YAP 40 TH CELEBRATION THANK YOU ALL FOR INVITING ME, THANKS ESPECIALLY TO JEFF. MANY OF YOU MAY KNOW THAT I FIRST INTRODUCED JEFF TO TOM AND TO YAP. I WILL TRY TO BE BRIEF; AND I WILL TRY TO MAKE MY REMARKS RELEVANT TO YOU AND ALL THE GREAT AND IMPORTANT WORK YOU DO WITH OUR YOUTH, THEIR FAMILIES AND THEIR COMMUNTIES. [GREAT TO SEE SO MANY YOUNG FOLKS HERE!] I WANT TO ADDRESS THREE SOMEWHAT SEPARATE TOPICS THAT I SEE AS BEING RELATED TO YAP S MISSION AND WORK. I. THE FIRST, SOME HISTORY (FILLING IN SOME DETAILS FROM WHAT MINNETE HAS SAID); THE SECOND, SOME PHILOSPHY; AND THE THIRD, SOME POETRY. HISTORY, PHILOSOPHY AND POETRY SOUNDS ALMOST LIKE A CRASH COURSE IN LIBERAL ARTS AT A COMMUNITY COLLEGE. FIRST: SOME HISTORY. MINNETE HAS REMINDED US OF THE HISTORY REGARDING THE START OF YAP HOW TOM STARTED YAP TO HELP MOVE JUVENILE JUSTICE YOUTH OUT OF THE CAMP HILL PRISON IN THE MID 1970 S. BUT I WANT TO GO BACK A LITTLE FURTHER IN HISTORY, TO THE ROOTS OF YAP. TO THE STORY OF JOHN AUGUSTUS A SHOEMAKER IN BOSTON IN 1840 S. HE BEGAN TO SPONSOR TROUBLED CHILDREN AND OTHER FOLKS WHO HAD BEEN ARRESTED AND WERE LOCKED UP. HIS APPROACH WAS PRETTY SIMPLE AND DIRECT, LIKE YAP S, HE TREATED FOLKS AS IF THEY WERE HIS FAMILY. HE FOUND THEM SAFE PLACES TO LIVE AND ALSO HELPED FIND WORK FOR YOUNG ADULTS. HE EFFECTIVELY DIVERTED MANY PEOPLE FROM THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM. AND HE IS OFTEN CREDITED AS THE BEING THE FATHER OF PROBATION. I WONDER WHAT HE WOULD THINK OF MANY OF TODAY S 1
PROBATION AND PAROLE AGENCIES (NOT IS PA.!) WHO OFTEN SEEM MORE FOCUSED ON FINDING THEIR CHARGES DOING SOMETHING WRONG, RATHER THAN HELPING THEM DO GOOD?: ( TRAIL THEM; NAIL THEM AND JAIL THEM ). AS I SAID BY TRADE, HE WAS A SHOE MAKER. HE WAS NOT A PROFESSIONAL; HE WAS AN INDEPENDENT, CONCERNED AND CARING CITIZEN. FROM THE MID19 TH CENTURY, FAST FORWARD A CENTURY OF SO. YOU PROBABLY HAVE NOT HEARD OF A JUVENILE COURT JUDGE NAMED JUDGE KEITH LEENHOUTS FROM ROYAL OAKS, MICHIGAN. IN THE EARLY 1960 S HE STARTED THE VOLUNTEERS IN PROBATION PROGRAM, RECRUITING CITIZENS FROM HIS COMMUNITY AS ONE- ON- ONE SPONSERS FOR YOUTH ON PROBATION. AFTER BEING TRAINED, EACH SPONSER SPENT 12-15 HRS/MONTH ONE-ON-ONE WITH YOUTH WHO HAD BEEN CHARGED WITH CRIMES. EACH COMMUNITY SPONSER TUTORED, COUNSELLED AND SPENT QUALITY TIME WITH EACH YOUTH. AN EARLY EXAMPLE OF CITIZENS CHANGING BIOGRAPHIES. OF COURSE, LEENHOUTS PROGRAM WAS SUCCESSFUL FAR MORE SUCCSESSFUL THAN TRADITIONAL PROBATION IN REDUCING RECIDIVISM AND DIVERTING YOUTH FROM LOCK-UPS. IN MASSACHUSETTS IN THE EARLY 1970 S, WE ACTUALLY TRIED TO START A VOLUNTEER IN PAROLE PROGRAM, MODELED ON THE MICHIGAN JUDGE S APPROACH. A YOUNG DYS STAFF (NOW MY WIFE OF 42 YEARS, ANNE) AND OTHER DYS STAFF, RECRUITED TRAINED AND SUPPORTED CITIZEN SPONSERS TO WORK WITH DYS YOUTH ON PAROLE. THESE FOLKS CAME FROM UNIVERSITIES, CIVIC CLUBS, CHURCHES, YMCA S AND OTHER COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION. BUT THE OLD-LINE, TRADITIONAL PAROLE AGENTS IN MASS FAILED TO EMBRACE THE APPROACH BUT THE EXPERIENCE TAUGHT US AN IMPORTANT LESSON. WE DISCOVERED THAT THERE WERE A VARIETY OF EFFECTIVE, CITIZEN LED SUPPORTS IN THE COMMUNITY FOR DYS YOUTH. AS 2
WE WERE CLOSING THE TRAINING SCHOOLS (AND IN A PARADOXICAL WAY --THANKFULLY -- HAD INSUFFICIENT AVAILABLE FUNDS FOR GROUP CARE! WE NEEDED COMMUNITY RESOURCES FOR YOUTH), WE BUILT ON THE VOLUNTEERS IN PROBATION APPROACH AND STARTED EFFECTIVE NON- RES PROGRAMS, USING CITIZEN SPONSORS FROM YMCA S, COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS, LOCAL COLLEGES. THE MOST FAMOUS ONE, OF COURSE, WAS THE PROGRAM DEVELOPED AT HARVARD (PHILIP BROOK S HOUSE), BY THE WOLFE BROTHERS. AT FIRST THESE GROUPS WORKED WITH YOUTH WHO WERE DISCHARGED FROM THE TRAINING SCHOOLS. LATER THEY OFTEN WERE USED AT THE FRONT END OF THE SYSTEM AS WE WORKED TO CLOSE ALL OF THE REFORM SCHOOLS IN MASS. LATER in CHICAGO WHEN WE WERE FACED WITH THE PROBLEM OF HOW TO RETURN OVER 700 CHILD WELFARE YOUTH FROM DISTANT OUT OF STATE RESIDENTIAL PLACEMET, WE USED THE PHILPS BROOKES APPROACH TO DEVELOP A CHICAGO PROGRAM THAT MINETTE KNOWS WELL. CAP EMPLOYED COMMUNITY ADVOCATES TO HELP SUPPORT YOUTH WHO WERE RETURNING FROM PLACEMENT. CAP HELPED TOM RETURN OVER 700 DCFS KIDS FROM OUT OF STATE RESIDENTIAL PLACEMENTS WITHOUT RELYING ON GROUP CARE. IN CHICAGO, WE ALSO ADAPTED THE MODEL FOR JUVENILE JUSTICE YOUTH TO DIVERT THEM FROM BRUTAL REFORM SCHOOLS. (A SUCCESSFUL DELINQUENCY DIVERSION SYSTEM CALLED UDIS, DEVELOPED A VARIETY OF COMMUNITY SUPPORTS THAT KEPT KIDS OUT OF REFORM SCHOOLS). [YAP S RECENT AWARD IS NAMNE FOR GLORIA (& ERNIE) JENKINS WHO RAN ONE OF UDIS S BEST COMMUNITY AGENCIES.THE BOOK BEYOND PROBATION BY A VERY CONSERVATIVE ACADEMIC, CHARLES MURRAY, EVEN PRAISED THE APPROACH. 3
IN THE MID 1970 S, THE SAME PATTERN REPEATED ITSELF WHEN WE HAD DIFFICULTY FINDING PLACEMENTS FOR MANY OF THE CAMP HILL YOUTH, MANY OF US WERE SURE THAT THE COMMUNITY, STRENGTH BASED, ADVOCACY APPROACH COULD BE AN EFFECTIVE ALTERNATIVE. AND SO YAP WAS BORN IN PA. THE REST AS THEY SAY IS HISTORY. DURING THE PAST 40 YEARS YOU ALL HAVE REFINED AND EXPANDED THIS APPROACH TO ACHIEVE SUCCESS IN HOW MANY STATES NOW? HERE ARE TWO RELEVANT TAKE-AWAYS FROM THIS BRIEF HISTORICAL OVERVIEW: 1. YOU AND YOUR WORK ARE PART OF A GREAT AND SUCCESSFUL, LONG STANDING TRADITION THAT HAS PROVEN TIME AND TIME AGAIN THAT THE TRADITIONAL FORMAL PROFESSIOAL RESIDENTIAL INTERVENTIONS DO NOT WORK. CREATIVE FOLKS, (JOHN AUGUSTUS, JUDGE LEENHOUTS, THE WOOLFE BROTHERS, HERB GORDON, TOM AND JEFF -- AND ALL OF YOU HAVE PROVEN THAT BELIEVING IN OUR YOUTH AND FAMILIES, BUILDING ON THEIR STRENGTHS AND NOT DE-MEANIZING THEM, INCLUDING THEM AND THEIR COMMUNITIES INTO THE PROCESS AND BEING FLEXIBLE -- HANGING ON UNCONDITIONALLY AND SUPPORTING THEM -- WORKS. AGAIN AND AGAIN YOUR GOOD WORK HAS PROVEN TO BE SUCCESSFUL. YOU ALL HAVE CREATED AN OPPORTUNITY TO RE-LEARN, REPEAT AND REFINE AND EXTEND THE LESSONS OF JOHN AUGUSTUS; OF JUDGE LEENHOUTS, OF ILLINOIS; OF MASS AND OF PA. YOU ALL RETEACH THESE LESSONS EVERY DAY. AS I SAID YOU ARE PART OF A VERY SUCCESSFUL AND WELL-TESTED TRADITION. FEEL THE PRIDE IN YOUR WORK AND IN YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS! 2. TODAY, MORE THAN AT ANY OTHER TIME IN MY 45 YEAR CAREER IN OUR FIELD, IT IS VERY MUCH YOURS AND YAP S TIME (JEFF MIGHT SPEAK TO THIS LATER). THANKS IN PART TO THE CASEY FOUNDATION AND 4
OTHERS (SOME OF WHOM ARE HERE TONIGHT or will be joining us soon. e.g.: LIZ RYAN & YOUR OWN SHAENA), WE ARE REACHING A NATIONAL CONCENSUS THAT REFORM SCHOOLS SHOULD BE CLOSED AND JJ YOUTH SHOULD BE SERVED AND SUPERVISED IN THEIR OWN COMMUNITY; THAT YOUTH DO NOT BELONG IN TRAINING SCHOOLS, ADULT JAILS & PRISONS. SIMILARLY, IN CHILD WELFARE, MANY LEADERS ARE RECOGNIZING THAT CONGREGATE CARE DOES NOT WORK. (GRETECHEN TEST WHO IS HERE FROM THE CASEY FOUNDATION IS HELPING TO LEAD THE CHILD WELFARE WORK). YOUR COLLECTIVEAND INDIVIDUAL EFFORTS HAVE HELPED FORGE THIS emerging CONSENSUS. NOW IS THE TIME FOR YAP & ALL OF US TO MOVE AGGRESIVELY FORWARD TO CLOSE REFORM SCHOOLS, TO GET YOUTH OUT OF ADULT JAILS AND PRISONS AND TO MAKE SURE CHILD WELFARE CHILDREN AND FAMILIES HAVE THE NECESSARY RESOURCES AND SUPPORT TO STAY IN THEIR COMMUNITIES WITH AND/OR CLOSE TO THEIR OWN FAMILIES AND EXTENDED FAMILIES. THERE IS MUCH GOOD WORK TO BE DONE AND THE TIME IS RIPE. II. NOW AS PROMISED SOME PHILOSOPHY. WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO DO GOOD WORK? WHAT EXACTLY ARE THE INTRINSIC VALUES OF OUR WORK? 1. SURE WE ALL NEED TO EARN A LIVING 2. BUT MUCH MORE THAN THAT. THINK ABOUT WHAT FREUD HAS SAID: THAT TO LOVE AND BE LOVED, AND TO BE ENGAGED IN MEANINGFUL WORK ARE THE TWO CORNER STONES, THE PILLARS, OF WHAT IT MEANS TO BE HUMAN. PEOPLE WHO ARE HAPPY AT WORK AND WITH THEIR WORK e.g., ARTISTS, MUSICIANS, DANCERS BOTH LOSE AND FIND THEMSELVES IN THEIR WORK. THEY SELF- ACTUALIZE. THINK ABOUT JOHN COLETRANE AND HIS saxaphone; LEBRON JAMES AND BASKETALL; PICASSO AND HIS 5
PAINTING -- ONE CAN T IMAGINE THESE GIANTS SEPARATE FROM THEIR WORK. IN YAP, A COMMITMENT TO DOING GOOD WORK LENDS PASSION AND MEANING TO YOUR LIVES. YOUR WORK AT YAP GIVES YOU THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE PASSIONATE ABOUT A CAUSE; TO DEFINE YOURSELVES BY YOUR ACTIONS; TO THROW YOURSELVES INTO YOUR WORK. LITERALLY TO ACTIVELY BECOME MORE LIKE YOUR TRUE SELF, EVERYDAY. COULD YOU IMAGINE JEFF DOING ANYTHING ELSE BUT LEADING YAP? YOUR WORK IS A VOCATION, A CALLING TO A HIGHER PURPOSE, SO DIFFERENT FROM FOLKS WHO WORK AT MEANINGLESS JOBS: WHERE WORK OFTEN BECOMES A DRUDGERY, ALMOST A SLOW DEATH. OUR WORK BOTH ENRICHES US AND HELPS TO DEFINE US. YOUR WORK GIVES YOU A CHANCE TO DO GOOD. AS WE PERCEIVE THE GOOD. TO MAKE A CONTRIBUTION TO THE PUBLIC GOOD. IN YAP S CASE HELING KIDS, FAMILIES AND COMMUNITIES. YOU SHOULD CELEBRATE THIS FACT THIS VALUE OF YOUR WORK. 3. BUT I ASK YOU TO CONSIDER A DIFFERENT VALUE OF OUR WORK. THE TRUTH IS THAT I BELIEVE WE LEARN, ARE SUSTAINED AND GROW, IF YOU WILL, BECAUSE OF OUR WORK. THAT IN A REAL SENSE, OUR KIDS AND FAMILIES GIVE US MUCH MORE THAN WE GIVE THEM -- IF WE ARE OPENED TO LISTENING TO AND UNDERSTANDING THE FUNDAMENTAL LESSONS THAT THEY TEACH US DAILY. LISTEN, THESE ARE AMAZING LESSONS: (A.) HUMILITY; (B.) PERSEVERANCE/RESILENCE AGAINST ALL ODDS THE ABILITY TO CONTINUE TO STRIVE TO OVERCOME ADVERSITY; AGAIN AND AGAIN TO PICK OURSELVES UP AFTER BEING KNOCKED TO THE GROUND; AND (C.) THE POWER OF COMMUNITY OF BEING PART OF A FAMILY 6
AND A COMMUNITY, EXPERIENCING THE POWER OF A SUPPORTIVE FAMILY AND A COMMUNITY OF PEOPLE WORKING TOGETHER; THE POWER OF A SOCIAL MOVEMENT. IF YOU WILL, THE EFFECTIVENESS OF WORKING WITH A COMMUNITY OF YOUR PEERS, WITH OUR YOUTH AND FAMILIES TO OVER COMING UNFAIR ODDS. OUR YOUTH AND FAMILIES MAY BE POOR ECONOMICALLY, BUT NOT IN SPIRIT. OUR COMMUNITIES MAY BE LOCKED OUT OF MATERIAL OPPORTUNITY, BUT THEY ARE RICH IN SOCIAL CAPITAL. OUR FAMILIES AND YOUTH ARE THE REAL HEROES NOT US. THEY ENRICH AND NOURISH OUR LIVES IN SO MANY WAYS. WE, I THINK, GET FAR MORE FROM THEM THAN WE GIVE. III. AND NOW TO CLOSE WITH SOME POETRY. THE TRUTH IS THAT FEW FOLKS TEACH US WHAT IT MEANS TO TRY TO CONTINUE TO DO GOOD WORK AS WE GROW OLDER (EXCEPT, PERHAPS, JIMMY & ROSLYN CARTER); TO CONTINUE TO GROW AND TO STRIVE, DESPITE THE LIMITS OF OUR OWN INTELLIGENCE AND MORTALITY. LATELY WITH THE PASSING OF TOM AND JERRY, I HAVE RETURNED TO SOME POETRY TO HELP ME PERSONALLY STAY FOCUSED, TO STAY THE COURSE. ALLOW ME TO END BY SHARING SOME POETIC EXCERPTS THAT I OFTEN LEAN ON, AND TAKE NURISHMENT FROM: A. TENNYSON S ULYSSES: TENNYSON S ULYSSES: 1843 SOME CONTEXT: THE SPEAKER OF THE POEM IS ULYSSES THE GREEK HERO OF THE TROJAN WAR, NOW AS AN OLDER MAN. TENNYSON IMAGINES HIM GETTING READY TO FACE HIS LAST TEST. GETTING READY TO SET SAIL ONE LAST TIME TO FACE HIS LAST BATTLE. I ENCOURAGE YOU TO 7
READ THE ENTIRE POEM. BUT HERE ARE ITS LAST SEVERAL LINES (SLIGHTLY EDITED): There lies the port: the vessel puffs her sail: There gloom the dark broad seas. My mariners, Souls that have toil d, and wrought, and thought with me That ever with a frolic welcome took The thunder and the sunshine, Free hearts, free foreheads -- you and I are old; Old age hath yet his honour and his toil; Death closes all: but something ere the end, Some work of noble note, may yet be done, Not unbecoming men [AND WOMEN!] that strove with Gods. The lights begin to twinkle from the rocks: The long day wanes: the slow moon climbs: the deep Moans round with many voices. Come, my friends, Tis not too late to seek a newer world. Push off, and sitting well in order smite The sounding furrows; for my purpose holds To sail beyond the sunset, and the baths Of all the western stars until I die. It may be that the gulfs will wash us down: It may be we shall touch the Happy Isles, And see the great Achilles, whom we knew. Tho much is taken, much abides; and tho We are not now that strength which in old days Moved earth and heaven; that which we are, we are; One equal temper of heroic hearts, 8
Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will-- To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield. POWERFUL STUFF! AND NOT TO YIELD! DESPITE ALL ODDS SOMETHING WE AND OUR YOUTH AND FAMILES DO EVERY DAY. AND NOW A VERY SHORT EXCERPT THAT REMINDS ME AGAIN AND AGAIN THAT ALL LIVES MATTER, THAT BLACK LIVES MATTER, THAT THE PAIN OF THOSE LOCKED UP IS ALL OF OUR PAIN; THAT INJUSTICE TO ANY HUMAN BEING IS INJUSTICE TO US ALL. CONSIDER THESE LINES FROM JOHN DONNE S NO MAN IS AN ISLAND, 1624.[AGAIN, SLIGHTLY EDITED] NO MAN IS AN ISLAND ENTIRE OF ITSELF; EVERY MAN IS A PIECE OF THE CONTINENT, A PART OF THE MAIN; IF A STONE BE WASHED AWAY BY THE SEA, EUROPE IS THE LESS, ANY MAN S DEATH DININISHES ME, BECAUSE I AM INVOLVED [IN ALL] MANKIND. AND, THEREFORE, NEVER SEEK TO KNOW FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS; IT TOLLS FOR THEE. THREE CENTURIES LATER EUGENE DEBS WHO WAS A CANDIDIATE FOR THE U.S. PRESIDENCY FIVE TIMES FAMOUSLY SEEMED TO CHANNEL JOHN DONNE WHEN HE SAID: WHILE THERE IS A LOWER CLASS, I AM IN IT. WHILE THERE IS A CRIMINAL ELEMENT, I AM OF IT. WHILE THERE IS A SOUL IN PRISON, I AM NOT FREE. SO MY YAP FRIENDS & COLLEAGUES & YOUTH: CONTINUE TO DO GOOD WORK. RELISH YOUR TRADITION. LET S ABOLISH/CLOSE ALL THE REFORM SCHOOLS; LET S WORK TO GIVE FAMILIES AND COMMUNITIES THE RESOURCES AND SUPPORTS THEY NEED TO TAKE CARE OF THEIR OWN CHILDREN. AND LET S BE HUMBLE ENOUGH TO LISTEN TO AND LEARN THE IMPORTANT LESSONS THAT OUR YOUTH AND FAMILIES TEACH US EVERY DAY. THANK YOU. 9