Juvenile Justice Week In Allegheny County

1. Juvenile Justice WeekInAllegheny County

2. What Is Scheduled • Forum/Presentation • BARJ Into Your Lives Day • Open House • Youth Awards/Presentation of Check to CVVC • New Probation Officer Swearing In Ceremony • Roast of Senior Probation Officer (40 years on the job) • Dollars for Restitution Day • Special Evening Event for Youth

3. When To Get Started • Planning begins no later than March (Six (6) months in advance of JJW) • Why so early? • Court Calendars need to be cleared and/or limits put on number of cases on days with events scheduled • Commitments needed from Administration and Judges – The sooner the better to get on everyone’s calendar • A guest speaker should be contacted as soon as possible to get on their schedule

4. What Is The Cost? • Between $2,000 - $3,000 • The cost is relatively small • Compared to the number of events throughout the JJW • The amount of positive exposure and feedback the Court will receive from JJW

5. What Do You Need To Start? • A core group of volunteers • A chairperson who is very organized individual, due to the size and number of events during JJW • Volunteers should be both Probation Officers and Support Staff (It is very important to engage the entire staff – not just probation) • The support of the Judges • An organized, reasonable plan for the week • A theme for the week

6. Forum/Presentation • What should the subject of the forum/presentation be? • The subject should be the same as the theme for JJW • Who and how many should be on forum? • No more than five (5) people should be on panel • Depending on theme – panelists could be Probation Officer, Police Officer, CVVC, Teacher, Judge, etc.

7. Forum/Presentation • What day should it be scheduled on? • JJW is usually the same week as the Jewish high holiday Rosh Hashanah • You need to be sensitive not to schedule any event the evening of the Jewish holiday • Who should be invited? • Juvenile Court Staff, Judges, Police, ADA, PD, CVVC, Community Leaders, etc.

8. Forum/Presentation • When do you send how invitations? • Flyers are sent to Juvenile Court staff approximately six (6) weeks prior to the event • Letters from the CJPO to police, attorneys, community leaders is sent via US mail approximately one (1) month prior to event • The RSVP date should be for one (1) week prior to the event

9. What Do You Need for the Forum/Presentation? • A room large enough to hold the anticipated crowd • Audio equipment so speakers can be heard throughout the room • Enough chairs to accommodate crowd • A facilitator for the forum • A banquet table for panelist • A podium for the facilitator

10. BARJ into Your Lives Day • What is “BARJ into Your Lives Day?” • A day to education the public on the principles of Balanced and Restorative Justice • A day to publicly display what we are doing to implement these principles? • How? • Informational tables in the lobby of the Courthouse

11. BARJ into Your Lives Day • What kind of informational tables? • Community Protection • Our EHM/Home Detention Department • Victim Awareness • CVVC – Shoe Project • Youth Competency • Our D & A Unit • Balanced & Restorative Justice Pledge • Staff & public are asked to sign banner

12. Open House • What time should it be scheduled? • From experience we have found 9 – noon is a good time span • Who should be invited? • High school students and the public • How and when should you notify schools of Open House? • Letters should be sent to both the principal and the Social Studies Department at every high school in your County by August 15th

13. Open House • What should you have at the Open House? • Juvenile Court informational tables on various departments • Provider informational tables • Lectures on various subjects • Tour of holding cells • “Ask the Judge” sessions

14. How Do You Start Organizing an Open House? • Create registration forms • Identify what departments will participate in Open House • Ask a staff member to be the “team” leader for each department • Identify providers you would like to participate • Send a letter and registration form to the provider’s director

15. How Do You Start Organizing an Open House? • Identify what subjects you want to highlight at the mini lectures? • Contact person who will be able to conduct the lectures • Send out confirmation letters and registration forms to contact person • Write and/or email all your Judges to ask them to participate in the “Ask the Judge” sessions

16. What Will I Need for an Open House? • Tables • One banquet tables for each informational table you have booked for the Open House • Electricity – • Some tables will require electrical outlets • Projectors, Computers, etc. • Informational tables or lectures might require – Some tables may need audio or video equipment

17. What Will I Need for an Open House? • A floor plan for tables and traffic flow • With large crowds coming in – make sure there is enough room for crowd movement • Walkie-Talkies • This is extremely helpful for the flow of traffic • Plastic “Thank You” Bags • Students will need something to put brochures, etc. into

18. What Will I Need for an Open House? • Volunteers for the following • Escorts for students - should be Probation Officers • Traffic control outside building for buses • Registration desk • Courtroom Monitors – to control length of time spent in each courtroom • Clerical needs • Set up and clean up crews

19. What Will I Need for an Open House? • Brochures on every department • Annual Reports • Report Card • Giveaways – pens, magnets, etc. • Signs for each table/lectures • Table charts for informational tables

20. Youth Awards • How do you get started? • Decided on a theme • Send a letter to every PO and provider at least three (3) months prior to JJW • Speak to the Judges • Have them order the youth to write a essay for JJW • Ask for volunteers to judge the contests

21. Youth Awards • Who is the contest open to? • All active delinquent youth in your County • A separate contest should be held for visiting students • What do they win? • All active youth will receive a participation certificate • Winners will receive a certificate and the winning essay/poster will be displayed in the Juvenile Court Waiting Room

22. Youth Award • The visiting students’ contest winners will receive a plaque • Active Youth will be presented their certificates at a ceremony • Who attends the ceremony? • Active youth, Judges, PO’s, Administration, Juvenile Court staff, etc.

23. Dollars for Restitution Day • What is “Dollars for Restitution Day?” • Employees are asked to donate $5 to wear jeans on this day • The money collected is put towards the restitution owed by unemployable offenders under the age of 16 • A flyer is sent out one (1) month prior to date – money is collected up to the day

24. Media • How do you engage the media? • Write letters to all news outlets in your area – at least four (4) months prior to JJW • Suggest in the letter your idea for a news segment • Follow up with phone calls and/or emails • Don’t forget radio morning programs • Locally produced programs are always looking for new ideas

25. Miscellaneous • Youth activity is planned for Friday evening • Allegheny County Juvenile Court Report Card is distributed • New PO Swearing In Ceremony is scheduled during this week