Pubdate: Sat, 26 Dec 2009 Source: Curry Coastal Pilot (Brookings, OR) Copyright: 2009 Western Communications, Inc Contact: http://www.currypilot.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1721 Author: Valliant Corley, Pilot staff writer Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/pot.htm (Cannabis) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?159 (Drug Courts) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/youth.htm (Youth) JUVENILE PROGRAMS SEE HIGH SUCCESS RATE GOLD BEACH -- Curry County's programs to guide youths away from crime and use of drugs and alcohol are working, County Juvenile Department Director Kenneth W. Dukek says as he notes the low numbers of young offenders who come back in the system and the success rate of the Juvenile Drug Court. With the support of the Curry County Circuit Court judges, our department has been administrating a juvenile drug court program funded with a federal ... grant for the past two years," Dukek said. "We are pleased to announce that the recidivism rate is 2 percent based on 55 total youth in the program, and only one youth has re-offended in the past year." He said of the current 49 enrolled youth, only three have tested positive for drug use. In reality, it's not always the case that they are continuing to use marijuana," Dukek said. "There will be some residual marijuana in their system. It takes some time to get it out. We'll see that decline until it hits zero." He said it generally takes 30 days after someone has used marijuana to get it out of their system. Some don't stop right away, but once in the program, they usually take it seriously and stop, but they still will have it in their system," he said. He said that with authorities stepping in early when teenagers are using alcohol and drugs, it helps prevent more serious drug use. It helps prevent a lifestyle that comes with those drugs," Dukek said. "With the harder drugs, they get in criminal behavior to support those drugs." Dukek says on the criminal side, the Juvenile Justice Information System provides reports on recidivism for youth offenders. He said there is a lag of two years on the information, with the most recent report available based on data from 2007. During 2007, the statewide recidivism rate was 29.9 percent and the Curry County rate was 16.7 percent," Dukek said. The chronic -- three or more subsequent referrals -- recidivism rate for the same year statewide is 5.4 percent and the Curry County rate was 2.0 percent," he said. In comparison to similar sized counties, Curry County has the lowest recidivism rates," Dukek said. He said there are currently 40 youth offenders receiving direct probation services through his department. There are currently 37 youth involved in informal supervision services through our department and 17 youth offenders receiving direct services from Oregon Youth Authority," he said. Dukek said there are formal probations for misdemeanors or felonies. We have various programs that we use," he said. "We try to increase their social skills. We get involved with more positive things in their lives. We work with youths in a multitude of ways. There is no 'one shoe fits all.'" Dukek said his department has only two probation officers, but they are effective. Only two, and we're at a 2-percent recidivism rate," he said. "It's the skills of our probation officers who are working with the schools." Dukek said that his department in the recent past has added several new programs, including the Healthy Start Program and the CASA Program, which will lead to a change in name for the department. Currently we are discussing changing our departmental name from the Curry County Juvenile Department to the Curry County Department of Youth Services," he said. We feel that this change better reflects our operations and services offered to the residents of Curry County," he said. We're not just the Juvenile Department any more," Dukek said. "In the last two years, we've added a multitude of programs -- drug court, CASA, Health Start Program, ATOD -- Alcohol, Tobacco and Drugs. We also have a real expansive community service program. When I look at our future, when we apply for grants, it's sometimes a stigma to being the Juvenile Department," he said. He said the name change would be more reflective of the department's actual programs and would probably aid in getting approval for grants in the future. Dukek said the Curry County Board of Commissioners will hold a work session in January to discuss the name change. New programs taken on by the department include: On July 20, the Juvenile Department was awarded the Curry County Healthy Start Program by the local Commission on Children and Families. On Aug. 17, the program was operational with staffing, office space, and administrative support systems. The Curry CASA Program, which the department recently acquired, currently has 18 CASA Volunteers to advocate for dependent, abused and neglected children. "The Gordon Elwood Foundation, Ford Family Foundation, Oregon Commission on Children and Families, Curry County Commission on Children and Families, and Curry County Board of Commissioners have supported the CASA Program through grants and funding enabling us to increase capacity and add several new CASA Volunteers," Dukek said. The department was approved for a third year of Drug Free Communities funding that provides drug and substance use and abuse education in local schools from the sixth through 12th grades. "This is a federal grant that we apply for through Curry County Commission on Children and Families," he said. "We are pleased to report that Azalea Middle School has received recognition from the Addictions and Mental Health Division of the Department of Human Services for reducing underage drinking and drug use in 2008." Earlier this year, the department received grant funding from Oregon Youth Conservation Corps to employ four youth during the summer months. "We completed numerous Forest Service projects including trail maintenance, clearing brush, river bar clean up, and vegetation control while the youth learned many new skills," Dukek said. "We will continue to apply for this annual summer grant." - --- MAP posted-by: Jo-D