Assembly Select Committee on Youth Violence Prevention releases updates

Our goal for this committee is to develop a tool-kit of ideas at the  local and state levels that will help communities dealing with youth  violence, said Caballero. Im pleased to report that we are well on  our way to achieving that goal.
The committee held five hearings  during 2007. Hearings in Los Angeles, Salinas and Oakland focused on  local programs, and a Sacramento hearing focused on issues relating to  state programs and state support for local communities.  An additional  joint hearing in Sacramento held in conjunction with the Select  Committee on Foster Care focused on deficiencies in the state and county  dependency system currently serving foster youth who become involved  with the juvenile justice system.
A lack of coordination among local  programs, and lack of consistent funding, were two key issues identified  in the committees update.  The committee update also noted a need for  accountability and uniform metrics to measure outcomes at the local  level.
Communities need better tools to measure and validate the  effectiveness of local programs in a uniform, apples to apples  manner, said Caballero.  All too often, communities end up measuring  what did not happen — for example, fewer shootings or arrests, or other  indications of gang-related violence.  But they need better ways to  measure more positive outcomes, such as the numbers of young people who  improved reading skills or got involved in career technical programs.
The  committee noted similar challenges with state programs targeting youth  violence prevention.  The committee heard from a number of state  agencies that have some type of program to assist local communities, but  found little coordination among the agencies.
State agencies, like  local agencies and community organizations, tend to operate with a  silo mentality, commented Caballero. They focus on their own  programs, but not about how to coordinate with their sister agencies.
As  with local agencies, the update noted that a lack of metrics to measure  local outcomes makes it difficult to target the scarce state dollars  effectively.  However, Caballero praised the governor for creating a new  Office of Gang and Youth Violence Policy, and his appointment of former  U.S. Attorney Paul Seave to direct the Office.
Commenting on the  committee update, Seave said: The select committees findings highlight  the need for coordination and accountability at all levels of  government if California is going to make a serious dent in gang and  youth violence.  My office looks forward to working with Assemblywoman  Caballero to develop a tool kit that will help local government  prioritize the expenditure of scarce resources to most effectively  reduce youth violence.
The select committee will hold its next  hearing on April 11 in San Francisco.  At least two additional hearings  will be held this year, in Fresno, and an as-yet to be determined  location in Southern California.  The 2008 hearings will focus primarily  on strategies that intervene in the lives of at-risk youth, or to turn  around the lives of young people who have become involved with gangs and  youth violence.
A final committee report will be produced  following the conclusion of the 2007-08 legislative session.