Current Projects and Evaluations
Evidence-based Nebraska
Since 2015, JJI has been working statewide with the Nebraska Crime Commission to collect and evaluate data on Nebraska’s Community-based Aid Funded Programs. Our goal is to determine effective practices that positively affect Nebraska’s youth and share this information with practitioners as we work toward keeping youth from moving deeper within the juvenile justice system.
For more information please visit Evidence-based Nebraska.
Heart of a Champion-One Heart Mentoring Program
JJI was contracted to evaluate the Heart of a Champion-Nebraska One Heart Mentoring Program in December 2021. The One Heart Project provides juvenile-involved youth with skills, tools, and healthy relationships in order to successfully navigate the juvenile justice system. The One Heart Project uses an approach called The Second Chance Pathway. The approach gives youth skills and a network of healthy adults to coach them through The Second Chance Pathway. The goal of the program is to reduce crime, make communities safe, and break the cradle-to-prison pipeline. The One Heart Project currently operates in Nebraska, Texas, Kansas, and Indiana. JJI has been tasked with evaluating the Nebraska initiative to evaluate the program’s success in Nebraska.
Nebraska Supreme Court’s Statewide Juvenile Restorative Justice & Family Intervention Initiative
The Nebraska Office of Dispute Resolution, housed within the Administrative Office of Courts and Probation, was awarded one of seven Juvenile Justice System Reform grants through the federal Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. The overarching goal of the project is to expand and enhance restorative justice youth conferencing processes across all six mediation centers in the state. Youth are referred by schools and diversion programs to improve youth outcomes and reduce juvenile justice system involvement. JJI’s role is to conduct the three-year program evaluation on the four restorative justice processes being implemented.
What is Restorative Justice? | May 2023
Restorative Justice Fellowship
JJI Director Anne Hobbs was honored to receive one of four nationwide Restorative Justice Research Community fellowships sponsored by the Bureau of Justice Assistance and funded by the National Center on Restorative Justice. This fellowship aims to assist researchers and practitioners translate restorative justice into practice across the United States. In June 2023, Hobbs will convene with other nationally respected restorative justice experts at the University of Vermont to further examine how restorative justice can transform the juvenile justice system into an effective venue for shaping young people into thoughtful and contributing members of society.
JJI continues to look for ways to increase the effectiveness of juvenile justice interventions and believes that restorative practices may be a critical element in reforming both the juvenile justice system and the educational system.
The growing body of research shows that restorative practices can be effective in building skills in the workforce, impacting victims in a positive way, and transforming the offender and thereby reducing recidivism. JJI is building the capacity to test and contribute to this body of work and practice. If you are interested in learning more about restorative practices and/or partnering on research in this area, please contact us.
Service-Learning
JJI is committed to service-learning models that engage students and enhance the learning environment, with the aim of shaping and improving the justice system workforce. JJI currently offers two service-learning programs for enrolled students on both the UNO and UNL campuses.
Juvenile Reentry Mentoring Program
JRMP takes students far beyond their juvenile delinquency textbook and through the doors of juvenile detention and juvenile rehabilitation centers. The learning objectives of this course include establishing and modeling meaningful and supportive relationships, identifying and reviewing the unique needs and risk factors of juveniles in the justice system, and exploring personal beliefs and biases related to delinquency or criminality. JJI has partnered with a handful of universities outside the NU system, including Nebraska Wesleyan University, Doane University, St. Edwards University in Texas, and the University of Missouri at Kansas City.
International Criminal Justice Experiment
ICJE creates a shared classroom with students from across the globe. During class time, students discuss the International Criminal Court and its jurisdiction over particular crimes. Over the semester the students talk about world events like the war in Ukraine, the abuse of the Uyghur population in China, and other current events. For the final project, students work with an international cohort to draft a grant proposal to create positive and lasting change in the world. Students have come up with creative social media campaigns to raise awareness of world events.
Completed Projects and Evaluations
OJJDP Compliance Project
This project assisted the Nebraska Crime Commission and Nebraska Coalition for Juvenile Justice by researching the requirements for compliance with the Juvenile Justice & Delinquency Prevention Act. JJI conducted a comprehensive statute review, statewide focus groups, created a statewide system map, and developed a foundation for a state comprehensive plan.
Nebraska Juvenile Justice System Map
Nebraska Juvenile Justice System Map Narrative
Evidence-based Programming in Nebraska – What Works?
JJI worked with the UNL Law & Psychology program to develop and implement an assessment tool to determine where community-based aid programs fall on the continuum of evidence-based practices.
Evaluation of the Probation Risk Assessment Instrument
JJI examined and analyzed the use of the Nebraska Risk Assessment Instrument, specifically consistency in decision-making, youth, and public safety outcomes, and impact on disproportionate minority confinement.
Three-Year Juvenile Justice Plan
JJI worked with the Nebraska Crime Commission to gather and analyze stakeholder feedback regarding priorities for Nebraska’s Three Year Comprehensive Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Plan 2015-2018.
Juvenile Reentry
The Juvenile Reentry project provided a range of reentry services for youth reentering Lancaster County from detention facilities. One program component included university- and community-based mentors who assisted youth with the transition back to the community, with the ultimate goal of reducing recidivism.
- Mentoring Juveniles After Detention
- Evaluation of Juvenile Reentry Efforts
- Rural Futures Institute: Mentoring Youth Returning to Rural Areas
The Lancaster County Juvenile Reentry Project - Follow-up Report
The Lancaster County Juvenile Reentry Project - Final Report
JJI assisted the Lancaster County Reentry Team in establishing a baseline of needs for youth reentering the community after placement at a youth rehabilitation treatment center. Goals included determining gaps in services and establishing baseline recidivism rates.
Youth Reentering Lancaster County After Commitment to a State Youth Rehabilitation Center
Juvenile Services Comprehensive Community Planning
JJI developed a comprehensive manual to assist counties and communities in developing a collaborative and purposeful community planning process, as well as an effective plan for addressing juvenile justice needs.
Juvenile Services Comprehensive Community Planning User Manual
Assessing Disproportionate Minority Contact (DMC)
JJI has performed several DMC assessments with the goal of identifying factors that contribute to disproportionate minority contact so that juvenile justice system stakeholders can design appropriate intervention strategies.
Lancaster County Early Identification and Assessment
JJI evaluated the Lancaster County early identification and assessment process, which was designed to ensure youth were matched to an appropriate early intervention and screen eligible youth out of the juvenile justice system. JJI evaluated whether the early assessment program was effective in reducing recidivism.
- Evaluation of Lancaster County Early Identification and Assessment Process – Final Evaluation
- Evaluation of Lancaster County Early Assessment Process – Initial Evaluation
- Assessing Youth Early in the Juvenile Justice System, OJJDP Journal of Juvenile Justice
Lancaster County Truancy Evaluation
JJI evaluated the Lancaster County truancy diversion program, which was developed to address growing truancy problems.
Evaluation of Lancaster County Truancy Diversion Program – Final Evaluation
Juvenile Diversion Case Management System
JJI developed the juvenile diversion case management system in conjunction with the UNO College of Information Science and Technology and the Nebraska Crime Commission. The system allows for consistent and uniform data reporting across diversion programs while providing stakeholders with valuable data about diversion processes and outcomes.
Evaluating Community-Based Alternatives
JJI was contracted to evaluate juvenile detention alternatives in Lancaster County, including alternative effectiveness and use of/fidelity to evidence-based models.
Evaluation of Lancaster County Alternatives to Juvenile Detention
State of Nebraska Victim Assistance Strategic Plan
JJI is partnering with the Nebraska Crime Commission to complete Nebraska’s Victim Assistance Strategic Plan. The strategic plan will identify statewide priorities and gaps in services for all types of crime victims.
Juvenile Justice Community Planning
JJI periodically provides training sessions for juvenile justice community planning teams across the state. Topics include collective impact, team formation and collaboration, data, priority and strategy development, and individualized plan assistance.
Justice by Geography
JJI is partnering with UNL Law & Psychology to teach Justice by Geography, a course that pairs student interns with rural juvenile justice agencies. Students learn about program evaluation and have the opportunity to do program evaluation work with their agency. The course culminates in a student presentation.
Juvenile Diversion Training
JJI is assisting the Nebraska Crime Commission with a diversion training series focused on evidence-based approaches and providing diversion in an equitable fashion across the state.
Juvenile Justice Policy
JJI provides consultation and guidance regarding juvenile justice research in order to inform leaders and policymakers of current trends and needs in the juvenile justice system.
Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative
JJI continues to research and evaluate diversion services and alternatives to ensure positive outcomes for youth involved in the system, as well as assist in the ongoing maintenance and development of the juvenile diversion case management system.
- Juvenile Diversion
- Juvenile Diversion Case Management System