REDUCING THE SCHOOL-TOPRISON PIPELINE
A Strategy to Serve High-Risk Youth
Juvenile Justice Summit, April 25, 2017
L INDA BARTON, DIRECTOR, WYOMING AFTERSCHOOL AL LIANCE
CRAIG WILLIAMS, WHITE, RI LEY, PETERSON FELLOW
WYOMING AFTERSCHOOL ALLIANCE
WHO WE ARE
• Statewide Afterschool Network since 2007, funded by Charles
Stewart Mott Foundation and a priority fund of the Wyoming
Community Foundation
• Support all afterschool programs in the state with:
 Professional Development and Training
 Annual Statewide Afterschool Conference
 Ensure equal access to high quality programs in every
community
 Develop statewide initiatives that support positive youth
outcomes, and success in school and life
TODAY’S CROWD
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Afterschool Providers
Legal and Judicial Professionals
School District Leaders
State Government Agencies
State and Federal Legislators
Non-profit organizations (NPO)
Mental Health Professionals
County Prevention Coalitions
County Government
Law Enforcement
JUVENILE JUSTICE IN WYOMING
 As of 2012, Wyoming ranks *2nd in the nation for youth under court order
to a detention facility or other residential placement.
 Wyoming also ranks *4th in the nation for school referrals to law
enforcement.
 Wyoming ranks *1st in the nation for suicides among children and youth.
 Research has shown that formal processing of youth through court
systems does not reduce subsequent offending and probably increases
the likelihood for reoffending.
 Both of these statistics are attributed to lack of community-based options
and resources due in part to Wyoming’s rural nature.
*Based on per capita
WHY AFTERSCHOOL IS A SYSTEM OF SUPPORT
 Provide expanded learning opportunities for children and youth
during high-risk hours between 3-6pm and summer learning
 Provide activities that support positive youth development
 Offer least restrictive environments for at-risk youth
 Provide highly-qualified staff who become positive and nurturing
adult mentors.
 Research shows that worker productivity goes up when parents
know their children are safe afterschool.
 DEFINITIONS:
“At-risk youth” applies to those who are less likely to transition
successfully into adulthood and achieve economic self-sufficiency
By The
Numbers
SERVING AT-RISK CHILDREN & YOUTH
NUMBER OF YOUTH
SERVED*
COST PER YOUTH/YEAR*
16000
12000
14000
10000
12000
10000
8000
6000
4000
2000
0
AFTERSCHOOL
PROGRAMS
14,000
3RD TIER
8000
INTERVENTIONS
6000
1,855
4000
AFTERSCHOOL
PROGRAMS
$800
3RD TIER
INTERVENTIONS
$9,000
2000
0
*average values based on 2016 data from 21st Century Community Learning Center afterschool providers and Wyoming
DFS
HISTORY OF THE PROJECT
 In Fall 2013, WYAA became interested in understanding the School-toPrison Pipeline, and how afterschool and summer programs can help.
 We know that afterschool and summer programs are important
prevention and intervention strategies for at-risk children.
 Research shows that afterschool programs keep kids safe, support
positive youth development, and help kids graduate from high school.
 In Fall 2015, WYAA received funding from Sargent Foundation to begin
efforts on: Reducing the School-to-Prison Pipeline – Leading with
Afterschool
 The results are in…….
SURVEYS CONDUCTED IN 2016
Afterschool
Program
Providers
Wyoming
Stakeholders &
Professionals
School
Resource
Officers
STATEWIDE
DATA
WE WANTED TO KNOW FROM EACH
GROUP:
 Barriers to serving at-risk children/youth
 Challenges in working with at-risk children/youth
 Knowledge of the afterschool field and its work
 What training is needed
Afterschool
Program
Providers
BARRIERS TO PROVIDING
SERVICES TO AT-RISK YOUTH
 Access to IEPs for specific understanding of needs
 Other confidentiality issues such as parent approvals, court
orders, and/or custody
 Cooperation and communication with school personnel
 Funding for experts to provide behavior management strategies
 Staffing and professional development opportunities
School
Resource
Officers
DESCRIBE THE MAJOR CHALLENGES YOU
EXPERIENCE WHILE WORKING WITH ATRISK YOUTH
Number 1 Response: “Behavior Issues and Attitudes”
Interested in professional development opportunities:
- Confidentiality Laws and IEPs
- De-escalation Techniques and Strategies for Behavior Management
- Understanding Autism and Spectrum Disorders
- Understanding ADHD
Wyoming
Stakeholders &
Professionals
WYOMING STAKEHOLDERS &
PROFESSIONALS
Afterschool programs are
the least understood
and/or utilized as
community partners for
juvenile justice in
Wyoming communities
The
Economics
WORKFORCE PRODUCTIVITY
Working families and businesses:
 Derive benefits from afterschool programs that ensure that youth
have a safe place to go while parents are at work.
 Parents concerned about their children’s afterschool care miss an
average of eight days of work per/year.
 Decreased worker productivity costs businesses up to $300 billion
annually.
(Brandeis University, Community, Families and Work Program, 2004
and Catalyst & Brandeis University, 2006).
References and Citations
Prevention (Note: this is Juveniles in Residential Placement, 2011, U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Office of Juvenile
Justice and Delinquency s the most recent report released by OJJDP.) Confinement includes youth who are under court order to a detention
facility or other residential placement.
The Center for Public Integrity, A state-by-state look at students referred to law enforcement
By Chris Zubak-Skees, http://www.publicintegrity.org/2015/04/10/17074/state-state-look-students-referred-lawenforcement
Reference: Petrosino, Anthony, Carolyn Turpin Petrosino, and Sarah Guckenburg (2010). Formal System Processing of
Juveniles: Effects on Delinquency. The Campbell Collaboration. Oslo, Norway: www.campbellcollaboration.org
Taking a Deeper Dive into Afterschool: Positive Outcomes and Promising Practices, Afterschool Alliance, 1616 H St., NW,
Suite 820, Washington, DC 20006, February 2014.
The Center for Public Integrity, A state-by-state look at students referred to law enforcement
By Chris Zubak-Skees, http://www.publicintegrity.org/2015/04/10/17074/state-state-look-students-referred-lawenforcement
Reference: Petrosino, Anthony, Carolyn Turpin Petrosino, and Sarah Guckenburg (2010). Formal System Processing of
Juveniles: Effects on Delinquency. The Campbell Collaboration. Oslo, Norway: www.campbellcollaboration.org
Taking a Deeper Dive into Afterschool: Positive Outcomes and Promising Practices, Afterschool Alliance, 1616 H St., NW,
Suite 820, Washington, DC 20006, February 2014.