Judge Donna Scott Davenport Named To Center for Juvenile Justice Reform Fellows Network

Dec 13, 2013 at 02:34 pm by bryan


Rutherford County Juvenile Judge Donna Scott Davenport has been selected as a new member of the Center for Juvenile Justice Reform (CJJR) Fellows Network based on the approval of her capstone project.

Judge Davenport’s capstone project, titled Rutherford County: A Multi-Systemic Strategy with Partners, is focused on helping crossover youth in Tennessee. The Capstone Collaboration, through prevention and intervention strategies imbedded in a multi-systems approach, hopes to reduce the number of youth in our community who crossover from the child welfare system to the juvenile justice system or from the juvenile justice system to the child welfare system. “Specifically, the Collaboration seeks to target youth who have had contact with Child Protective Services and involvements with the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services (DCS),” Judge Davenport said.

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Judge Davenport participated in 44 hours of training in 2012, along with representatives from DCS and the Rutherford County Schools, at the Juvenile Justice and Child Welfare program for Public Sector Leaders at the Georgetown Public Policy Institute in Washington, DC. The purpose of the program was to increase the knowledge of public agencies about reform efforts related to crossover youth; improve the operation of their organizations in serving this population; provide an opportunity for the development of collaborative leadership skills; and create a mutually supportive network of individuals across the country committed to systems reforms.

The Center for Juvenile Justice Reform atGeorgetownUniversityadvances a balanced, multi-systems approach to reducing juvenile delinquency that promotes positive child and youth development, while also holding youth accountable.  The Center works to focus the nation's juvenile justice and related systems of care on the key principles embodied in an evidence-based juvenile justice reform agenda, utilizing a multi-systems approach.

Judge Davenport attended the 2012 Juvenile Justice and Child Welfare: Multi-System Integration Certificate Program and was admitted to the CJJR Fellows Network in March of 2013.  She will be considered for the Capstone of the Year Award, which is given to the individual who has made the most significant progress with youth in their community.

As Judge of the Juvenile Court, Judge Davenport has jurisdiction over both civil and delinquency/unruly cases involving children. Whenever children are charged with violating criminal statutes, it is the duty of the Court to provide a simple judicial procedure which assures the juvenile a fair hearing and due process, while protecting the constitutional and legal rights of all parties. According to Judge Davenport, the Court believes in the inherent goodness of every child, and every child's need for parental guidance. “Our work begins and ends with the goal of keeping children out of State custody and preserving or restoring the family unit whenever possible,” Judge Davenport said.

For more information on CJJR Fellows Network, visit http://cjjr.georgetown.edu.

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