DALLAS COUNTY

JUVENILE DEPARTMENT

BUDGET HIGHLIGHTS FY 2014

Dr. Terry S. Smith - Executive Director /Chief of Juvenile Probation

John A. Heath – Assistant Executive Director

Judge Cheryl Shannon – Chair Dallas County Juvenile Board

Juvenile Judges Judge Cheryl Shannon – 305th District Court Judge William Mazur – 304th District Court

Associate Judge Derrick Morrison – 305th District Court Associate Judge Diana Herrera – 304th District Court

Judge Melinda Forbes – Referee Court

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Executive Team Executive Director: Dr. Terry S. Smith Assistant Executive Director: Mr. John A. Heath Deputy Directors: Ms. Karen Ramos, Administrative and Executive Services Mr. Bill Edwards, Probation Services Dr. Danny Pirtle, Education Services Dr. John Pita, Psychology and Mental Health Services Mr. Ervin Taylor, Institutional Services

Juvenile Board Members Chair

Judge Cheryl Shannon Vice Chair

Commissioner John Wiley Price Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins

Judge Gracie Lewis Judge William Mazur

Judge Craig Smith Ms. Paula Miller

Judge Andrea Plumlee Judge Robert Burns

A LETTER FROM THE CHIEF

In 2013, we continue our focus of putting Youth First. Thus creating, augmenting and developing programs and services that best fit our population. We have made significant strides for Dallas County by utilizing diversion courts, creating programs that are data driven for special populations, ardently seeking community partnerships, reestablishing family engagement and capitalizing on the value of restorative justice. I, along with an exceptional administrative team, am proud of our Department’s

accomplishments. This includes reducing racial disparities with the establishment of a premier diversion court-DMC (Diversion Male Court). Additionally, we are expanding the parameters of ESTEEM court to accept post-adjudicated girls. We reduced our override rate leading to declines in racial incongruence. Probation staff worked alongside administration to decrease the filing of non-violent VOPs (i.e., failure to contact probation officer). Moreover, this is the first time since 2011 that we have reached our target placement goal of 120 youth. The number of youth coming into the system continues to decline, allowing this Department to focus on those youth who need intense services. I am extremely proud of the Dallas County Juvenile Department staff especially those who shifted their paradigm by thinking outside of the box. By tackling the ‘low hanging’ fruit we

have been able to keep low-level offenders in the community thus preventing further ingress into our system. We have an incomparable and consummate judiciary team lead by Judge Cheryl Shannon-305th District Court and Judge William Mazur-304th District Court along with their Associate Judges and Detention Judge; Judge Derrick Morrison, Judge Diana Herrera and Judge Melinda Forbes respectively. Their support directly sets our foundation for new and innovative programming. Additionally, we have had tremendous support from our Juvenile Board. They too have demonstrated incredible dedication by giving their free time, supporting initiatives and sharing our successes in their travels. Although we are significantly making a difference in the lives of the youth and families we

serve, we are not done yet. Albeit some may be satisfied with these accomplishments, this administration is not, it is not time to rest on our laurels. We must continue to work on prevention and intervention for the youth and families of Dallas County. We must continue putting Youth First! Many Thanks! Terry S. Smith Executive Director/Chief of Juvenile Probation

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Dallas County Juvenile Department

The Mission of the Dallas County Juvenile Department is to assist referred youth in becoming productive, law abiding citizens, while promoting public safety and victim restoration.

FY 2013 Major Accomplishments

The successful implementation of

the DMC (Diversion Male Court)

whose is target black and brown

male youth diverting them from

penetrating the Juvenile Justice

System as well as reduce the

Department’s Disproportionate

Minority Contact.

Totally revamping the

Department’s publications,

internal newsletter, and overall

public relations/marketing

strategy which has produced a

significant increase in positive

print, television, radio coverage.

Created the Department’s first

Educational Advocacy Team

which is designed to provide a

“safe bridge” for our students

back to their home schools. This

effort has been buoyed by our

largest referral source, Dallas ISD

pledging unprecedented

cooperation and access to

campus and system leadership.

Received the high scores again

from the Texas Juvenile Justice

Department during the annual

audit of facilities for the

Detention Center Pre and Post

Programs (97.1% and 98.3%)

and the Lyle B. Medlock

Treatment Facility (98.01%).

Created JD Stat - a

performance-measurement

and management tool

designed to make the Dallas

County Juvenile Department

more accountable and more

efficient. JD Stat brings silicon

content into a carbon context.

Reduced RAI overrides from 34%

to 17%.

Violations of probation were

reduced 10% and we are

making even more headway

presently.

Were awarded nearly $150,000

in competitive grants.

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FY 2014 Goals

►Continue to rely on Data Driven

Initiatives. James Bell Esq.

Founder and Executive Director

W. Haywood Burns Institute is

regularly shares with Juvenile Justice

practitioners the following quote,

“Most juvenile justice systems don’t

gather data to run their

Department, they usually gather data to give it to someone else.”

The Dallas County Juvenile

Department defies that stereotype!

►Focus on the further reduction in

Juvenile Disproportionate Minority

Contact. The DMC Diversion Court

targeting Black and Brown males

will be a major tool in our efforts.

►For some time the Juvenile

Department has desired have an

Evening Reporting Center where

youth in targeted districts would not

only report to their Probation Officer,

but would access tutoring, psych

groups, and for youth who have

technical violations of probation.

►Consistent reduction in the filing of

Violations of Probation which would

in turn assist us to avoid placing the

youth in Detention for technical

violations, but rather we would

provide services to the youth in the

community that would address the

root causes of the violation(s).

►Increase the number of “front-

end” community partners focused

on prevention and intervention with

our youth.

►Opening The Letot Residential

Treatment Center and developing

the greatest girls treatment program

in the nation subsequently allowing

the Juvenile Department to serve as

THE model for the Nation.

►Establish gender specific ascetics

and programs for the girls at the

Letot Center, Marzelle Hill Center,

and the Dr. Jerome McNeil Jr.

Detention center.

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FY 2014 Budget and Spending Plan

Because of the better choices we

have made under the direction of

the Dallas County Juvenile Board

and the support of the Dallas

Commissioners Court we are in a

better position than many of our

counter parts within the State of

Texas and around the Nation.

The proposed FY 2014 budget

protects the progress we’ve made

together, and positions the Dallas

County Juvenile Department for

greater results, opportunity for

program expansion, and charting a

solid course for the Department’s

sustainability. The better choices

we’re making together reflect the

same balanced approach that has

allowed Dallas County to emerge

from the national recession stronger

than other Counties. As a result,

the Dallas County Juvenile

Department has taken a balanced

approach of continuing to look for

areas where reduction is

appropriate while simultaneously

making targeted strategic

investments in our operations, institutions, and people.

The Department has continued to

adhere to the core concepts of

the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s

Juvenile Detention Alternative

Initiative while balancing the

responsibility of continuing our

progress in Juvenile Justice Reform

while simultaneously ensuring the

safety of the community. With a

new JDAI coordinator who brings

fresh eyes and a fresh perspective

which enable us to continue our

role as a JDAI leader!

The FY2014 Budget request reflects

a collection of modest requests

that together include replacement

of severely damaged and aged

equipment, an increase in the

mileage reimbursement request

which is the result of having more

youth in the community rather than

in a facility, a slight increase in our

contract with UT Southwestern, and

for personnel to keep us compliant

with our regulatory body, the Texas

Juvenile Justice Department. This

years budget request

demonstrates our continual effort

to remain good stewards of the

public’s resources.

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Expenditure

FY 2012

Actual

FY 2013

Appropriation

FY 2014

Proposed

Change from

FY 13

General Fund 44,271,289 45,590,458 47,160,237 1,569,779

State Aid 10,790,746 10,790,746 10,790,746 0

AEC Foundation 15,000 15,000 15,000 0

Gov. Office 483,123 483,123 483,123 0

Educational Aid 8,955,146 10,309,086 8,596,469 (1,712,617)

Total 64,515,304 67,188,413 67,045,575 (142,838)

Dallas County Juvenile Department

Three Year Summary

FY 2014

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Dallas County Juvenile Department

Three Year Summary

FY 2014

FTE

FY 2012

Actual

FY 2013

Appropriation

FY 2014

Proposed Change from FY

13

Full Time 939 948 948 0

Part Time 160 149 149 0

Total 1,099 1,097 1,097 0

The magic formula that successful businesses have

discovered is to treat customers like guests and

employees like people.

Tom Peters

“The World’s Quality Guru”

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This FY 2014 budget proposal reflects the Dallas County Juvenile Department’s

balanced approach to moving the Department forward and benefiting from the

Dallas County Commissioner’s and the Dallas County Administration’s stellar

fiscal stewardship which allows us to make needed investments within the Dallas

County Juvenile Department’s operations, institutions, and employees. Most

important, it allows to better serve our youth as we put YOUTH FIRST!

The process that results in the Department’s budget submission is an arduous one

at times, made even more difficult in challenging times. This effort would not be

possible without the expertise, commitment to excellence, and the hard work of

the Department’s Executive and Fiscal staff!

The individuals listed below worked especially hard to analyze budgets for their

respective cost centers to include in this years budget proposal. Their dedication,

professionalism, and continued collegiality is deeply appreciated.

Dr. Terry S. Smith Executive Director/Chief Juvenile Probation Officer

John A. Heath

Assistant Executive Director

Kima Letcher Rhonda Freeman

Ronald Waddleton Marta Ballesté

Barbara Bowser Claudia Lopez

Felicia Requena

Editor and Cover Design John A. Heath

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