FY 2014 through FY 2017 strategic plan

GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF JUVENILE JUSTICE
FY2014 THROUGH FY2017 STRATEGIC PLAN

Table of Contents
Mission ........................................................................................................................3 Vision..........................................................................................................................3 Values.........................................................................................................................3 Message from the Commissioner .................................................................................................. ...4 The Planning Process................................................................................................................... ....5 Governor's Strategic Goals for Georgia..............................................................................9 Figure 1 - Commissioner's Top 5 Priorities/Strategic Goals Relationship ..................................10 DJJ Goals ................................................................................................................................. ......11 Goal 1 .............................................................................................................................................. 11 Goal 2 .............................................................................................................................................. 13 Goal 3 .......................................................................................................................17 Goal 4 ...................................................................................................................... 19 Goal 5 .......................................................................................................................19
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MISSION
To protect and serve the citizens of Georgia by holding young offenders accountable for their actions through the delivery of services and sanctions in appropriate settings and by supporting youth in their communities to become productive and law abiding citizens.
VISION
OFFER HOPE AND YOUTH CHANGE. The Department of Juvenile Justice will lead the nation in preparing young people in its care to develop and sustain productive lives.
VALUES
We strive to create and sustain an agency culture that values accountability, integrity, security, superior performance, ongoing personal growth, intellectual curiosity, innovation, teamwork, and leadership not only in our staff, but also in the young people in our facilities and programs.
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Message from the Commissioner:
The annual update to the Department's Strategic Plan provides the venue to ensure that we are being the best stewards of the State's resources and that we are providing the most updated services to Georgia's incarcerated youth. Operating Secure Facilities to house approximately 2,000 youth and providing probationary services for nearly 15,000 additional Community based youth is a complex and challenging task. The staff of the Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) meets this challenge on a daily basis through standards of operational excellence and evidence based programs to successfully care for and develop the youth that are in our care. DJJ has a commitment to the safety and security of the citizens of Georgia is in the forefront of all that we do.
With these thoughts in mind, I have provided guidance to the Department of Juvenile Justice staff through my Top 5 Priorities. These Priorities are:
Operate Safe, Secure Facilities and Communities Juvenile Justice Reform Recruitment, Retention and Succession Planning Classification and Placement of Youth Offender/Youth Re-entry
I believe the focus on these Top 5 Priorities set forth a framework for DJJ to support the Governor's Strategic Goals for Georgia. This plan will guide our way ahead as we move to adapt DJJ to implement the recently signed Juvenile Justice Reform Act. We will continue to use this planning process to update our 5 and 10 year planning windows to ensure that we are prepared to meet the challenges and changing populations of youthful offenders in the State of Georgia.
Avery D. Niles

Commissioner

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The Planning Process
The first step in the strategic planning process for the State of Georgia is for the Governor, through the Office of Planning and Budget, to set forth his vision, direction and priorities for the state. This has been accomplished and is provided in the form of the Governor's Strategic Goals for Georgia.
The second step in the strategic planning process is for the state agencies to develop their own Strategic Plans. Through the development of the Department of Juvenile Justice's Strategic Plan, we will be directly supporting four of the Governor's Strategic Goals for Georgia. These Goals include: Educated Developing life, college, and work-ready students; Healthy Accessible care and active lifestyles; Safe Protecting the public's safety and security; Responsible and Efficient GovernmentFiscally sound, principled, conservative. The functions and daily activities of DJJ directly support these state level goals.
The Operation of Safe and Secure Facilities and Communities while providing educational opportunities is the core task of the Department of Juvenile Justice, the State of Georgia's 181st School District. The operation of the secure facilities is one of the primary ways of ensuring both public safety and the safety of the youth that are in our care. This is the most visible component of the service that we provide to the citizens of Georgia. The services in our secure facilities include medical & dental, food services, education, mental and behavioral health counseling. Our responsibility of providing supervision for youth in a non-secure environment includes monitoring the status of several thousand youthful offenders in their appropriate Community based programs. These programs range from non-secure residential settings to monitoring services. Educational requirements are one of the most significant differences between adult and juvenile confinement. The opportunity to prepare the youth for their re-entry into their homes and communities by enhancing their educational status is one that DJJ takes very seriously.
This Top 5 Priority directly contributes to DJJ's support of the Governor's Goals of Safe, Educated and Healthy.
The implementation of DJJs responsibilities under the Juvenile Justice Reform Act will include providing supervision for a larger number of youth outside of non-secure facilities. This number of
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youth will be determined by the actions of the youth and the judiciaries' utilization of the updated assessment instruments that will be developed. The increase in youth participating in community based services will require additional evidence based services offered by qualified providers. The responsibility of monitoring these services will tax an already busy Community Services Division within DJJ. This monitoring responsibility will require additional Juvenile Probation/Parole Specialists (JPPS) and it will also require an increase in Information Technology capability to track the fidelity of the different evidenced-based programs employed. Information gathered from monitoring utilization and adherence to these instruments will need to be readily available for all of the Juvenile Courts across the state to ensure they have the appropriate background information to make sentencing decisions in accordance with the new legislation.
This Top 5 Priority directly supports the governor's Safe Goal by implementing alternative sentencing options to improve offender rehabilitation.
Recruitment, Retention, and Succession Planning are keys to DJJs ability to continue to provide the best care of Juveniles in the country. We continue to look at options to provide additional incentives to our Juvenile Correctional Officers (JCO) based on training levels and job tenure. These officers are the cornerstone of our successful operations of Secure Facilities. DJJ is going to reinstate the use of a statewide pre-employment examination for our JCOs. This will put the Department back in line with the other Corrections organizations in the state. Retaining our best officers is critical to both our current success and to our ability to grow our future leaders from within our own ranks. DJJ has added a Sergeants Academy for our Juvenile Correctional Officer II positions to attend and is already beginning to see an improvement in daily operations in the facilities based on the stronger performance of the officers. The Commissioner has provided guidance for the Deputy Commissioners to look inside our current organization for qualified applicants to move up into positions of higher responsibility. This growing of the DJJ Team from the inside is providing additional motivation for all of the employees that are looking for advancement opportunities.
This Priority directly supports the Governor's Goal of Responsible and Efficient Government: Build and maintain a strong government workforce.
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Classification and Placement of Youth is one of the key updates that DJJ is making to support the implementation of the Juvenile Justice Reform Act. This process involves using the updated assessment tools that are mandated through the Reform Act, to determine the level of care and service that is appropriate for each individual youth. These instruments will provide information on the appropriate level of security, the appropriate level of education, and the appropriate level of mental and behavioral health services that are needed. The information derived from the use of these assessment tools will be used to determine which of our facilities are appropriate for the youth sentenced to long term confinement.
To better address these needs, DJJ is moving to re-mission some of our Youth Development Centers (YDC) to focus on specific sub-sets of the youth population. The first of the YDCs to be affected is the Eastman YDC. It will become the location that we focus our population that is 17 years of age and older who are complete with their High School education or have their GED and will focus on vocational training for the older youth. The intent of this process is to place youth of a similar age, with similar education requirements into a single facility, so that facility can focus their security requirements, their education requirements, and their programming requirements around a specific group of youth and not have to spread their services across the age and education spectrum from 1220 years of age. The expectation is that the younger students will be much more receptive to their education and their programming needs without the influence of the older youth. The older youth are also expected to be more focused on learning the hands on skills provided in the vocational training setting as they understand the need to prepare themselves for reentry into the community and the workforce.
This Priority directly supports the Governor's Goal of Educated Developing life, college, and work ready students and the Goal of Safe Protecting the public's safety and security through the promotion of successful offender re-entry and compliance.
Offender/Youth Re-entry is being addressed through several areas. The first is a new Student Management System that will allow the students in DJJ's care to have their academic records moved from a public school in the state of Georgia to the DJJ educational system. It will also allow the DJJ to provide the updated records back to a public school when the youth completes his or her confinement and returns to their home based school. This seamless transfer of a student's academic
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information will ease the anxiety that goes with transitioning between a youth's time in a DJJ facility and their home environment. Another area of re-entry emphasis is the increase in volunteer organizations involvement with the youth while they are in our facilities as well as while they are in Community based programs. Providing a link to a group or organization that is involved with the youth and is preparing to assist them during their transition back into the communities is seen as a key to successful reintegration and reducing recidivism. This priority directly supports the Governor's Goal of Safe Promote successful offender re-entry and compliance. The bottom line on the Commissioner's Top 5 Priorities is that they are directed at making improvements with daily operational activities to ensure that our staff and the youth that are in our care are safe, well cared for, and educated. DJJ will diligently work to incorporate all of the reform updates associated with the Juvenile Justice Reform Act. We will continue to improve the quality of the workforce through training and building leaders. We will incorporate new evidence based programs to ensure we are providing the best transitional services to the youth that are returning to their communities, so they can be productive and law abiding citizens.
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Governor's Strategic Goals for Georgia
Educated: Developing life-, college-, and work-ready students Increase percentage of students reading at or above grade level by the completion of 3rd Grade a strategic
benchmark for lifelong learning Increase percentage of Georgians who hold a postsecondary credential Improve and expand science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education Increase teacher and school leader effectiveness Increase the percentage of high school graduates who are college and career ready Empower citizens with public school options and local flexibility for the purpose of improving student achievement
Mobile: Transporting people and products in a 21st century Georgia Improve the movement of people and goods across and within the state Expand Georgia's role as a major logistics hub for global commerce Leverage public-private partnerships and improve intergovernmental cooperation for successful infrastructure
development
Growing: Creating jobs and growing businesses Implement strategic tax and regulatory reforms that make Georgia more competitive Promote small business growth and entrepreneurship Maximize access to capital for startups and growing businesses Conserve and enhance natural resources, with an emphasis on increasing state water supplies and security
Healthy: Accessible care and active lifestyles Reduce childhood obesity in Georgia Increase access to health services throughout the state Increase consumer choice and personal responsibility in health care Improve access to treatment and community options for those with disabilities
Safe: Protecting the public's safety and security Implement alternative sentencing options to improve offender rehabilitation Promote successful offender re-entry and compliance Reduce injury and loss of life on Georgia's roads Promote safe communities and stable families where children thrive
Responsible and Efficient Government: Fiscally sound, principled, conservative Maintain Georgia's AAA bond rating Increase availability of state services through innovative technology solutions Build and maintain a quality state government workforce Focus state resources on essential services and employ enterprise solutions Enlist community support and public-private partnerships to leverage available resources
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Figure 1 Commissioner's Top 5 Priorities/Strategic Goals Relationship

Priority 1: Operate Safe and Secure Facilities & Communities

Priority 3: Recruitment, Retention, and
Succession Planning

Priority 2: Juvenile Justice Reform
Priority 4: Classification and Placement of Youth

Priority 5: Offender/Youth Re-entry

Commissioner's Top 5 Priorities

Goal 1: Operate Safe and Secure
Facilities & Communities while
providing educational opportunities
Goal 2: Implement the Juvenile
Justice Reform

DJJ Strategic
Plan Goals

Goal 5: Promote Offender/Youth Re-entry focused programming and service delivery

Goal 3: Promote strategized Recruitment,
Retention, and Succession Planning
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Goal 4: Establish systematic
Classification and Placement of Youth

DJJ Goals

DJJ Goal 1 is aligned to the

Governor's State Goals S1)
Implement alternative sentencing

Goal 1: Operate Safe and Secure Facilities and

options to improve offender rehabilitation & E2) Increase percentage of Georgians who hold

Communities while providing educational opportunities

a postsecondary credential

Strategy 1: Enhance safety, security, and rehabilitation in our

secure facilities while providing quality education

Some Goal 1 related projects are:

Enhance the current environment by promoting quality education, optimal safety, security, and rehabilitation of youth in our care through GED instruction,

job & employment-readiness training, a menu of Core Treatment Programs for

Transition to Success

all secure facilities and Specialty Programs to be delivered in identified facilities,

Enhanced Service Plan Master Facility Schedule PBIS
PREA DJJ Stratification plan
and process for youth placements CCTV Upgrades SMRT/SERT

a structured recreation and leisure program plan for all secure facilities, and an effective evidence based behavior management program. To improve safety and security, Juvenile Drug Screenings, Physical Intervention Training, Security Emergency Response Teams (SERT), Security Management and Response Teams (SMART), facility updates required for PREA compliance, a youth placement stratification system, and increased utilization of Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) in blind spots will be utilized. DJJ provided programs and services will be evaluated incrementally, utilizing a team-based approach and data tracking methodologies will be employed for evaluating effectiveness.

HR E-Form and Process Automation
CCTV Upgrades ID Badge System JIIMS Infinite Campus PREA CCTV



Measureable

Objective 1: Reduce the rate of

assaults by 10% per 100 child

care days for youth on youth

incidents by June 30, 2017.



Measureable

Objective 2: Reduce the rate of

assaults by 10% per 100 child

Self-Reporting Kiosks

care days for youth on staff

New Telephone System: 1-800# Phone Lines in

incidents by June 30, 2017.



Measurable

Secure Facilities

Objective 3: Increase the percentage of youth who do not

reoffend while in our care from

86% to 88% by June 30, 2017.



Measurable Objective 4: Decrease the 3-year juvenile

recidivism rate for the FY2014 cohort from 45% to 30% by June 30, 2018.

Measurable Objective 5: Decrease job turnover rate for the JCO 1 position from 46% as of April 2013 to

below 40% by June 30, 2017.

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Measurable Objective 6: Increase enrollment by 30% in DJJ supported educational programs for non-public school eligible students by June 2015.

Strategy 2: Develop Innovative Technological Solutions
The DJJ Internal Management Team will promote the development of the following types of agency wide innovative technological solutions:
Innovation that promotes safety and security in our secure facilities, for example, increased utilization of Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) in blind spots;
Innovation that has a concurrence of high value and benefit to youth we serve, staff and stakeholders; Innovation that leverages technology to motivate youth to be successful; and Innovation that utilizes new technology and will help staff be more productive, facilitate better
communication, and improve accountability. One Initiative, the Human Resources Process Automation, is being developed to automate the applicant review & HR hiring packet/onboarding processes. Innovation that promotes efficiency through information sharing.



Measureable Objective 7: Achieve a culture of

innovation at DJJ with the addition of at least five information

technology projects that promote safety and security and increase staff

productivity during FY 2014.

Strategy 3: Implement Prison Rape Elimination Act of 2003 (PREA) Recommendations
Work collaboratively with federal partners to meet the standards of the Prison Rape Elimination Act of 2003 (PREA) and increase sexual assault prevention efforts in our secure facilities through programmatic and physical facility enhancements.
Clear and Unobstructed View (Redesigning office doors, youth shower doors in all facilities) Upgrading facilities Video Monitoring Systems Upgrading Control Panel Systems (gates and doors) Staff Ratios 1:8 wake hours and 1:16 sleep hours Upgrading the phone systems in all facilities to include reporting sexual abuse outside the facility Installing kiosk-based self-reporting systems in facilities

Measureable Objective 8: Reduce the current facility sexual assault rate from 0.0270 to 0 to comply with
PREA's Zero Tolerance Standard by June 30, 2017.

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DJJ Goal 2 is aligned to the Governor's State Goals S4) Promote safe communities and stable families where children thrive & S1) Implement alternative sentencing options to improve offender rehabilitation
Some Goal 2 Related Projects are:
Performance Based Contracting
DJJ Stratification plan and process for youth placements
Effective Administrative Caseload Options
Service Provider Database
Sex Offender Treatment Program
Assessment of Placement Sites
OCI Online Revamp Agency Scorecard
Online Survey Facility Advisory
Boards Predisposition Risk
Assessment (PDRA) Tool Structured Decision Making tool (SDM) Detention Assessment Instrument Comprehensive Needs Assessment (CAN) Tool Title IV-E Federal Funding Research

Goal 2: Implement the Juvenile Justice Reform

Strategy 1: Develop performance evaluations to support budget and strategic initiatives; increase utilization of evidence-based and best practice interventions in the community
DJJ will adopt evidence-based programming to our service delivery continuum. The purpose of the evaluations will be to examine contracted community services based on youth needs as identified by their assessments and service plans. Additionally, these services will be evaluated based on their adherence to national best practice models and interventions, quality, and types of services offered which are relevant to the needs of the current offender population. The agency will build on existing DJJ sponsored research and studies to increase utilization of non-secure alternatives for low risk offenders and also define DJJ youth placement stratification system within the community. DJJ provided programs and services will be evaluated incrementally, utilizing a team-based approach. Findings from the evaluations will inform agency recommendations for annual improvements. Ensuring the accuracy and validity of all assessment tools are essential for the success of this strategy.



Measurable Objective 1: Increase the percentage of youth who do

not reoffend while in our care from 86% to 88% by June 30, 2017.



Measurable Objective 2: Decrease the 3-year juvenile recidivism

rate for the FY2014 cohort from 45% to 30% by June 30, 2018.

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Strategy 2: Develop and Publish Long Term Facility Master Plan
Establish a facility master plan that aligns with juvenile justice reform, increased safety and security needs, the new education requirements from the Department of Education, and to address our aging facility problems. Proposed tasks will include:
Publishing a facility master plan by January 2015 that will include some population projections based on 1-year impact of juvenile justice reform.
Re-missioning Terrell PDC as a 64 bed RYDC by 2017. Making modifications to identified buildings to fit the specifications outlined in Department of
Education's (DOE) standards for technology utilization and maximization (e.g. distance learning). Realigning DJJ's school curriculum to DOE & the common core requirements and the Georgia
Performance Standards. Opening a Maximum Secure Facility in FY 2015. Securing adequate funds to complete upgrade to IP CCTV at all facilities for increase safety and
security by 2015. Installing kiosk systems at all facilities to increase accountability of grievances filed by youth.
Measurable Objective 3: Reduce the rate of assaults by 10% per 100 child care days for youth on youth incidents by June 30, 2017.
Measurable Objective 4: Reduce the rate of assaults by 10% per 100 child care days for youth on staff incidents by June 30, 2017.
Measurable Objective 5: Increase the percentage of students graduating from high school from 37% to 47% by June 30, 2015.
Strategy 3: Manage service capacity, physical & functional deficiencies in our facilities and community placements: Utilize current population trends, tools such as population forecasting, recidivism data, and the facility master plan for planning and service delivery
Adjust staffing & case supervision levels to serve increased low & medium risk youth in the community. Initiate renovations or procurement of existing secure facilities and CSO building spaces. Consider alternative structuring strategies to increase efficiency through redistricting, catchment area planning, and alternative youth placement approaches. Adjust agency vehicle fleet for increased community services staff. Focus on increasing contractual bed capacity by establishing performance based contracts with non-secure service providers. Only 13 of the current providers are solely dedicated to serving DJJ youth. DJJ highest service needs within the agency are youth with alcohol and drug problems, sexually exploited youth, sex offenders, high mental health youth that do not qualify for psychiatric residential treatment, and older youth who have no home to transition back to. Currently, the programs that provide these identified services do not have sufficient capacity to serve all the youth with these needs.
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Measurable Objective 6: Increase the percentage of regular committed youth placed in non-secure residential programming within 90 days as indicated by the youth's placement screening from 56.92% to 100% by June 30, 2017.
Measurable Objective 7: Increase the number of DJJ non-secure placement options from 13 contracted providers to 18 by June 30, 2016.
Strategy 4: Develop a communication plan for engaging staff, stakeholders, citizens, & public partners: Increase and enhance opportunities to engage interested parties in open discussion regarding the needs of the at-risk youth population in our state.
This strategy includes an update of the DJJ website to include a new online newsletter to better communicate with families, employees, news media, stakeholders and the general public. Current Juvenile Justice Reform efforts will be published and maintained on the website. An online survey will be launched to gauge the general sentiment of the public toward the Department of Juvenile Justice. The online survey section named, "How are We Doing at DJJ?" will perform as an agency scorecard processing internal and external feedback on a wide range of subjects. Through this survey, DJJ will be able to identify potential perception problem areas and help institute agency improvements by enhancing existing policy and procedures. A baseline perception of DJJ will be established by FY 2014 with the goal of incrementally improving that public view by 10% annually. The Office of Communications will monitor survey results and update DJJ leadership with the goal of improving future perception of the department by 2017.
Measureable Objective 8: Increase the public perception of DJJ from the baseline (TBD in FY 2014) to baseline + 30% by FY 2017.
Strategy 5: Support collaborative efforts with key stakeholders for successful reform implementation
This will be accomplished by developing and maintaining community and interagency partnerships; participating in any ongoing juvenile code rewrite efforts and other initiatives to build cooperation with juvenile justice partners and improve public policy; ensuring cooperation during independent audits of juvenile justice programs, practices, and facilities; collecting and furnishing required performance data to oversight committee from the juvenile courts and local probation agencies; encouraging continued dialogue among DJJ agency partners; developing a unified data tracking mechanism for collecting and tracking referrals to the juvenile justice system; ensuring that the agency that requests the detention assessment instrument also transport juveniles to the detention center or be responsible for the cost of transportation, and investigating the cost effectiveness of utilizing Title IV-E funding of the Social Security Act for youth meeting eligibility requirements among other initiatives.
Measurable Objective 9: Increase the number of independent courts utilizing the Predisposition Risk Assessment (PDRA) from 0 to 17 by June 30, 2017.
Measurable Objective 10: Increase the percentage of DJJ-only committed youth placed or awaiting placement in community residential care, in which the Office of Federal Programs determines eligibility for Title IV-E placement reimbursement from 0 to 50% by June 30, 2015.
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Strategy 6: Develop, Enhance, and Validate Decision-Making Instruments - Through collaboration with local probation agencies and key stakeholders, implement the statewide use of objective decision-making tools to inform detention, commitment, and placement decisions
All assessment tools used in the state among Georgia's juvenile population will be re-normed and validated to accurately measure risk. In addition to reducing recidivism by strengthening Evidence-Based Community Supervision and Programs, creating cost savings in future state appropriations, and increasing the availability and effectiveness of community-based options, utilization of the assessment and decision-making tools across the state of Georgia is expected to reduce the number of low & medium risk offenders housed in DJJ facilities. The out-of-home juvenile offender population committed to DJJ is projected to decrease as low-risk offenders are diverted to evidence-based programs in the community: Introduce the use of a Pre-Disposition Risk Assessment Instrument in juvenile courts Recommend the use of a Structured Decision Making Tool in juvenile courts Enhance and Validate the Detention Assessment Instrument Enhance and revalidate the needs portion of the Comprehensive Risk and Needs Assessment
Measurable Objective 2: Decrease the 3-year juvenile recidivism rate for the FY2014 cohort from 45% to 30% by June 30, 2018.
Strategy 7: Establish Effective Community-Based Options
This strategy will focus the state's out-of-home secure facilities on higher-risk, serious offenders while strengthening evidence-based community supervision and programs for low-risk, misdemeanor, and status offenders by:
Establishing an administrative caseload for youth who abide by the conditions of their supervision. Expanding access to effective community-based programs and practices in areas of the state where
unavailable or limited Establishing and enforcing performance-based contracting with community service providers. Monitoring outcomes of youth in community-based programs and reporting performance indicators. Measurable Objective 7: Increase the number of DJJ non-secure placement options from 13 contracted providers to 18 by June 30, 2016
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Strategy 8: Utilize Data for Performance Measurement and Oversight
Standardized reporting requirements will be implemented for DJJ, all juvenile courts, and local probation agencies in order to monitor and track progress towards the desired outcomes. The collection and tracking of key outcome measures will allow for data-driven decision making and performance assessment for the
agency and its stakeholders.

DJJ Goal 3 is aligned to the Governor's State Goal R3) Build and maintain a quality state government workforce
Some Goal 3 Related Projects are:
Employee Compensation Analysis
Management Development Program
Staff Investment Plan
Employee Satisfaction Plan
Talent Quest Program
Basic Juvenile Correctional Officer Training



Measurable Objective 11: Decrease the percentage of low-risk,

misdemeanor, and status offenders placed in out-of-home secure placement from

29.44% to 20% by June 30, 2016.

Goal 3: Promote strategized Recruitment, Retention, and Succession Planning

Strategy 1: Enhance Employee Growth and Satisfaction - Implement an Employee Satisfaction Enhancement Plan to improve employee satisfaction and the agency work environment by engaging in the following activities:
Track current staff retention rates and develop retention strategy plan; investigate strategies to attract and retain the three highest employee turnover positions within the agency; increase the BJCOT from a 4-week to 5-week program to incorporate additional situational training exercises; strengthen the training division's capacity to support increased safety and security initiatives; develop career mapping tracks; develop employee surveys for analysis and strategy development; integrate succession planning into the culture of the agency; enhance the management and leadership development programs with a focus on developing facility leadership; develop reporting mechanisms to track, measure & notify individuals of required trainings; improve agency wide hiring and selection processes; create online hiring and exit interview system; examine the skillset of the agency workforce with current needs and mission of the organization; and establish relationships with outside organizations to foster employee growth.

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Measurable Objective 1: Increase the percentage of employees who are satisfied or highly satisfied with their DJJ employment from 61% to above 70% by June 30, 2017.
Measurable Objective 2: Decrease job turnover rate for the JCO 1 position from 46% as of April 2013 to below 40% by June 30, 2017.
Strategy 2: Utilize external expertise and resources to support a culture of innovation - These relationships will foster innovative ideas that will provide incentive for staff growth and make DJJ the premier place to work.
These external relationships will assist in creating a culture where staff successfully provides quality supervision that develops and supports youth success. Specific initiatives that will be undertaken include:
Investing in leadership coaching for executive staff and managers ( to include, but not limited to, utilizing Command College through Columbus University for Career Development courses and certifications such as PMP) to enhance the decision making process among upper management.
Implementing a pre-employment examination for JCO's. Continued exploration of employability traits among JCO's and educational staff - Identifying the
qualities of top performing Juvenile Correctional Officers and Teachers by developing an instrument that can be used to select the best qualified applicants for these positions is critical to retention. Once these instruments have been developed, a baseline will be established to measure the validity of the testing instrument.
Measurable Objective 2: Decrease job turnover rate for the JCO 1 position from 46% as of April 2013 to below 40% by June 30, 2017.
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DJJ Goal 4 is aligned to the Governor's State Goals S1) Implement alternative sentencing options to improve offender rehabilitation & E5) Increase the percentage of high school graduates who are college and career ready
Some Goal 4 Related Projects are:
DJJ Stratification plan and process for youth placements
DJJ Facility Remissioning Plan

Goal 4: Establish systematic Classification and Placement of Youth

Strategy 1: Re-mission selected facilities to focus on specific sub-sets of the youth population

The intent of re-missioning some of DJJ facilities is to focus the delivery of programs,

services, and treatment on the most pressing needs of the youth. This need-focused

approach will ensure that while in our care, all the youth are provided with the resources

to prepare them to be law-abiding citizens upon release. Included in this effort are plans

to:



Remission Eastman YDC to serve youth based on age,

education, and skill set beginning 2014. Youth placed at Eastman YDC will be those over

17 years old with a GED, and they will be taught vocational skills in this setting.



Identify and remission facilities to be utilized for re-entry purposes

to assist youth with successfully integration back into the community.



Maintain Secure Facilities by adding relevant staff positions -

Establish a position for one housekeeping/skilled maintenance staff at small facilities, two

at medium sized facilities, and three at large facilities.



Measurable Objective 1: Increase the percentage of youth who do not

reoffend while in our care from 86% to 88% by June 30, 2017.



Measurable Objective 2: Decrease the 3-year juvenile recidivism rate for

the FY2014 cohort from 45% to 30% by June 30, 2018.



Measurable Objective 3: Increase the percentage of youth with job

placements after community reentry from 0% to 10% by June 2014.

Goal 5: Promote Offender/Youth Re-entry focused programming and service delivery

Strategy 1: Enhance youth rehabilitation and transition processes to facilitate successful reintegration into the community - Engage services, resources, and support from outside entities that can help prepare youth for transition and support them upon reentry
In thinking exit upon entry, the case management process will be enhanced to focus on transition of youth access to adequate housing, health benefits, mental health follow-up, additional education opportunities, employment assistance etc. - from facilities to community, a faith-based program to develop partnership in support of DJJ youth as they transition back into their communities will be implemented, youth participation in community service and service learning opportunities that are performed in partnership with other community agencies will be encouraged and monitored, a menu of core treatment programs will be developed, an effective evidence based behavior management program that reinforces positive behavior will be adopted,
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DJJ Goal 5 is aligned to the Governor's State Goal S2) Promote successful offender re-entry and compliance

and a full evaluation of the vocational programs offered in DJJ facilities to determine work-readiness effectiveness will be conducted. A data tracking mechanism will be employed to assess the number of youth with job placements against those released back into the community.

Some Goal 5 Related Projects:

Project FACE

Transition to

Success, a program

provided by the

Governor's Office of Workforce Development. GEORGIA Best, Partnership with the Department of labor to provide soft skills



Measurable Objective 1: Increase the percentage of youth who do

not reoffend while in our care from 86% to 88% by June 30, 2017.



Measurable Objective 2: Decrease the 3-year juvenile recidivism

rate for the FY2014 cohort from 45% to 30% by June 30, 2018.



Measurable Objective 3: Increase the percentage of youth with job

placements after community reentry from 0% to 10% by June 2014.

to youth in the GEP program RESPECT, a

Strategy 2: Enhance Community Partnerships and Initiatives - Institute an organizational culture that balances public safety & youth

program to provide

accountability through partnerships and connections that positively

soft skills to the

supports successful re-entry of youth back into their communities

youth in the

Graduate Education Program Transitional &

This initiative will focus on developing and maintaining relationships with state, local & community based organizations to expand youth access to educational, vocational, and employment opportunities; increase access to internships and

Reentry Services

mentorship programming; engage Facility Advisory Boards within our secure

Frfaamcieliwtieosrk& track recommendations across facilities; maintain existing relationships with victim-witness

SeardvSvaofceates in the judicial districts throughout the state to ensure seamless services for victims of juvenile

crime; move DJJ toward full implementation of balanced and restorative justice practices; improve victim

notification efforts in the collection of victim contact information & tracking compliance with victim notification

requirements; & assess staff accountability in tracking restitution payments in JTS.

In addition, the agency will seek funding and/or support from foundations or entities that support

implementation of quality services or programs that may promote successful offender reentry.

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Measurable Objective 4: Achieve a network of comprehensive community partnerships through active Facility Advisory Board participation at all of our secure facilities by June 30, 2014.
Measurable Objective 5: Increase the percentage of restitution collections payments entered into the Juvenile Tracking System's Restitution Module from 37.99% to 80% by June 30, 2016.
Measurable Objective 6: Increase the number of victim notification letters sent at least 30 days prior to offender release from YDC (or RYDC release of YDC-appropriate youth) from 72.53% to 85% by June 30, 2017
Measurable Objective 7: Increase the number of victim notification letters sent within 48 hours of offender release from RYDC from 39.56% to 60% by June 30, 2017
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