NCJ Number
232154
Date Published
2006
Length
30 pages
Annotation
This paper discusses the effectiveness of the Reclaiming Futures project,launched in 2002 by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to address how juvenile justice systems throughout the United States can effectively respond to substance abuse problems among juvenile offenders.
Abstract
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's 10-site demonstration project, Reclaiming Futures, is an effort to improve communitywide responses to substance abuse problems among juvenile involved youth. Ten unique communities (Alaska, California, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, New Hampshire, Ohio, Oregon, and Washington, and the tribal nation of Sicangu Lakota in South Dakota) developed and then pilot-tested an integrated, community partnership model for addressing the pervasive challenges of substance abuse among juvenile offenders. Reclaiming Futures relies on community partnerships to improve treatment quality, strengthen local leadership, expand inter-organizational collaboration, and create systems of shared performance management. Evaluation results suggest that the Reclaiming Futures approach is a potentially effective method of implementing local solutions to the substance abuse problems of youthful offenders. Reclaiming Futures allows the juvenile justice system to ensure that youths receive screening, assessment, and an array of supportive and therapeutic services in a timely and effective manner. Even when adequate services are not yet available, implementing the Reclaiming Futures model provides performance measures that can be used to advocate for additional services based on evidence of need. References and appendix