Issue #3 - Conflict Resolution

Needs Assessment Data Suggesting the Need (from ICJIA profile)

· 35 minors were referred to the Children’s Home and Aid Society of Illinois from 1997 to 1999.  Many of the minors were referred by either a law enforcement agency or by the probation department (collectively 68.6%).  Family conflict was the most frequent reason for the referral. 

· Fairly low percentages of the respondents reported that they have positive family communications (21%) or that their parents are involved in their schooling (24%).

· Over a third of male respondents (37%) reported having been involved in three or more incidents of shoplifting, trouble with police, or vandalism in the last 12 months. 

· Reported pre and post adjudicatory juvenile detention has increased in Ford County from 1997 to 1999. These increases were not matched by commensurate increases in the other 73 Illinois rural counties

Need Identified from Data

The above data supported discussions by the Juvenile Justice Council that youth, families, and the justice system in Ford County have a need for alternative dispute resolution techniques, however, an extra challenge may be that many families deny this need. The council cited lack of communication, time, and interest as causal factors. 

Goal:
Reduce criminal offenses by youth and police/probation referrals to other agencies by 5%. 

Objectives
 OBJ1. Coordinate conflict resolution efforts: in schools, through restorative justice, 
 and through the Family Violence council. 

     Action Steps
      1. Provide at least one training opportunity a year for teachers, to promote
          programs in schools. 
      2. Set up a convenient mode of communication such as a group email, or 
          network panel meetings for interested parties. 
 

 OBJ2.  Increase participation by youth in conflict resolution training by 25%.

      Action Steps
        1. Give presentation to the school board
        2.   Present teacher institute on conflict resolution and restorative justice. 

 OBJ3. Develop a minimum of one family oriented program that promotes conflict 
resolution for each Ford County community.

       Action Steps
         1. Research empirically strong, family-based program for families (Any parent
             and/or child with conflict in their life)
         2. Research funding opportunities including grants to implement family
             program. 
         3. Support implementation of family program. 
 
 

Components of the interagency agreement specific to achieving the objective or more generally related to the goal of conflict resolution. 
 

Juvenile Justice System

• Law Enforcement
• Judges, State’s Attorneys
• Public Defenders
• County Board
• Probation 

• Mental Health Agencies

• Area School Districts

• Community Groups 

Law Enforcement 

Gibson City Police Department

• No agreements related to this issues. 

Paxton Police Department 
Agreements pending

Piper City Police Department
Agreements pending

Ford County Sheriff's Department
Agreements pending

Judge and State's Attorney

Circuit Court Judge Steven Pacey
Agreements Pending 

State's Attorney Anthony Lee

• One person will attend full council meetings; when appropriate one person will attend committee meetings. 
• Assist with information sharing by providing the council with statistics regarding juvenile offenses
• Provide hand outs (pamphlets) to the community. 
• Identify and refer at risk youths/families. 
• Fashion sentences/dispositions that require youthful offenders to take responsibility for their actions and repair damages they have done. 
• Support, encourage and provide assistance to persons seeking orders of protection.
• Support, encourage and implement orders of protective supervision for parents of court involved youth. 

Public Defender's

Harvey Welch 
Agreements Pending

William Dueringer
Agreements Pending
 
 

Ford County Board
Board President Deb Smith 
 

• Provide one person to attend full council meetings keeping in communication with each committee.  When appropriate one or more persons will attend committee meetings representing the board.
• Meeting place for Juvenile Justice Council full council meetings and committee meetings as needed
• Model integrity at home, at the workplace, and in public.  Support and affirm youth when they act with integrity.
• Insist that youth who break the law or violate community standards are not simply punished, but take responsibility for their actions and repair any damage they have done.
• Support and encourage a countywide commitment to peaceful conflict resolution, supporting victims of crimes with restorative justice measures.
• Support work to reduce domestic violence and abuse by taking an active part, having one member attend meetings, in the Ford County Family Violence Coordinating Council and having one person attending meetings.

 

Probation and Court Services

Ford County Probation supports the juvenile justice council and agrees to help achieve the objectives generally related to the goal of conflict resolution by the following: 

• Provide one committee person for the issue of conflict resolution. 
• Provide training and technical assistance to Ford County schools to support and further their conflict resolution programs.
• Collect  statistics on Ford County Restorative Justice programs for a public report card. 
• Refer and supervise delinquency cases transferred to the  Ford County Accountability Conference program. 
• Provide conflict resolution classes for at-risk youth as part of the Adolescent Cognitive Program. 
• Provide training programs and workshops to any interested community groups, agencies, criminal justice personnel, or youth. 
• Advance our vision to move offenders, victims, and the community toward healing, restoration, and wholeness. 
• Provide meeting space for committee meetings as needed. 

Mental Health Agencies 

Community Resource and Counseling Center

• Provide speakers to any organization that wishes to have more information concerning general mental health issues and services available at CRCC. 

Area School Districts

Paxton Buckley Loda District 10 

• Provide contact persons, including but not limited to the principal or designee.
• Collaborate with the probation department to develop a restorative justice model for conflict at the high school. 
• Provide meeting space for meetings and activities, upon approval of the principal. 

• Continue to support peer mediation program in place at G.C.M.S. high school. 

Community Groups
Agreements pending