15 programs participating in the demonstration vary in size, geographic location, denomination, and program strategies. Currently, 127 predominantly small African-American faith-based organizations or congregations are involved in the initiative across the sites. The congregations were found to be highly motivated to minister to youth in their neighborhoods and welcomed the opportunity to pool their resources with other congregations, as they shared facilities, political networks, and volunteers. There were few tensions in interdenominational partnerships, but some tensions were evident in inter-faith partnerships. Four sites succeeded in forming inter-faith partnerships among Christian, Muslim, Jewish, and other faiths. Justice organizations were found to be eager and willing to collaborate with the faith community. Faith-based programs used their own religious networks, including congregations or ministerial alliances, to find decisionmakers within the juvenile justice community who would be supportive of their work. In each city involved in the demonstration, the faith-based organization found several arms of the juvenile justice system with which it could partner. Juvenile courts and juvenile probation departments have been the most common partners. Juvenile justice officials cautioned the faith community not to proselytize and trusted they would respect these guidelines. Justice representatives also were sure to make available secular alternatives for youth who did not want to attend a faith-based program. At this point in the demonstration, only one-third of all youth participants come to faith-based programs from the justice system. Only four sites in the demonstration have received more than half of their referrals from the justice system. This may be due to the fact that some justice partners have been reluctant to make significant numbers of referrals until they are convinced of the faith-based programs' capacity to deliver on the services promised. Still, even when the faith-based program has proven its capacity to serve high-risk youth, justice referrals are modest; therefore, faith-based programs have had to invest time and resources in recruiting youth from other sources to fill their programs to capacity. 4 tables, 11 notes, 5 references, and appended site descriptions