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Juvenile Justice Case Study

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In response to your request, this memo offers a policy for your next six months as Commissioner of the Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ).

Your upcoming retreat provides an excellent opportunity to relate the current realities to your staff:
⋅ Contradictions between mission and practice point to weak leadership rooted in an inflexible institutional structure.
⋅ Uncoordinated work and lack of accountability is clear in the disconnection and distrust between agency divisions.
⋅ Field employees feel undervalued by and disengaged from the central administration as shown in their justification of on-the-job rebellions.
⋅ Counselors lack the ability and direction to provide consistent and necessary services to their two distinct populations …show more content…
In order to gain authority and respect within your environment, you must effectively communicate this vision and inspire trust in your leadership.

2. Assemble a team of individuals willing and prepared to turn the vision of the DJJ into an institutional reality.

With the right people in place, stability and coordination within the agency is achievable. Focus on establishing a collectively self-confident culture wherein the locus of responsibility for defining and solving problems lies with the people. To do this, I specifically suggest making these groups feel needed, respected and valued in the following ways:
⋅ Unionized line staff: Empower Juvenile Center Employees and other staff unions to connect with youth through shared understanding of experience and community.
⋅ DJJ Central Administration: Provide upper and middle managers with opportunities for true and meaningful leadership and do not settle for temporary hires.
⋅ City Hall: Restore legitimacy and trust with the Mayor’s Office of Operations, Division for Youth (DFY), and the Office of the Criminal Justice …show more content…
OTHER CONSIDERATIONS:
This strategy requires imposing rigorous standards in assembling the right team of employees and administrators. It is counterproductive to thoughtlessly fire hardworking employees, but do not allow the wrong people to remain in place within the agency. Know that the strongest driver of institutional change is people.

I recommend you address child abuse charges indirectly through systematic culture change and that Spofford remains the central facility of operations for the DJJ. Opponents argue that new facilities are essential. Yet, developing and building new infrastructure to house an ineffective agency is a short-sided solution.

CONCLUSION:
I advise that you act immediately. Use the staff retreat to frame the current realities of the situation and, at that time, clearly communicate your vision for the DJJ. From there, focus on assembling a competent team of employees and administrators and develop and nurture relationships critical to the agency’s success. With the right people in alignment to the vision, develop a values-led mission for the

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