Dear Parents,

The Memphis City Schools School House Adjustment Program Enterprise (S.H.A.P.E.) aims to reduce the number of Memphis City
Schools students sent to Juvenile Court for minor infractions of the law. The S.H.A.P.E. program is funded through a state grant as a
result of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (JJDP) Act requiring all states to address overrepresentation of minority
juveniles detained or confined in secure detention facilities, secure correctional facilities, jails, and lockups throughout the country.
The pilot program is especially aimed at decreasing the number of minority students sent to Juvenile Court for committing minor
infractions of the law. Similar programs have shown success in Chicago and New Jersey.

How did this program get started in Memphis?
The Tennessee Commission on Children and Youth (TCCY) is charged with implementing the JJDP requirements and looking at the
overall societal issues that contribute to the disparate number of minority youth who encounter the juvenile justice system in
Tennessee. Here in Memphis, a collaborative effort by the Shelby County Mayor’s Office, Juvenile Court Public Defenders, The City
of Memphis Mayor’s Office, the Memphis Police Department, and the Shelby County Disproportionate Minority Contact Task Force
were instrumental in Memphis City Schools receiving grant funding to start this pilot program in several of the Memphis City
Schools.

What does the School House Adjustment Program Enterprise do?
This program is an alternative method that Memphis City Schools is using to handle juvenile offenders who have committed minor
juvenile delinquency offenses within the MCS area of jurisdiction. The intent of the School House Adjustment Program Enterprise is
to provide immediate consequences, such as community service or restitution and a prompt and convenient resolution for the victim,
while at the same time benefiting the juvenile by avoiding the stigma of a formal juvenile delinquency record. In many instances, this
early intervention will deter the youth from continuing negative behavior and divert the youth from progressing further into the
juvenile justice system.

How does the program work?
In the S.H.A.P.E. program, the Site Coordinator typically asks the juvenile, a parent or guardian/caregiver, or other responsible adult
designated by the parent or guardian/caregiver to come to the school to discuss the offense within five days. This process allows
school staff to resolve minor disputes without the need to file a complaint with the court. The school staff may refer a juvenile for
needed services and, if property has been stolen or damaged, require the juvenile to make restitution in some form. The Site
Coordinator will discuss the offense with the juvenile’s parent or guardian/caregiver and request assurances that the juvenile will not
commit any future offenses. Victims of minor offenses are often better served when a matter can be resolved locally, providing for a
more efficient and expeditious resolution.

What are the offenses that will be considered for the Memphis City Schools School House Adjustment Program Enterprise?
Typically, if a student commits one of the charges listed below, that student is eligible for the School House Adjustment Program
Enterprise. Assault and disorderly conduct account for 58 percent of the students transported to Juvenile Court in 2006.

• Assault (no injuries)
• Disorderly conduct
• Criminal trespassing

In addition, offenses may not be adjusted when the juvenile is currently on probation, parole home detention, or other court-ordered
disposition.

What are the benefits of the School House Adjustment Program Enterprise?
The program allows students to continue with their academic studies and to have their behavioral progress monitored by school staff,
instead of being transported to Juvenile Court. Students in the program will receive and participate in a violence prevention
curriculum that is based on best practices by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency as effective, promising or exemplary.
This will reinforce program strategic and concepts in everyday interactions with students and teach them how to model skills and
behaviors in all interactions with other students and staff.