D.C.'s juvenile justice system could be restructured and more -- news roundup

• On TV: "Young Kids, Hard Time"
  On Sunday, November 20 at 10 pm EST, MSNBC will premiere a one-hour documentary that throws back the veil on the reality of young kids serving long sentences in adult prisons. (Hat tip to the Campaign for Youth Justice.)
• Reform: D.C.'s juvenile justice system could be restructured
  Council member Jim Graham, charged with overseeing the city's Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services, is considering a radical change to the agency via, "job development programs, we would have literacy, we would be dealing with this marijuana addiction, having mental health because a lot of these kids are abused. It would be different."
• Civil citations are key to Florida's juvenile justice reform
  On July 1, 2011, Florida law began requiring counties to establish a local civil citation process for youth that requires them to admit to the offense, perform community service and possibly participate in intervention services. The non-recidivism rate is 93% in one FL county that has been using this program for two years.
• New community care option for girls in Baltimore
  Girls going through the juvenile justice system now have an alternative to detention while waiting to be adjudicated - an alternative that’s been available to boys for years. Some can now attend a youth monitoring program that allows them to live at home and attend a reporting center.

• The most at risk, the most ignored
  Sis Wegner, CEO of National Association for Children of Alcoholics (NACoA), speaks out, "A civilized society looks for and supports its most vulnerable children. Why are we missing the mark on 25 percent of ours?"
• Individuals receiving addiction treatment: Are medical costs of their family members reduced?
  This study provides stellar support showing that the effective treatment of a substance use disorder has positive health impacts not only for the person receiving treatment, but their family members as well.  These improved health outcomes lead to a reduction in overall healthcare spending. (Hat tip to ASAP)
• Winter Reading List
  The summer reading list has become a winter list. Enjoy these great suggestions from the Center for Court Innovation.

Lori Howell is a Senior Associate at Prichard Communications. She is a seasoned public affairs practitioner with a background in public policy, fundraising, and education. Lori helps clients with online editorial services, media relations, and publications. Before joining Prichard Communications, she served as chief of staff for Greg Macpherson, a former Oregon state legislator, an account executive for the Northwest Evaluation Association, a nonprofit educational testing consortium, and once taught English in Choshi, Japan.