|
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY B aker County has the highest rate of juvenile arrests in the State of Oregon at 107.9 per thousand in 1998, compared to a state wide rate of 53.9 per thousand in the same year (Oregon Benchmarks County Data Book 1999, see Appendix 1). It was with this number in mind that the Baker County Commission on Children and Families (CCF) made the decision to apply for a Training and Technical Assistance Grant through the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention’s Comprehensive Strategy for Serious, Violent, and Chronic Juvenile Offenders. In 1998, the CCF began a process of recruiting workgroup members who shared the concern over our juvenile crime rate, and whose vision was to focus on prevention efforts that would lead to reduced juvenile delinquent behavior. As one of six pilot projects in the State of Oregon, Baker County has the unique opportunity to use the experience of nationally recognized experts to improve the health of their children and families."A study of violent inmates in California’s San Quentin prison found that 100% of them experienced extreme violence between the ages of one and ten (Maurer, 1976 in Straus, Gelles, Steinmetz). Possibly more important than simply addressing juvenile crime as it exists is that the Comprehensive Strategy addresses the root causes of juvenile delinquency, targeting risk factors that research shows are predictive of later problem behaviors. Children who commit crimes do not suddenly begin exhibiting delinquent behavior as teenagers. The seeds of delinquency are sown in childhood. What grows from there is dependent upon risk and protective factors present in the family, school, community, individual, and peer. Of nineteen risk factors (see Appendix 2) known to be associated with the problem behaviors of substance abuse, delinquency, school dropout, teen pregnancy, and violence, four (based on local data) have been selected as priority risk factors (see Data Collection report). These four risk factors are Family Management Problems/Family Conflict, Early and Persistent Anti-Social Behavior, Availability of Drugs and Alcohol, and Extreme Economic and Social Deprivation. Although Family Management Problems and Family Conflict are listed by OJJDP as two separate risk factors, the two were joined as one risk factor by the community planning team because they are interrelated. While Baker County has a history of collaborative efforts, the Comprehensive Strategy is the first to work in a proactive way to address juvenile delinquency aggressively through prevention efforts. This five-year Strategic Plan does not stand alone. It will work in conjunction with the Department of Human Services Service Integration, Partnership II, the Juvenile Crime Prevention Plan, the Baker County Prevention Coalition, and the recently mandated Senate Bill 555 Comprehensive Planning, overseen by the Commission on Children and Families. The group that will take stewardship for implementation of this strategic plan will be the Baker County Prevention Coalition. The Community Planning Team anticipates that Baker County community leaders and decision-makers will endorse and adopt this strategic plan. The strategic plan will be a blueprint for agency priority setting and county policy making, and will serve as a guide for future grants to identify and fill gaps in service. It will allow multiple agencies to work in unison toward the common goal of improving Baker County for its children and families. |
