Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Juvenile Services Wraparound topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
AB 384 would task juvenile oversight commission with mapping and improving wraparound services for justice-involved youth
Summary
AB 384 proposes that the Juvenile Justice Oversight Commission solicit input and report annually on availability and quality of wraparound services and evidence-based programs for children who are or were in the juvenile justice system; sponsors framed it as a capacity-building measure to improve rehabilitation outcomes.
CARSON CITY — Assembly Bill 384 would direct the chair of the Juvenile Justice Oversight Commission to solicit input from practitioners, service providers, families and other stakeholders about the availability and effectiveness of wraparound and reentry services for youth who are or were involved in the juvenile justice system and to report annually with recommendations.
Assemblywoman Lisa Cole (Assembly District 4) and Bridget Duffy, Clark County District Attorney (Juvenile Justice Division), presented the bill as a nonpunitive, data-driven effort to strengthen rehabilitation and reduce recidivism. "Our system is rooted in rehabilitation as opposed to punishment," Cole said, and AB 384 aims to expand access to evidence-based programs and to ensure community services match assessed needs.
The bill would amend NRS 62B to require the Juvenile Justice Oversight Commission to gather input on services such as home- and community-based evidence-based programs, reentry services, mentoring, workforce training and extracurricular activities; the commission would report each March with findings and recommendations. Bridget Duffy, who chairs the JJOC data subcommittee and strategic planning committee, said the bill complements an updated strategic plan that calls for assessing current practice, strengthening evidence-based programs and creating a family-engagement subcommittee.
Witnesses included a legal extern from the Clark County Public Defender’s Office who expressed support, and public defenders and DA representatives had already contributed to the bill’s stakeholder discussions. Committee members asked about voluntary participation by youth and whether the commission could solicit input from youth who had completed probation or parole. Duffy said the statute focuses on soliciting input from service providers and stakeholders and would not compel youth participation; courts would still be responsible for individual case plans and compliance under existing probation/parole rules.
Several members praised the bill as a pragmatic, collaborative approach. Senator Orenshaw highlighted the need to increase mentoring and training capacity statewide; Duffy acknowledged long wait lists for mentoring programs and said the proposed commission work could identify gaps and training needs.
Ending: The committee closed the hearing with broad bipartisan support and no opposition recorded in the transcript. The bill’s emphasis is on data collection, coordination and building the pipeline of qualified service providers across Nevada.
