NEWS RELEASE
MICHIGAN DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
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The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) recently received more than $1.3 million through a federal grant to support juvenile justice reform efforts designed to reduce racial disparities and keep youth in their communities.
Funding from the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Juvenile Justice Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) will allow the department to continue to move forward with its ongoing reform of the juvenile justice system. This is the second award MDHHS has received for juvenile justice reform efforts, as the department received an $825,000 OJJDP grant in February.
“Michigan is dedicated to transforming juvenile justice policies and practices that align with community-level, evidence-based programming to help strengthen youth and family relationships,” said MDHHS Director Elizabeth Hertel. “This initiative will continue to support the state’s juvenile justice reform efforts by providing a sustainable framework for connecting youth and families to services that are evidence-based, show promising practice or are culturally relevant.”
Despite a 70 per cent decline in national youth incarceration rates from 1995 to 2019, an overreliance on detention and secure residential placements persists, particularly among Black and Native American youth. To address these disparities, MDHHS will partner with the Michigan Center of Youth Justice and others to assist in building the capacity of local community-based providers.
MDHHS and its partners will:
- Host listening tours to gather feedback from justice-served youth and their families about their experiences, needs and perspectives on existing services and gaps.
- Conduct focus groups to gather specific insights on the effectiveness of community-based programs and identify areas for improvement based on firsthand experiences.
- Develop strategies and improve the use of data and structured decision-making tools to ensure equitable decision-making.
- Develop and implement training programs for local courts and multidisciplinary teams on best practices, evidence-based programs, trauma-informed care, cultural competence and quality assurance.
“Youth and family voices will play a crucial role in determining the data to be collected,” said Demetrius Starling, senior deputy director for MDHHS’ Children’s Services Administration. “This ensures efforts are grounded in the real-life experiences and needs of those directly impacted by the juvenile justice system. This will help us realize the goals of reducing the number of youths placed in detention and residential settings and a decrease in racial and ethnic disparities within these settings.”
“The Michigan Center for Youth Justice is proud to partner with MDHHS in advancing these critical reforms,” said Jason Smith, the organization's executive director. “This grant allows local jurisdictions to expand community-based services that keep youth connected to their families and other social supports, while addressing the inequities that persist in the juvenile justice system. By focusing on culturally responsive, evidence-based programs, we can help ensure that all young people have the opportunity to thrive and reach their full potential.”
Juvenile Justice Reform in Michigan
In June of 2021, Governor Whitmer signed Executive Order 2021-06 establishing the Task Force on Juvenile Justice Reform. The Task Force led a data-driven analysis of Michigan’s juvenile justice system and recommended proven practices and strategies for reform grounded in data, research and fundamental constitutional principles.
Following the Task Force Recommendations, three key initiatives were established:
- Gretchen Whitmer issued Executive Order 2022-14, creating the Juvenile Residential Facilities Advisory Committee (RAC). RAC is a statewide residential advisory committee established to support the MDHHS reform efforts.
- MDHHS increased the Child Care Fund reimbursement rate from 50% to 75% percent for community-based supervision and services. Best practices support an increased rate in community-based services/supervision aimed at developing, expanding and strengthening alternatives to detention and secure residential placements.
- MDHHS created the Division of Juvenile Justice Reform. This new division is solely dedicated to addressing problems identified within the juvenile justice system by working with state, county, and contracted stakeholders to implement the Task Force recommendations.
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