1. Juvenile Justice and Homelessness: Opportunities for Impact
Lisa Pilnik
Director, Child & Family Policy Associates
Senior Advisor, Coalition for Juvenile Justice

2. Homelessness and Juvenile Justice
1 million youth involved with law enforcement/ justice system each year.
Nearly 400,000 unaccompanied homeless youth
Sources: Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention; National Alliance to End Homelessness 2

3. ACYF Street Outreach Program Data Collection Project
Nearly 44% of youth interviewed had stayed in a jail, prison or juvenile detention center.
Almost 78% had at least one interaction with the police
Nearly 62% had been arrested
Administration on Children, Youth and Families, Family and Youth Services Bureau: Street Outreach Program Data Collection Project Final Report (April 2016). 3

4. Homelessness and Juvenile Justice
Limited national research, but we do have some local data:
California
Minnesota
Washington
Bernstein, N., & Foster, L. (2008). Voices from the street: A survey of homeless youth by their peers; Nellis, Ashley, and Hooks Wayman, Richard. Back on Track: Supporting Youth Reentry from Out-of-Home Placement to the Community, 2009, Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Coalition.
NN4Y provider survey with similar findings (A 2014 survey conducted by the National Network for Youth and the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty of homeless youth providers similarly found that more than 60% of providers said their youth clients reported being “criminalized/harassed by police or other city workers” for violations of these and other laws.) 4

5. Link between homelessness and justice involvement
Status Offense Laws
“Quality of Life” Ordinances
Survival Crimes
Family Violence
Behavioral Health
Collateral Consequences 5

6. How does homelessness contribute to justice involvement?
“Researchers emphasize that criminal offenses or illegal acts committed by runaways and youth experiencing homelessness are frequently motivated by basic survival needs, such as food and shelter; the presence of adverse situations, such as hunger and unemployment; self-medication through use of alcohol and drugs; and a lack of opportunities for legitimate self-support.”
Administration on Children, Youth and Families, Family and Youth Services Bureau: Street Outreach Program Data Collection Project Final Report (April 2016) Citing Kaufman & Widom, 1999; McCarthy & Hagan, 2001; Whitbeck & Hoyt, 1999. 6

7. Exacerbates already volatile family circumstances
How does justice involvement lead to homelessness (immediate or long-term)?
Exacerbates already volatile family circumstances
Disrupts education and hurts job opportunities; hindering ability to pay rent
Challenges relating to public housing 7

8. Reprinted with permission from: Sickmund, Melissa, and Puzzanchera, Charles (eds.) Juvenile Offenders and Victims: 2014 National Report. Pittsburgh, PA: National Center for Juvenile Justice.

9. How do we start to address these challenges?
Collaboration
Research
Training and awareness- raising
More prevention and diversion
Better transition planning
Advocacy 9

10. Collaborating for Change
Goals
To decrease the number of homeless youth who become involved with the JJ system
To prevent youth homelessness among justice-involved youth
Project led by CJJ, in partnership with National Network for Youth, National League of Cities Institute on Youth, Education & Families 10

11. CJJ’s Homelessness Project
Cross-sector expert advisory committee
Policy and practice guiding principles and action recommendations
Publications
Education/training
Advocacy 11

12. Other issues and initiatives
Civil legal needs of homeless youth
Collateral consequences
Public housing
Adult criminal justice system 12

13. Key Questions? How do we respond to and support this population?
How do we ensure individualized, targeted responses?
How do we avoid net-widening? 13

14. For more information Lisa Pilnik
Director, Child & Family Policy Associates
Senior Advisor, Coalition for Juvenile Justice