11/26/02—Boston College Law School is pleased to announce that Professor Francine Sherman has been named to an advisory committee of the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges for the project "The Reentry Initiative: The Role of the Juvenile Court." The focus of the committee will be the role of the Juvenile Court in the reentry of serious, violent juvenile offenders who are being released from juvenile institutions and into the community.

The National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges advisory committee will develop a primer or technical assistance guide on Juvenile Reentry Courts. Many issues will be discussed, such as guidelines for initiating, continuing assessment of offender risk and need, and inclusion of faith-based programs.

The Reentry Initiative is a comprehensive, country-wide effort that focuses on both juvenile and adult populations of serious, high-risk offenders, while providing funding to develop, implement, enhance, and evaluate reentry strategies that ensure the safety of the community and decrease serious, violent crimes. This is accomplished by preparing targeted offenders to successfully return to their communities after having served a certain period of secure confinement in a state training school, juvenile or adult correctional facility, or other secure institution.

Francine Sherman is the Director of the Juvenile Rights Advocacy Project at Boston College Law School. The project operates in collaboration with the Boston College Center for Child, Family and Community Partnerships and is a many-pronged clinical and participatory research program.

The first committee meeting will be held on December 14-15, 2002 from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM on Saturday the 14th and from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM on the 15th.