W Haywood Burns Institute

James Bell. James Bell is the Founder and Executive Director of the W. Haywood Burns Institute. Since 2001, Mr. Bell has been spearheading a national movement to address racial and ethnic disparities in the juvenile justice system. The BI, which is named after civil rights pioneer W. Haywood Burns, was recently awarded the prestigious MacArthur Award for Creative and Effective Institutions. The… See full bio.

Nov 02, 2011

These are just a few of our successes to give some context about our work: Camden, NJ: Reduced target population offenses: violation of probation, failure to appear and alternative-to-detention violation, by 50 percent. New Orleans, LA: Reduced the number of… Read More.

Story: Did you know that:

• Youth of color make up 38% of the United States youth population (ages 10-17) and are 65% of the secure detention population.
• Youth of color are arrested, charged, and incarcerated more than White youth for similar conduct, and are overrepresented at every decision-making point in the juvenile justice system.
• African American youth are 6 times more liekly to become securely detained than White youth. Native American youth are nearly 4 times as likely and Latino youth are more than 2 times as likely.

Evidence of Impact Summary:

The W. Haywood Burns Institute is mentioned by experts as an organization that has proposed new ways of dealing with racial disparities in the criminal justice system. The organization’s advocacy programs and technical assistance are cited as the primary methods through which this group has made an impact in its sector.
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Organization Strengths Summary:

According to experts, the major strengths of the W. Haywood Burns Institute are its dedicated leaders and staff members and its commitment to empowering youth and local organizations in its community.
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Areas for Improvement Summary:

The W. Haywood Burns Institute should try to increase its capacity and its access to resources so that it may be able to increase its scope of effectiveness and its collaboration with advocates. Experts have also noted that this organization should focus more on its internal structure.
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James Bell is the Founder and Executive Director of the W. Haywood Burns Institute. Since 2001, Mr. Bell has been spearheading a national movement to address racial and ethnic disparities in the juvenile justice system. The BI, which is named after civil rights pioneer W. Haywood Burns, was recently awarded the prestigious MacArthur Award for Creative and Effective Institutions. The award is presented to select organizations worldwide that have made a “remarkable impact in their fields.” Mr. Bell and his colleagues at the BI work with juvenile justice systems across the country to reduce the disproportionality of youth of color. Mr Bell guides the BI's Community Justice Network for Youth (CJNY), a national network of programs working successfully with young people of color. Mr. Bell also works closely with the Casey Foundation’s JDAI jurisdictions and the MacArthur Foundation’s Models for Change Initiative. Mr. Bell is being recognized this year for his “profound contribution to human rights,” by the American Education Research Association Human Rights Award Committee, which has selected him to receive the second annual Ella Baker/Septima Clark Human Rights Award. Mr. Bell has appeared on Nightline and the Tavis Smiley show. He also authored the Unequal Justice section of the Covenant with Black America, a national plan of action to address the primary concerns of African Americans today by Tavis Smiley, as well as the Criminal Justice Policy Paper for the National Black/Latino Summit. Mr. Bell has extensive experience in the international juvenile justice arena: He assisted the African National Congress in the administration of the juvenile justice system in South Africa; recently worked with Chinese officials and policymakers on alternatives for proven risk youth moving from the countryside to the cities; and worked closely with officials in New Zealand and Australia to analyze the principles and practices that form the foundation of their restorative justice systems. Mr. Bell is the recipient of a Kellogg National Leadership Fellowship, the Livingstone Hall Award from the American Bar Association, Attorney of the Year from the Charles Houston Bar Association, the Advocate of the Year from the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, the Moral Leadership Against Injustice Award of the Delancey Street Foundation and the Local Hero Award from the San Francisco Corporation for Public Broadcasting and the James Irvine Foundation Leadership Award. He received his J.D. from Hastings College of the Law.

Nov 02, 2011

These are just a few of our successes to give some context about our work: Camden, NJ: Reduced target population offenses: violation of probation, failure to appear and alternative-to-detention violation, by 50 percent. New Orleans, LA: Reduced the number of youth of color in detention from over 60 to 30 kids in 3 months. New York City, NY: Effectively organized a task force in NYC, who closed Spofford Juvenile Hall. Louisville, KY: Reduced admissions for warrants by 58 percent. The state of Kentucky is considering implementing the Burns Institute’s risk assessment instrument for use statewide. Pima, AZ: Reduced the daily detention population average from 175 to 62 children, across all ethnicities. Ramsey, MN: Reduced total admission by 75 percent. Reduced admissions for probation violations by 90 percent. Reduced the number of admissions of youth of color by over 60 percent.