Rep. Stacey Abrams: “I am a supporter of the Juvenile Code rewrite”

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We’re asking lawmakers to weigh in on issues affecting children and the juvenile justice system in Georgia. We’re kicking off this JJIE.org interview series, with some insight from Representative Stacey Abrams (D-DeKalb) on the challenges ahead for the Department of Juvenile Justice,  now charged with helping troubled children amid severe budget cuts. State Representative Stacey Abrams

Newly-appointed Minority Leader
Sits on the Juvenile Justice Sub-Committee of the Judiciary  Non-Civil Committee

What do you consider to be some of the main pressing issues facing juvenile justice in Georgia? I am very interested in working with the new Commissioner Amy Howell as I was with the former commissioner on issues of juvenile justice because it is an important issue. How we deal with our children speaks to the stability of our communities and to so many larger structural issues in our state.

New DJJ Commissioner Talks To Lawmakers About Budget

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The harsh realities of the new year’s budget woes continue to sink in for Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) brass. Newly appointed Commissioner Amy Howell has formally shared the governor’s budget recommendations with members of the House and Senate appropriations committee. In a 20-minute budget hearings presentation Wednesday Howell, a former DJJ deputy commissioner, outlined the agency’s structure, highlighted challenges that further revenue slashes could impose and emphasized the critical role that legislative support would play in helping the agency continue to fulfill its mission. In his first state-of the-state address last week, new Governor Nathan Deal proposed cutting all agency budgets by four percent on average during the rest of the fiscal year ending in June and another seven percent during fiscal 2012. “We’re very cognizant of the incredible difficult economic times that the state is facing and we know that these difficulties are across the board for all agencies,” says DJJ spokeswoman Scheree Moore.

Joint Appropriations Committee Hears From New DJJ Commissioner

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The harsh realities of the new year’s budget woes continue to sink in for Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) brass. Newly appointed Commissioner Amy Howell has formally presented her concerns and suggestions about the agency’s inevitable revenue slashes to members of the House and Senate appropriations committee. In a 20-minute budget hearings presentation Wednesday Howell, a former DJJ deputy commissioner, outlined the agency’s structure, highlighted challenges that further budgets cuts could impose and emphasized the critical role that legislative support would play in helping the agency continue to fulfill its mission. In his first state-of the-state address last week, new Governor Nathan Deal proposed cutting all agency budgets by four percent on average during the rest of the fiscal year ending in June and another seven percent during fiscal 2012. “We’re very cognizant of the incredible difficult economic times that the state is facing and we know that these difficulties are across the board for all agencies,” says DJJ spokeswoman Scheree Moore.

DJJ Escapes Draconian Budget Cuts, But Still Faces New Belt Tightening

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Governor Nathan Deal’s first State of the State address is making headlines for his promise to end teacher furloughs, prioritize K-12 education, and rescue HOPE scholarships.  A close reading of his new budget plans should also give the 4,200 employees of the Department of Juvenile Justice a little breathing room, but not much. As we reported last week, the agency has already lost more than 20% of its funding in the last 3 years, and doing more with less.  While the cutting continues, it won’t be as severe as it might have been.  Here are the numbers for both the amended 2011 budget and the 2012 budget:

The amended FY2011 budget calls for 4% in reductions, totaling $10.5 Million. Eleven full time positions will be sliced agency wide, but nine of those are currently vacant. Youth Detention Centers face about $3.3Million in cuts, including:

Hiring freeze to save $1.25 Million.

Doing More with Less: What DJJ Budget Cuts Really Mean for Children

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As Georgia faces its greatest budget crisis since the Great Depression, the state Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) has been forced to make drastic budget cuts.  The last three years have seen a reduction of more than 20% in state funding.  And future cuts of up to 10% for FY 2012 are possible. Jeff Minor, long time DJJ Chief Financial Officer, explains these losses in stark terms:

In FY 2009, DJJ’s base budget totaled nearly $343 million.  By 2011, the budget was down to $266 million. The FY 2012 budget faces further cuts, from $15.4 million in a best case scenario to $25.7 million in a worst case scenario. Over a three year period, the cuts could total nearly 30%. In addition, says Minor, the agency lost more than $80 million in one-time budget cuts, largely absorbed through staff furloughs and hiring freezes.

Letter from Juvenile Justice Commissioner Garland Hunt

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Commissioner Garland Hunt sent a heartfelt letter to his DJJ staff on Thursday.  The letter comes in the wake of news that he will not be reappointed to the post.  Governor-elect Nathan Deal has nominated Deputy Commissioner Amy Howell, who will be the first woman ever to run the Juvenile Justice agency. Hunt‘s letter, addressed to the “DJJ Family”, praises their work and resonates with sadness.  Here’s how it starts:
It is with much regret that I must inform you of the Deal Administration’s decision to not reappoint me as the Commissioner. In a very short time, I developed a sincere love for all of the young people that have been entrusted in DJJ’s care. I quickly realized that we must encourage and believe in them.  Our success as an agency is determined by their success in life. I would encourage you to always keep hope in your hearts for a change in their lives.

New DJJ Policy Lowers Costs, Raises Concerns

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Thanks to a new Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) policy overcrowding is no longer an option in Georgia’s Regional Youth Development Centers (RYDCs). There are concerns, however, that the mandate to maintain a smaller number of kids in facilities could potentially become an expensive logistical nightmare for law enforcement. Now when RYDCs reach the new lowered population levels, law enforcement officers are required to drive the juveniles to the nearest available facility – whether it’s 10 or 100 miles away. “Concerns have been raised that there are going to be longer trips and it’s going to cost more to move kids from one center to the other and to transport them to court, “ said Rob Rosenbloom, DJJ Deputy Commissioner. “It’s a legitimate concern, but our hands are tied due to budget constraints.

Children’s Agencies Push for Data Driven Progress, Common Goals at Statewide Conference

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Georgia ranks near the bottom on almost every index of child well-being charted by KIDS COUNT, the annual survey that tracks children and families in all 50 states.  While the state has made progress on issues like child deaths, teen pregnancy and high school graduation rates, Georgia sits at #42. So when 500 people who provide services for children got together this week at the Georgia Conference on Children and Families, they had plenty to talk about. Leaders of the largest state agencies and non-profits who guide child policy came together in front of a full house on Wednesday to send a message about sharing common goals and measuring progress with data. “We have to work together by developing outcomes we agree to and track,” said Normer Adams, executive director of the Georgia Association of Homes and Services for Children. "Child welfare has changed so much over the years it really needed a break from the past. We have moved away from the model of child rescue to the model of family restoration. It’s more informed by research and outcomes than in the past. What we know from research is that children are best cared for by their families."

Judge Steve Teske: The Silent Majority

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A young boy is ripped from his family.  As he is placed in the back of a stranger’s car, he looks out the back window and sees his mom crying and his dad in the back of a police car.  He doesn’t understand. He is scared. He can’t stop crying. 

A young teenager is running the streets and getting into trouble.  He is stealing and getting into fights to survive.  He knows he is ready to kill if he has to. A young man was neglected and sexually abused as a child.  He sees no purpose in life. Death, at times, seems more inviting than life.

Normer Adams: DJJ Budget Tragedy

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If you thought that the Department of Human Services budget was bad, the Department of Juvenile Justice is a tragedy.  Their FY2012 budget is $102 million less than it was in FY2009.  This represents more than a 30% cut from their 2009 base. In order to meet their budget, significant cuts are proposed to community residential services to youth, cuts to staff, furloughs, and contracts for services. The implications of these cuts are very evident to DJJ as itemized in their impact statement.  DJJ's ability to meet its core responsibilities are at risk.  In order to continue to meet their obligations, DJJ is proposing additional legislation that will allow it to reduce the number of children entering secure facilities, manage the length of stay in facilities and offer more community services. A detailed analysis presented by the Department shows with legislative support they could move more than 270 children charged with status offenses out of secure facilities into community programs.