FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - October 20, 2006
Contacts:
Marci Bransdorf / (410) 223-2852 / mbransdorf@aecf.org
Sue Lin Chong / (410) 223-2836 / schong@aecf.org
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The Annie E. Casey Foundation Honored for Innovations in Juvenile Justice Reform at National Council on Crime and Delinquency Centennial Celebration
BALTIMORE — The Annie E. Casey Foundation received the coveted Katie Nichols Award for 2006 from the National Council on Crime and Delinquency (NCCD) for its innovations in system-wide juvenile justice and child welfare reforms. The Casey Foundation was the only foundation to receive a special recognition award at the 100th anniversary celebration of NCCD on Friday, October 20, 2006 in New York City.
“We are truly honored to receive this recognition from NCCD for our deep commitment to juvenile justice reform,” said Douglas W. Nelson, president of the Annie E. Casey Foundation. “The Casey Foundation strongly believes that all youth involved in the juvenile justice system should have the best opportunity to develop into productive adults as a result of policies, practices, and programs that maximize their chances to make successful transitions to adulthood.”
Now in its third year, the Katie Nichols Award recognizes significant, sustained, and outstanding contributions to justice reform through community service. “No foundation has done more than the Casey Foundation has done to advance the goals of enlightened reform of juvenile justice and child welfare,” said Barry Krisberg, president of NCCD.
The Casey Foundation’s Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative (JDAI) is often credited with singlehandedly spurring the national movement for detention reform. JDAI promotes reducing the number of children unnecessarily or inappropriately detained; minimizing the number of youth who fail to appear in court; redirecting public funds toward successful reform strategies; and improving conditions of confinement.
Nelson said, “The success of JDAI has made it clear to us that future reform must shift the focus of intervention from solely on the child to the family context. Children do better when they have a strong, healthy family to care for and guide them. All of the evidence-based programs in juvenile justice are intensive family-focused efforts, which have repeatedly demonstrated better long-term outcomes for youth – without compromising public safety – than the traditional incarceration and probation programs.”
Since its inception in 1992, JDAI’s measures to safely reduce reliance on secure detention have been adopted by a growing number of jurisdictions. There are now approximately 75 JDAI sites in 19 states and the District of Columbia.
Founded in 1906, NCCD is the nation’s oldest and most respected criminal justice research organization. Based in Oakland, CA, it has been on the forefront of reforms of U.S. systems of juvenile justice, criminal justice and child welfare over the last century.
The Annie E. Casey Foundation is a private charitable organization, whose primary mission is to foster public policies, human-service reforms, and community supports that more effectively meet the needs of today’s vulnerable children and families. In pursuit of this goal, the Foundation makes grants that help states, cities, and neighborhoods fashion more innovative, cost-effective responses to these needs. For more information, visit www.aecf.org.
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