SACRAMENTO – Assembly Member Anna Caballero (D-Salinas), Chair of the Assembly Select Committee on Youth Violence Prevention, today released an update on the work of the Select Committee in 2007, signed by a bipartisan group of committee members.

“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.  “I’m 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.

“We gathered some good information that will be helpful in producing our tool-kit,” said Caballero.  “But we also learned a lot about where both the state and local communities can do a better job.”

A lack of coordination among local programs, and lack of consistent funding, were two key issues identified in the committee’s 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.”