Directions: a publication of the Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice, Vol. 11, no. 2 (Summer 2006)

DIRECTIONS bb

A publication of the Georgia Department of JuvenileJustice Volume XI, Issue No. 2

Summer 2006

Commissioner's Corner

Keeping Our Priorities in Proper Order
B As we begin the second halfof this calendar year, I want to lace a greater emphasis on setting priorities as individual professionals, an also as a system.

Commissioner Albert Murray

I recently saw where Truett Cathy celebrated 60 years in business m May as owner of the very successful restaurant chain, Chick-Fil-A. Looking at Mr. Cathy's success, I thought about how wonderful it is that a man of his financial stature places so much emphasis on character, spirituality, integrity and sesvices especially as it relates to children. One of the most powerful things that Truett Cathy has been quoted as saying is that he'd like to be remembered as one who kept his priorities in the right order. He has stated that, "We live in a changing world, but we need to be reminded that the important things have not changed, and the important things will not change if we keep our priorities in proper order."

I thought about the Department when I read this quote. Then I thought about the lyrics to a song which states, "Everything must change, nothing stays the same." As I link these two thoughts together, I realize that while our external environment is in a constant state of metamorphosis, our pursuit of the mission and vision of the agency must not change. Those are priorities that must be kept in proper order.

There are also important responsibilities that must not change as we go about our daily busi-

ness. We must never steer away from investing in the development of youth in as many ways

as we can, whether it is through education, community programs, prevention or rehabilitation.

We must stay the course in our efforts to provide quality services along with keeping public

safety as a top priority. In the end, we should be able to see good results because of thoughtful

and

planning.

In this edition of Directions, you'll read about one of our real success stories, Aaron Young, and you will see just why keeping our priorities in proper order is so very important. You'll also read about a very important initiative for the agency, Balanced and Restorative Justice (BARJ). BARJ allows juvenile offenders to make restitution to the victim and the community. It is a collaborative healing Drocess that is crucial to a vaung offender's successful reentry into their community which takes into account the needs of
the victim, the offender, and the community which has been harmed.

The work that we do every day, while challenging, has many rewards. Lisa Casey and

I 3

Commissioner's Corner

Debbie Alexander Dickson who are also featured in this edition, are just two shining examples of how hard work pays off with well deserved recognition. They both are given

3 Board Notes

special recognition because of their good work ethic and excellent job performance.

Staff Appointments and Recognitions
3 Fiscal Management and Administrative Services
2 Operations
3 Programs and Support Services

As I look to the future, I am proud of what we have accomplished as juvenile justice professionals and I am excited about the road that lies ahead. I believe that with proper planning, teamwork, and persistence we will most assuredly reach our goals for the Department and that there are many more success stories that will come as we place emphasis on what is really most important. We must remember that part of being an organization run by human beings, perfection is not attainable. There will be times when we aren't as successful as we would have hoped and times when we will miss the mark. However, we must learn from this and not dwell on it. It is the success stories, such as Aaron Young, which should most define our worth and value to the citizens of Georgia and the many communities we serve.

Board Notes
DJJ Board Learns the Ropes in Training
As students, teachers, and parents enjoy a long awaited summer break the Department of Juvenile Justice Board Members were hitting the books and taking notes.
Recently, the thirteen member board traveled to Savannah, Georgia for their annual Georgia School Boards Association training. As the 181" school district, the DJJ Board also operates as a School Board. Georgia Law (OCGA 20-2230b) stipulates that all new board members (elected or appointed to fill an unexpired term) shall receive "at least 12 hours of orientation" in specific educational program objectives of Georgia within one year of assuming office. The same law also mandates that veteran board members receive one day of training annually. All current board members are considered "veterans" having had their orientation training and therefore only needed one day of training.
On June 21Stthe board convened at the Hyatt Regency for the one day session. The training, led by the Georgia School Boards Association, covered a variety of topics and issues including: communications, policy, a delegation assembly, and identifying and resolving critical issues coupled with mini sessions. DJJ Board members were engaged in training and communications and policy.
According to DJJ Board Chair, Daniel Shuman, "Training is a vital part of our job. It is the board's responsibility to address and provide the youth in our care with the best education possible." Mr. Shuman went on to say, "What we learn and take away from this training is very important and pertinent. The Department's goal for each student educated in the DJJ school system is that they will hopefully leave us better than when they came."
Staff Appointments And ~ecognition

DJJ Case Expeditor Receives Top Honors

for Dedication to Youth

Case Expeditor Lisa Casey

Congratulations to Lisa Casey, Case Expeditor for Region 2, on being named "DJJ Public Servant of the Year'' by the Juvenile Law Committee of the State Bar of Georgia.
The agency bestowed Casey with the coveted award on May 1, 2006 during their annual celebration. The event, which is in its fifth year of existence, honors individuals' extraordinary contributions that sustain and enhance the legal community's commitment and obligation to improving laws affecting juveniles.
According to Ari Mathe, Northeastern Judicial Circuit Public Defender, and nominator of Lisa Casey, "It is her accessibility, zealous approach, and willingness to do whatever it takes to place a child that makes her very special." He went on to sav. "Her 'never sav never' attitude has made us all believe that we can make a diiference in the lifiof any child."

The seventeen year veteran of the Department of Juvenile Justice was chosen by committee, selecting the best candidate based upon their demonstrated dedication to excellence in the field of child advocacy.

Described by her co-workers as always going beyond the call of duty, Lisa Casey is known to drive kids all over the state to placements, counseling young people and their families; but, more importantly say her supporters, "She leaves young people and their families with a sense of faith and hope that things will get better." According to Lisa Casey, the sacrifices she makes is a part of her job, a job she says she loves.

Staff Appointments And Recognition
DJJ Director Receives Top Honors for Leadership
Operations I
Delinquent Youths and Change: Is It Possible?
Governor reraue, Aaron r oung, ar Lummlssrurrer IVIUI I ay

Operations Continued
Aaron's day of reckoning came shortly after his arrival at the Middle Georgia Wilderness Institute (MGWI), an Associated Marine Institute (AMI) affiliated school. This would be his second stint in a juvenile justice program and also his last.
At MGWI, Young was met with structure and consequences for good and bad behavior. At MGWI, he soon realized that only hard work would be rewarded and his ticket to a better life was through education. Through encouragement from staff, the young man whose life was careening out of control, regained control and then Aaron took the driver's seat and headed straight to college.
Today, Aaron is excelling. He is preparing to graduate from the University of Georgia with a strong grade point average. Aaron also volunteers for the Boys & Girls Club in Athens and mentors at-risk kids at the Middle Georgia Wilderness Institute, the same facility that helped turn his life around.
The Aaron Young's of society enter the juvenile justice system everyday, but for many youths this is not the end of the road; rather, a time for re-direction. Aaron Young represents many young people whose lives have been tunled around due to the dedication of caring people working for the Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice.
On May 24th,2006 Governor Sonny Perdue along with Commissioner Albert Murray honored Aaron for his outstanding efforts during a ceremony in which he was presented a plaque recognizing his achievements in education, but most importantly for beating the odds.
Justice Restored
The Department of Juvenile Justice never forgets that behind every juvenile offender is a victim of the crime that was committed. That victim is not limited to those who were directly involved in the criminal act, but also the community where that act took place.
The Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice's Division of Operations is addressing this issue through a program designed to hold youthful offenders accountable for their criminal behavior, reducing the risk of future offenses, while working to heal their victims and improving the safety of the community.
Balanced and Restorative Justice or BARJ, is a philosophy that focuses on trying to repair the harm inflicted as a result of the criminal offenses committed by adolescents. BARJ requires offenders to not only be accountable to the system, but also to the person or persons affected by their activity.
"It is the obligation of the offender to 'make it right' with victims and victimized communities," stated Dee Bell, Region V Program Coordinator.
Restorative programs are characterized by four key values:
3 Encounter: Create opportunities for victims, offenders and community members who want to do so to meet to
discuss the crime and its aftermath
Amends: Expect offenders to take steps to repair the harm they have caused
3 Reintegration: Seek to restore victims and offenders to whole, contributing members of society Inclusion: Provide opportunities for parties with a stake in a specific crime to participate in its resolution
Region V, the pilot district for the program, has already begun taking the necessary steps to prepare for the implementation of the plan. "Currently all Regional Operations Managers are receiving training, 46 are already trained or are being trained, and several others are completing specialized training for serious and violent offenders," stated Bell.
More than 37 states are actively utilizing the Balanced and Restorative Justice philosophy. Commissioner Murray says the concept is one he supports. "This agency is fully committed to balanced and restorative justice, and I believe we will be as successful with this program as other states have been."

Operations Continued

Clayton RYDC Re-Named to Honor
Juvenile Court Judge
A living legend and longtime child advocate, former Clayton County Juvenile Court Judge, Martha K. Glaze was immortalized recently when the Clayton Regional Youth Detention Center was renamed in her honor.

The ceremony, held on May 18, 2006 at the facility's location in Lovejoy, Georgia, was attended by a host of local elected officials and dignitaries who came to pay homage to a woman whose dedication to the youth of this state spans over three decades. Those in attendance included: former Governor Roy Barnes, State Representatives Gail Buckner and Roberta Abduhl Salaam, Clayton County Commission Chairman Eldrin Bell, and a host of other county elected officials, along with juvenile and superior court judges.

Described as caring, loyal, dedicated, unyielding, and stem, Judge Glaze, according to Clayton County Juvenile Court Judge Steve Teske, is the epitome of what those who work with young people strive to be. "In her thirty plus years she never dropped the ball because she kept learning and teaching." Judge Teske went on to say, "She taught everyone of us to be the best, because the youth we serve needed us to be."
Born in Rome, Georgia, Martha Kirby Glaze, a product of the Georgia public school system, graduated fiom the John Marshall School of Law in 1968. For a total of nine years, Judge Glaze practiced family law with her husband, George before being appointed a h l l time judgeship at the Clayton County Juvenile Court in 1977.
Under former Governors George Busbee and Joe Frank Harris, Judge Glaze served on the Governor's Advisory Committee on Juvenile and Delinquency Prevention. She was also appointed by the State Bar of Georgia to serve as a member of the Commission of Family cou1-ts.
Appointed by former Governor Zell Miller, Judge Glaze served as an advisory member to the Georgia Department of Children and Youth, now the Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice. She also served on the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court

Judge Martha K. Glaze
Judges' (NCJFCJ) project that examined programs in 25 states that treat women and children affected by family violence. This dedication to families extended to Judge Glaze's contribution in developing "The Model Code on Domestic and Family Violence," a publication that has been used extensively by state legislators in drafting or changing state statutes.
Among her other accomplishments, Judge Glaze holds memberships in the following Bar Associations and Professional Societies: American Bar Association, the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges, and a member of the Board of Trustees since 1992.
As Chief Judge of the Clayton County Juvenile Court, she created the advisory council for the Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) graduating the first class in 1998. She retired from the bench in 1999, but not from working with young people and their families. She continues to serve as an active board member for the Georgia CASA.